Category: Eastern Mysticism

Pāpañce puriso kayirā,
na naṃ kayirā punappunaṃ.
Na tamhi chandaṃ kayirātha,
dukkho pāpassa uccayo.

Should a person commit evil,
let one not do it again and again.
Let one not find pleasure therein,
for painful is the accumulation of evil.

Dhammapada 9.117
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yo ca vassasataṃ jīve
dussīlo asamāhito
ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo
sīlavantassa jhāyino.

Better it is to live
one day virtuous and meditative
than to live a hundred years
immoral and uncontrolled.

Dhammapada 8.110
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Māvamaññetha pāpassa, “Na mantaṃ āgamissati.”
Udabindunipātena, udakumbhopi pūrati.
Bālo pūrati pāpassa, thokaṃ thokampi ācinaṃ.

Think not lightly of evil, saying, “It will not come to me.”
Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little,
fills oneself with evil.

Dhammapada 9.121
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yo sahassaṃ sahassena
saṅgāme mānuse jine,
ekañca jeyyamattānaṃ
sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo.

Though one may conquer
a thousand times a thousand people in battle,
yet one indeed is the noblest victor
who conquers oneself.

Dhammapada 10.103
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Santaṃ tassa manaṃ hoti, santā vācā,
ca kamma ca, sammadaññā,
vimuttassa, upasantassa tādino.

Calm is one’s thought, calm one’s speech,
and calm one’s deed, who, truly knowing,
is wholly freed, perfectly tranquil and wise.

Dhammapada 7.96
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Be the light that helps others see.

-The Japanese tradition 2019
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Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajanti.
Na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo.
Sukhena phuṭṭhā atha vā dukhena
na uccāvacaṃ paṇḍitā dassayanti.

The good renounce (attachment for) everything.
The virtuous do not prattle with a yearning for pleasures.
The wise show no elation or depression
when touched by happiness or sorrow.

Dhammapada 6.83
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Selo yathā ekaghano vātena na samīrati,
evaṃ nindāpasaṃsāsu na samiñjanti paṇḍitā.

Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm,
even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.

Dhammapada 6.81
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Carañce nādhigaccheyya
seyyaṃ sadisamattano,
ekacariyaṃ daḷhaṃ kayirā;
natthi bāle sahāyatā.

Should a seeker not find
a companion who is better or equal,
let one resolutely pursue a solitary course;
there is no fellowship with the fool.

Dhammapada 5.61
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Candanaṃ, tagaraṃ, vāpi uppalaṃ, atha vassikī —
etesaṃ gandhajātānaṃ —
sīlagandho anuttaro.

Of all the fragrances —
sandal, tagara, blue lotus and jasmine —
the fragrance of virtue is the sweetest.

Dhammapada 4.55
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

THE FOUR HORSES, from the Samyutta Agama

In the Samyutta Agama sutra, the Buddha told a parable of four horses. There is an excellent one, a couple of lesser horses and a bad one. He said the best horse runs before it sees the shadow of the whip. The second best will run just before the whip reaches his skin. The third horse will run when it feels pain on his body. The fourth “bad” horse will run after the pain penetrates into the marrow of his bones.

If you are the bad horse, what will it take to make you run at your best?

How much pain must you experience before you make the choice to act?

Jayaṃ ve maññati bālo
vācāya pharusaṃ bhaṇaṃ,
jayañcevassa taṃ hoti
yā titikkhā vijānato.

The fool thinks one has won a battle
when one bullies with harsh speech,
but knowing how to be forbearing
alone makes one victorious.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.189
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Uttiṭṭhe! Nappamajjeyya!
Dhammaṃ sucaritaṃ care.
Dhammacārī sukhaṃ seti
asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.

Arise! Do not be heedless!
Lead a righteous life.
The righteous live happily
both in this world and the next.

Dhammapada 13.168
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yo mātaraṃ pitaraṃ vā,
jiṇṇakaṃ gatayobbanaṃ —
pahu santo na bharati
taṃ parābhavato mukhaṃ.

Though being well-to-do,
not to support father and mother
who are old and past their youth —
this is a cause of one’s downfall.

Sutta Nipāta 1.98
Everyman’s Ethics: Four Discourses by the Buddha (WH 14), translated by Narada Thera

Kāyena saṃvutā dhīrā,
atho vācāya saṃvutā manasā saṃvutā dhīrā.
Te ve suparisaṃvutā.

The wise are controlled in bodily action,
controlled in speech and controlled in thought.
They are truly well-controlled.

Dhammapada 17.234
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Take the distance,
And then assimilate.
Happiness is here right now.

– The Japanese tradition 2019 –
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Kāyamuniṃ vācāmuniṃ,
manomunimanāsavaṃ,
muniṃ moneyyasampannaṃ.
Āhu ninhātapāpakaṃ.

Silent in body, silent in speech,
silent in mind, without defilement,
blessed with silence is the sage.
One is truly washed of evil.

Itivuttaka 3.67
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Student: “How do you solve the problem?”

Master: “With flexible mind …”

-The Zen Mind 2019

✿⊱╮✿⊱╮ ✿⊱╮✿⊱╮✿⊱╮

Vacīpakopaṃ rakkheyya;
vācāya saṃvuto siyā.
Vacīduccaritaṃ hitvā,
vācāya sucaritaṃ care.

Let one guard oneself against irritability in speech;
let one be controlled in speech.
Abandoning verbal misconduct,
let one practice good conduct in speech.

Dhammapada 17.232
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yesaṃ dhammā asammuṭṭhā
paravādesu na nīyare;
te sambuddhā sammadaññā,
caranti visame samaṃ.

Those to whom the Dhamma is clear
are not led into other doctrines;
perfectly enlightened with perfect knowledge,
they walk evenly over the uneven.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.8
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Every time you go through the gate, you know yourself.

-The Japanese tradition 2019

✿⊱╮✿⊱╮ ✿⊱╮✿⊱╮✿⊱╮

Kāyappakopaṃ rakkheyya;
kāyena saṃvuto siyā.
Kāyaduccaritaṃ hitvā,
kāyena sucaritaṃ care.

Let one guard oneself against irritability in bodily action;
let one be controlled in deed.
Abandoning bodily misconduct,
let one practice good conduct in deed.

Dhammapada 17.231
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Diso disaṃ yaṃ taṃ kayirā,
verī vā pana verinaṃ;
micchāpaṇihitaṃ cittaṃ
pāpiyo naṃ tato kare.

Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy,
or a foe to a foe,
the ill-directed mind
can do to you even worse.

Udāna 4.33
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Anupubbena medhāvī, thokaṃ thokaṃ, khaṇe khaṇe,
Kammāro rajatasseva,
niddhame malamattano.

One by one, little by little, moment by moment,
a wise one should remove one’s own impurities,
as a smith removes dross from silver.

Dhammapada 18.239
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

The moon and the human meet each other.
At the same time as a person is looking at the moon, the moon is looking at a person.

– The Zen Mind 2019
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