Category: Eastern Mysticism

Akkodhena jine kodhaṃ;
asādhuṃ sādhunā jine;
jine kadariyaṃ dānena;
saccenālikavādinaṃ.

Overcome the angry by non-anger;
overcome the wicked by goodness;
overcome the miser by generosity;
overcome the liar by truth.

Dhammapada 17.223
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Imesu kira sajjanti,
Eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Viggayha naṃ vivadanti
Janā ekaṅgadassino.

Some recluses and brahmins, so called,
Are deeply attached to their own views;
People who only see one side of things
Engage in quarrels and disputes.

Udāna 6.54
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

Sukarāni asādhūni,
attano ahitāni ca.
Yaṃ ve hitañca sādhuñca,
taṃ ve paramadukkaraṃ. 

Easy to do are things
that are bad and harmful to oneself.
But exceedingly difficult to do
are things that are good and beneficial.

Dhammapada 12.163
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Attā hi attano nātho;
ko hi nātho paro siyā?
Attanā hi sudantena,
nāthaṃ labhati dullabhaṃ. 

One truly is the protector of oneself;
who else could the protector be?
With oneself fully controlled,
one gains a mastery that is hard to gain.

Dhammapada 12.160
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Mettañca sabbalokasmi,
mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ:
Uddhaṃ adho ca tiriyañca,
asambādhaṃ averamasapattaṃ.

With good will for the entire cosmos,
cultivate a limitless heart:
Above, below, & all around,
unobstructed, without downloadility or hate.

Sutta Nipāta 1.150
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Attānaṃ ce tathā kayirā;
yathāññamanusāsati,
sudanto vata dametha.
Attā hi kira duddamo.

One should do what one teaches others to do;
if one would train others,
one should be well controlled oneself.
Difficult, indeed, is self-control.

Dhammapada 12.159
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,
uppādavayadhammino.
Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,
tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho.

Impermanent truly are compound things,
by nature arising and passing away.
If they arise and are extinguished,
their eradication brings happiness.

Dīgha Nikāya 2.221
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Yato yato sammasati
khandhānaṃ udayabbayaṃ,
labhatī pītipāmojjaṃ,
amataṃ taṃ vijānataṃ. 

Whenever and wherever one encounters
the arising and passing away of the mental-physical structure,
one enjoys bliss and delight,
[which lead on to] the deathless stage experienced by the wise.  

Dhammapada 25.374
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ nava
natthi sambhavaṃ,
virattacittāyatike bhavasmiṃ.
Te khīṇabījā, avirūḷhichandā.
Nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo. 

When past conditioning is released
and no fresh one produced,
the mind no longer seeks for future birth.
The seed consumed, cravings no more arise.
Such-minded wise ones cease like [the flame of] this lamp.

Sutta Nipāta 2.238
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Anekajātisaṃsāraṃ
sandhāvissaṃ, anibbisaṃ
gahakāraṃ gavesanto;
dukkhā jāti punappunaṃ.
Gahakāraka! Diṭṭhosi.

Puna gehaṃ na kāhasi.
Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā,
gahakūṭaṃ visaṅkhataṃ.
Visaṅkhāragataṃ cittaṃ:
taṇhānaṃ khayamajjhagā.

Through countless births in the cycle of existence
I have run, not finding
although seeking the builder of this house;
and again and again I faced the suffering of new birth.
Oh housebuilder! Now you are seen.

You shall not build a house again for me.
All your beams are broken,
the ridgepole is shattered.
The mind has become freed from conditioning:
the end of craving has been reached.

Dhammapada 11.153, 11.154
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Sabbo ādīpito loko,
sabbo loko padhūpito;
Sabbo pajjalito loko,
sabbo loko pakampito.

Akampitaṃ apajjalitaṃ,
aputhujjanasevitaṃ,
agati yattha mārassa —
tattha me nirato mano.

The entire world is in flames,
the entire world is going up in smoke;
the entire world is burning,
the entire world is vibrating.

But that which does not vibrate or burn,
which is experienced by the noble ones,
where death has no entry–
in that my mind delights.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.168
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Tumhehi kiccamātappaṃ;
Akkhātāro Tathāgatā.
Paṭipannā pamokkhanti
jhāyino mārabandhanā.

You have to do your own work;
Enlightened Ones will only show the way.
Those who practise meditation
will free themselves from the chains of death.

Dhammapada 20.276
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Sace bhāyatha dukkhassa, sace vo dukkhamappiyaṃ,
mākattha pāpakaṃ kammaṃ, āvi vā yadi vā raho.
Sace ca pāpakaṃ kammaṃ, karissatha karotha vā,
Na vo dukkhā pamutyatthi:
upeccapi palāyataṃ.

If you fear pain, if you dislike pain,
don’t do an evil deed in open or secret.
If you’re doing or will do an evil deed,
you won’t escape pain:
it will catch you even as you run away.

Udāna 5.44
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Gahakāraka, diṭṭhosi!
Puna gehaṃ na kāhasi.
Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā gahakūṭaṃ visaṅkhataṃ.
Visaṅkhāragataṃ cittaṃ;
taṇhānaṃ khayamajjhagā.

O house-builder, you are seen!
You will not build this house again.
For your rafters are broken and your ridgepole shattered.
My mind has reached the Unconditioned;
I have attained the destruction of craving.

Dhammapada 11.15
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Mātā yathā niyaṃ
puttamāyusā ekaputtamanurakkhe,
evampi sabbabhūtesu
mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ.

As a mother would risk her life
to protect her child, her only child,
even so should one cultivate a limitless heart
with regard to all beings.

Sutta Nipāta 1.149
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Adhicetaso appamajjato,
munino monapathesu sikkhato:
Sokā na bhavanti tādino,
upasantassa sadā satīmato.

Exalted in mind & heedful,
the sage trained in sagacity’s ways:
One has no sorrows, one who is Such,
calmed & ever mindful.

Udāna 4.37
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Pathavisamo no virujjhati,
indakhilupamo tādi subbato,
rahadova apetakaddamo
saṃsārā na bhavanti tādino.

There is no more worldly existence for the wise one who,
like the earth, resents nothing,
who is firm as a high pillar
and as pure as a deep pool free from mud.

Dhammapada 7.95
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

It is the joy of moment.
Be full of life , be full of love.

-The Japanese tradition 2019
✿⊱╮✿⊱╮ ✿⊱╮✿⊱╮✿⊱╮

Yathā naro āpagamotaritvā,
mahodakaṃ salilaṃ sīghasotaṃ,
so vuyhamāno anusotagāmī —
kiṃ so pare sakkhati tārayetuṃ?

If one going down into a river,
swollen and swiftly flowing,
is carried away by the current —
how can one help others across?

Sutta Nipāta 2.321
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta, translated by John D. Ireland

Appakā te manussesu, ye janā pāragāmino.
Athāyaṃ itarā pajā, tīramevānudhāvati.
Ye ca kho sammadakkhāte dhamme dhammānuvattino
te janā pāramessanti, maccudheyyaṃ suduttaraṃ.

Few among people are those who cross to the farther shore.
The rest, the bulk of people, only run up and down the hither bank.
But those who act according to the perfectly taught Dhamma
will cross the realm of Death, so difficult to cross.

Dhammapada 6.85, 6.86
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita