Category: Eastern Mysticism

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

Yadūnakaṃ taṃ saṇati,
yaṃ pūraṃ santameva taṃ.
Aḍḍhakumbhūpamo bālo,
rahado pūrova paṇḍito.

Things that are empty make a noise,
the full is always quiet.
The fool is like a half-filled pot,
the wise one is like a deep still pool.

Sutta Nipāta 3.726
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

Sabbhireva samāsetha,
sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṃ.
Sataṃ saddhammamaññāya
paññā labbhati nāññato.

Consort only with the good,
come together with the good.
To learn the teaching of the good
gives wisdom like nothing else can.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.31
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Sabbadānaṃ dhammadānaṃ jināti;
sabbarasaṃ dhammaraso jināti;
sabbaratiṃ dhammarati jināti;
taṇhakkhayo sabbadukkhaṃ jināti.

The gift of Dhamma triumphs over all other gifts;
the taste of Dhamma triumphs over all other tastes;
the happiness of Dhamma triumphs over all other pleasures;
the eradication of craving triumphs over all suffering.

Dhammapada 24.354
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Sahassamapi ce vācā anatthapadasaṃhitā
ekaṃ atthapadaṃ seyyo,
yaṃ sutvā upasammati.

Better than a thousand useless words
is one useful word,
hearing which one attains peace.

Dhammapada 8.100
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Attā hi attano nātho,
attā hi attano gati.
Tasmā saṃyamamattānaṃ
assaṃ bhadraṃva vāṇijo.

You are your own master,
you make your future.
Therefore discipline yourself
as a horse-dealer trains a thoroughbred.

Dhammapada 25.380
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Yathāpi pabbato selo,
acalo suppatiṭṭhito,
evaṃ mohakkhayā bhikkhu,
pabbatova na vedhatī.

Just as a mountain of rock,
is unwavering, well-settled,
so the monk whose delusion is ended,
like a mountain, is undisturbed.

Udāna 3.24
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Attadīpā viharatha,
attasaraṇā;
anaññasaraṇā.
Dhammadīpā,
dhammasaraṇā;
anaññasaraṇā.

Make an island of yourself,
make yourself your refuge;
there is no other refuge.
Make Dhamma your island,
make Dhamma your refuge;
there is no other refuge.

Dīgha Nikāya 2.165
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Let us delete questions rather than find answers.

-The Zen Mind 2020
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Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā.
Yadā paññāya passati,
atha nibbindati dukkhe;
esa maggo visuddhiyā.

Impermanent are all compounded things.
When one perceives this with true insight,
then one becomes detached from suffering;
this is the path of purification.

Dhammapada 20.277
The Discourse Summaries by S.N. Goenka

Ubhinnamatthaṃ carati,
attano ca parassa ca;
paraṃ saṅkupitaṃ ñatvā,
yo sato upasammati.

Knowing that the other person is angry,
one who remains mindful and calm
acts for one’s own best interest
and for the other’s interest, too.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.188
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

Dhammena saṃharitvāna,
uṭṭhānādhigataṃ dhanaṃ,
tappeti annapānena
sammā satte vanibbake.

With one’s wealth collected justly,
won through one’s own efforts,
one shares both food and drink
with beings who are in need.

Itivuttaka 3.75
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Kāmaṃ kāmayamānassa,
tassa ce taṃ samijjhati, addhā pītimano hoti.
Laddhā macco yadicchati.
Tassa ce — kāmayānassa, chandajātassa — jantuno
te kāmā parihāyanti,
sallaviddhova ruppati.

If one, longing for sensual pleasure,
achieves it, yes, one’s enraptured at heart.
The mortal gets what one wants.
But if for that person — longing, desiring —
the pleasures diminish,
one’s shattered, as if shot with an arrow.

Sutta Nipāta 4.772, 4.773
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Pabbatassa suvaṇṇassa,
jātarūpassa kevalo
dvittāva nālamekassa:
iti vidvā samañcare.

Were there a mountain all made of gold,
doubled that would not be enough
to satisfy a single person:
know this and live accordingly.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.156
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Upanīyati jīvitamappamāyu.
Jarūpanītassa na santi tāṇā.
Etaṃ bhayaṃ maraṇe pekkhamāno,
lokāmisaṃ pajahe santipekkho.

Life is swept along, next-to-nothing its span.
For one swept to old age no shelters exist.
Perceiving this danger in death,
one should drop the world’s bait and look for peace.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.100
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Icchāya bajjhatī loko.
Icchāvinayāya muccati.
Icchāya vippahānena
sabbaṃ chindati bandhanaṃ.

With desire the world is tied down.
With the subduing of desire it’s freed.
With the abandoning of desire
all bonds are cut through.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.69
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Kodhaṃ chetvā sukhaṃ seti.
Kodhaṃ chetvā na socati.
Kodhassa visamūlassa, madhuraggassa devate
vadhaṃ ariyā pasaṃsanti,
tañhi chetvā na socatī.

Having killed anger you sleep in ease.
Having killed anger you do not grieve.
The noble ones praise the slaying of anger
— with its honeyed crest & poison root —
for having killed it you do not grieve.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.71
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Attānañce piyaṃ jaññā
na naṃ pāpena saṃyuje,
na hi taṃ sulabhaṃ hoti
sukhaṃ dukkaṭakārinā.

If you hold yourself dear
then don’t fetter yourself with evil,
for happiness isn’t easily gained
by one who commits a wrong-doing.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.115
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Jayaṃ veraṃ pasavati.
Dukkhaṃ seti parājito.
Upasanto sukhaṃ seti,
hitvā jayaparājayaṃ.

Winning gives birth to hostility.
Losing, one lies down in pain.
The calmed lie down with ease,
having set winning & losing aside.

Dhammapada 15.201
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Na paro paraṃ nikubbetha
nātimaññetha katthaci na kañci,
byārosanā paṭighasaññā
nāññamaññassa dukkhamiccheyya.

Let no one deceive another
or despise anyone anywhere,
or through anger or irritation
wish for another to suffer.

Sutta Nipāta 1.148
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Anatthajanano doso,
doso cittappakopano;
bhayamantarato jātaṃ
taṃ jano nāvabujjhati.

Hate brings great misfortune,
hate churns up and harms the mind;
this fearful danger deep within
most people do not understand.

Itivuttaka 3.88
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika