Category: Eastern Mysticism

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 11.154
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Māvoca pharusaṃ kañci,
vuttā paṭivadeyyu taṃ.
Dukkhā hi sārambhakathā,
paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu taṃ.

Speak not harshly to anyone,
for those thus spoken to might retort.
Indeed, angry speech hurts,
and retaliation may overtake you.

Dhammapada 10.133
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Abhittharetha kalyāṇe;
pāpā cittaṃ nivāraye.
Dandhañhi karoto puññaṃ,
pāpasmiṃ ramatī mano.

Hasten to do good;
restrain your mind from evil.
One who is slow in doing good,
that one’s mind delights in evil.

Dhammapada 9.116
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Gataddhino visokassa
vippamuttassa sabbadhi,
sabbaganthappahīnassa,
pariḷāho na vijjati.

The fever of passion exists not for one
who has completed the journey,
who is sorrowless and wholly set free,
and has broken all ties.

Dhammapada 7.90
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Saddhā tarati oghaṃ,
appamādena aṇṇavaṃ.
Vīriyena dukkhamacceti.
Paññāya parisujjhati.

Through conviction one crosses over the flood.
Through heedfulness, the sea.
Through persistence one overcomes suffering & stress.
Through discernment a person is purified.

Sutta Nipāta 1.186
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Aññā hi lābhūpanisā,
aññā nibbānagāminī.
Evametaṃ abhiññāya,
bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako,
sakkāraṃ nābhinandeyya,
vivekamanubrūhaye.

One is the quest for worldly gain,
and quite another is the path to Nibbana.
Clearly understanding this,
let not the monk, the disciple of the Buddha,
be carried away by worldly acclaim,
but develop detachment instead.

Dhammapada 5.75
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yassa nittiṇṇo paṅko,
Maddito kāmakaṇṭako,
Mohakkhayaṃ anuppatto
Sukhadukkhesu na vedhatī sa bhikkhū.

That bhikkhu who has crossed the mire,
Crushed the thorn of sensual desire,
And reached the destruction of delusion
Is not perturbed by pleasures and pains.

Udāna 3.22
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.

Uṭṭhānenappamādena,
saṃyamena damena ca,
dīpaṃ kayirātha medhāvī
yaṃ ogho nābhikīrati.

By effort and heedfulness,
discipline and self-mastery,
let the wise one make for oneself
an island which no flood can overwhelm.

Dhammapada 2.25
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Sabhaggato vā parisaggato vā
ekassa veko na musā bhaṇeyya.
Na bhāṇaye bhaṇataṃ nānujaññā.
Sabbaṃ abhūtaṃ parivajjayeyya.

Having entered a royal court or a company of people
one should not speak lies.
One should not speak lies (oneself) nor incite others to do so.
One should completely avoid falsehood.

Sutta Nipāta 2.399
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta, translated by John D. Ireland

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni
yo daṇḍena vihiṃsati,
attano sukhamesāno,
pecca so na labhate sukhaṃ.

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni
yo daṇḍena na hiṃsati,
attano sukhamesāno,
pecca so labhate sukhaṃ.

Whoever takes a stick
to beings desiring ease,
when one is looking for ease,
will meet with no ease after death.

Whoever doesn’t take a stick
to beings desiring ease,
when one is looking for ease,
will meet with ease after death.

Udāna 2.13
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Uṭṭhānavato satīmato
sucikammassa nisammakārino,
saññatassa dhammajīvino, appamattassa yasobhivaḍḍhati.

Ever grows the glory of one
who is energetic, mindful and pure in conduct,
discerning and self-controlled, righteous and heedful.

Dhammapada 2.24
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Uṭṭhahatha! nisīdatha!
Daḷhaṃ sikkhatha santiyā.
Mā vo pamatte viññāya,
maccurājā amohayittha vasānuge.

Rouse yourself! Sit up!
Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.
Do not let the king of death, seeing you are careless,
lead you astray and dominate you.

Sutta Nipāta 2.334
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta, translated by John D. Ireland

Appampi ce saṃhita bhāsamāno,
dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī,
rāgañca, dosañca, pahāya mohaṃ,
sammappajāno suvimuttacitto,
anupādiyāno idha vā huraṃ vā,
sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.

Little though one recites the sacred texts,
but puts the Teaching into practice,
forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion,
with true wisdom and emancipated mind,
clinging to nothing of this or any other world —
one indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.

