Chapter 1: Pairs (Yamakavaggo) |
1. | Mind precedes thoughts, mind is their chief, their quality is made by mind,if with a base mind one speaks or acts,through that suffering follows him like a wheel follows the ox's foot.1 | Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā,manasā ce paduṭṭhena bhāsati vā karoti vā,tato naṁ dukkham-anveti cakkaṁ va vahato padaṁ. |
2. | Mind precedes thoughts, mind is their chief, their quality is made by mind,if with pure mind one speaks or acts,through that happiness follows him like a shadow which does not depart. | Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā,manasā ce pasannena bhāsati vā karoti vā,tato naṁ sukham-anveti chāyā va anapāyinī. |
5. | For not by hatred do hatreds cease at any time in this place,they only cease with non-hatred, this truth is surely eternal. | Na hi verena verāni sammantīdha kudācanaṁ,averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano. |
The translation of this simile is debated. Suddhaso Bhikku interprets the simile as "just as a track follows a wheel." He argues that other interpretations involve adding words that are not a direct translation of the original text. Specifically, cakkaṁ means wheel, va means as, vahato means following, and padaṁ means track, path, or foot. |
Chapter 10: The Stick (Daṇḍavaggo) |
131. | One who harms with a stick beings who desire happiness,while seeking happiness for himself, won't find happiness after death. | Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati,attano sukham-esāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ. |
132. | One who harms not with a stick beings who desire happiness,while seeking happiness for himself, will find happiness after death. | Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati,attano sukham-esāno, pecca so labhate sukhaṁ. |
133. | Do not say anything harsh, spoken to they might answer back to you,for arrogant talk entails misery, and they might strike you back with a stick. | Māvoca pharusaṁ kañci, vuttā paṭivadeyyu' taṁ,dukkhā hi sārambhakathā, paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu' taṁ. |
Chapter 12: The Self (Attavaggo) |
157. | If one regards oneself as dear one should guard oneself right well,during one of the three watches of the night the wise one should stay alert. | Attānañ-ce piyaṁ jaññā rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ,tiṇṇam-aññataraṁ yāmaṁ paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito. |
158. | First one should establish oneself in what is suitable,then one can advise another, the wise one should not have any defilement. | Attānam-eva paṭhamaṁ patirūpe nivesaye,athaññam-anusāseyya, na kilisseyya paṇḍito. |
159. | He should do himself as he would advise another to do,being well-trained, he could surely train another, for it is said the self is difficult to train. | Attānañ-ce tathā kayirā yathaññam-anusāsati,sudanto vata dametha, attā hi kira duddamo. |
160. | For the self is the friend of self, for what other friend would there be? When the self is well-trained, one finds a friend that is hard to find. | Attā hi attano nātho, ko hi nātho paro siyā?Attanā va sudantena nāthaṁ labhati dullabhaṁ. |
161. | That wickedness done by oneself, born in oneself, arising in oneself,crushes the one who is stupid, as a diamond crushes a rock-jewel. | Attanā va kataṁ pāpaṁ, attajaṁ attasambhavaṁ,abhimatthati dummedhaṁ vajiraṁ vasmamayaṁ maṇiṁ. |
162. | The one who has an exceeding lack of virtue, like a deadly creeper covering a Sal tree,makes himself the same as his enemy wishes him to be. | Yassa accantadussīlyaṁ, māluvā Sālam-ivotataṁ,karoti so tathattānaṁ yathā naṁ icchatī diso. |
163. | Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do. | Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca,yaṁ ve hitañ-ca sādhuñ-ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ. |
164. | Whoever reviles the worthy teaching of the Noble Ones who live by Dhamma,that stupid one, depending on wicked views,like the bamboo when it bears fruit, brings about his own destruction. | Yo sāsanaṁ arahataṁ Ari yānaṁ Dhammajīvinaṁpaṭikkosati dummedho diṭṭhiṁ nissāya pāpikaṁ,phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva attaghaññāya phallati. |
165. | By oneself alone is a wicked deed done, by oneself is one defiled,by oneself is a wicked deed left undone, by oneself is one purified,purity and impurity come from oneself, for no one can purify another. | Attanā va kataṁ pāpaṁ, attanā saṅkilissati,attanā akataṁ pāpaṁ, attanā va visujjhati,suddhī asuddhī paccattaṁ, nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye. |
166. | One should not neglect one's own good for another's, however great;knowing what is good for oneself one should be intent on that good. | Atta-d-atthaṁ paratthena bahunā pi na hāpaye;atta-d-attham-abhiññāya sa-d-atthapasuto siyā. |
Chapter 13: The World (Lokavaggo) |
167. | One should not follow lowly things, one should not abide heedlessly,one should not follow a wrong view, one should not foster worldliness. | Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, pamādena na saṁvase,micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, na siyā lokavaḍḍhano. |
Chapter 14: The Buddha (Buddhavaggo) |
183. | The non-doing of anything wicked, undertaking of what is good,the purification of one's mind - this is the teaching of the Buddhas. | Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṁ, kusalassa upasampadā,sacittapariyodapanaṁ - etaṁ Buddhāna' sāsanaṁ. |
Chapter 19: The One who stands by Dhamma (Dhammaṭṭhavaggo) |
270. | Through not hurting breathing beings one is noble (Aryan), the one who does not hurt any breathing beings is truly said to be noble (Aryan). | Na tena ariyo hoti yena pāṇāni hiṁsati, ahiṁsā sabbapāṇānaṁ ariyo ti pavuccati. |
Chapter 20: The Path (Maggavaggo) |
276. | Your duty is to have ardour declare the Realised Ones,entering this path meditators will be released from the bonds of Māra. | Tumhehi kiccaṁ ātappaṁ akkhātāro Tathāgatā,paṭipannā pamokkhanti jhāyino Mārabandhanā. |
277. | All conditions are impermanent, when one sees this with wisdom,then one grows tired of suffering – this is the path to purity. | Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā ti, yadā paññāya passati,atha nibbindatī dukkhe – esa maggo visuddhiyā. |
278. | All conditions are suffering, when one sees this with wisdom,then one grows tired of suffering – this is the path to purity. | Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā ti, yadā paññāya passati,atha nibbindatī dukkhe – esa maggo visuddhiyā. |
279. | All components of mind and body are without self, when one sees this with wisdom,then one grows tired of suffering – this is the path to purity. | Sabbe dhammā anattā ti, yadā paññāya passati,atha nibbindatī dukkhe – esa maggo visuddhiyā. |
Chapter 24: Craving (Taṇhāvaggo) |
343. | People surrounded by cravingcrawl round like a hare in a trap,therefore he should remove craving –the monk who longs for dispassion for himself. | Tasiṇāya purakkhatā pajāparisappanti saso va bādhito,tasmā tasiṇaṁ vinodaye –bhikkhu ākaṅkha' virāgam-attano. |
350. | Whoever has delight in the calming of thoughts,who always mindfully cultivates what is unattractive,will surely abolish this craving,he will cut off the bond of Māra. | Vitakkupasame ca yo ratoasubhaṁ bhāvayatī sadā sato,esa kho vyantikāhiti,esacchecchati Mārabandhanaṁ. |