Dhammapada 1.20
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Bahumpi ce saṃhita bhāsamāno,
na takkaro hoti naro pamatto,
gopova gāvo gaṇayaṃ paresaṃ,
na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.

Much though one recites the sacred texts,
but acts not accordingly,
that heedless one is like a cowherd
who only counts the cows of others —
one does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.

Dhammapada 1.19
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

jātimant — of good birth, having natural or genuine qualities, noble, excellent

Tato adinnaṃ parivajjayeyya
kiñci kvaci sāvako bujjhamāno.
Na hāraye harataṃ nānujaññā.
Sabbaṃ adinnaṃ parivajjayeyya.

A disciple should avoid taking
anything from anywhere knowing it (to belong to another).
One should not steal nor incite another to steal.
One should completely avoid theft.

Sutta Nipāta 2.397
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta, translated by John D. Ireland

Yadā have pātubhavanti dhammā
Ātāpino jhāyato brāhmaṇassa,
Athassa kaṅkhā vapayanti sabbā
Yato pajānāti sahetudhammaṃ.

When things become manifest
To the ardent meditating brahmin,
All one’s doubts then vanish since one understands
Each thing along with its cause.

Udāna 1.1
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

Asāre sāramatino
sāre cāsāradassino,
te sāraṃ nādhigacchanti,
micchāsaṅkappagocarā.

Those who mistake the unessential to be essential
and the essential to be unessential,
dwelling in wrong thoughts,
never arrive at the essential.

Dhammapada 1.11
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Atītaṃ nānusocanti,
nappajappanti nāgataṃ,
paccuppannena yāpenti,
tena vaṇṇo pasīdati.

They do not lament over the past,
they yearn not for what is to come,
they maintain themselves in the present,
thus their complexion is serene.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.10
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

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

Mattāsukhapariccāgā
passe ce vipulaṃ sukhaṃ,
caje mattāsukhaṃ dhīro,
sampassaṃ vipulaṃ sukhaṃ.

If by renouncing a lesser happiness
one may realize a greater happiness,
let the wise one renounce the lesser,
having regard for the greater.

Dhammapada 21.290
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Appaṃ vata jīvitaṃ idaṃ!
Oraṃ vassasatāpi miyyati,
yo cepi aticca jīvati,
atha kho so jarasāpi miyyati.

How short this life!
You die this side of a century,
but even if you live past,
you die of old age.

Sutta Nipāta 4.810
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Dosaggiṃ pana mettāya,
nibbāpenti naruttamā.
Mohaggiṃ pana paññāya
yāyaṃ nibbedhagāminī.

By love they will quench the fire of hate,
by wisdom the fire of delusion.
Those supreme ones extinguish delusion
with wisdom that breaks through to truth.

Itivuttaka 3.93
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Sabbadā sīlasampanno,
paññavā susamāhito;
ajjhattacintī satimā,
oghaṃ tarati duttaraṃ.

In every virtue all-accomplished,
with wisdom full and mind composed,
looking within and ever mindful–
thus one crosses the raging flood.

Sutta Nipāta 1.176
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Attanā hi kataṃ pāpaṃ, attanā saṃkilissati;
attanā akataṃ pāpaṃ, attanāva visujjhati.
Suddhī asuddhi paccattaṃ:
nāñño aññaṃ visodhaye.

By doing evil, one defiles oneself;
by avoiding evil, one purifies oneself.
Purity and impurity depend upon oneself:
no one can purify another.

Dhammapada 12.165
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Dānañca, peyyavajjañca,
atthacariyā ca yā idha,
samānattatā ca dhammesu,
tattha tattha yathārahaṃ;
ete kho saṅgahā loke
rathassāṇīva yāyato.

Generosity, kind words,
doing a good turn for others,
and treating all people alike:
these bonds of sympathy are to the world
what the linchpin is to the chariot wheel.

Jātaka 20
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Paṇḍito sīlasampanno,
Saṇho ca paṭibhānavā,
Nivātavutti atthaddho,
Tādiso labhate yasaṃ.

Who is wise and virtuous,
Gentle and keen-witted,
Humble and amenable,
Such a one to honour may attain.

Dīgha Nikāya 3.273
Everyman’s Ethics: Four Discourses by the Buddha (WH 14), translated by Narada Thera

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