Category: Eastern Mysticism

Yassa selūpamaṃ cittaṃ, ṭhitaṃ nānupakampati,
virattaṃ rajanīyesu,
kopaneyye na kuppati:
Yassevaṃ bhāvitaṃ cittaṃ,
kuto taṃ dukkhamessatī?

Whose mind is like rock, steady, unmoved,
dispassionate for things that spark passion,
unangered by things that spark anger:
When one’s mind is developed like this,
from where can there come suffering & stress?

Udāna 4.34
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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
apassaṃ udayabbayaṃ
ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo
passato udayabbayaṃ.

Better it is to live one day
seeing the rise and fall of things
than to live a hundred years
without ever seeing the rise and fall of things.

Dhammapada 8.113
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

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

Hitānukampī sambuddho
yadaññamanusāsati,
anurodhavirodhehi
vippamutto tathāgato.

When the Buddha teaches others
he does so out of compassion,
because the Tathagata is wholly freed
from both favour and aversion.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.150
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

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

Manopakopaṃ rakkheyya;
manasā saṃvuto siyā.
Manoduccaritaṃ hitvā,
manasā sucaritaṃ care.

Let one guard oneself against irritability in thought;
let one be controlled in mind.
Abandoning mental misconduct,
let one practice good conduct in thought.

Dhammapada 17.233
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

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

Can you hear the bells Ringing in celebration Near to my birthday?  […]

Source: #12    Pi    Obstruction/Stop

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

Sukho viveko tuṭṭhassa,
sutadhammassa passato.
Abyāpajjaṃ sukhaṃ loke —
pāṇabhūtesu saṃyamo.

Solitude is happiness for one who is content,
who has heard the Dhamma and clearly sees.
Non-affliction is happiness in the world —
harmlessness towards all living beings.

Udāna 2.11
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

Yogā ve jāyatī bhūri,
ayogā bhūrisaṅkhayo.
Etaṃ dvedhāpathaṃ ñatvā bhavāya vibhavāya ca,
tathāttānaṃ niveseyya yathā bhūri pavaḍḍhati.

Wisdom springs from meditation;
without meditation wisdom wanes.
Having known these two paths of progress and decline,
let one so conduct oneself that one’s wisdom may increase.

Dhammapada 20.282
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

Paṇḍito sīlasampanno
jalaṃ aggīva bhāsati;
bhoge saṃharamānassa
bhamarasseva irīyato.

One who is virtuous and wise
shines forth like a blazing fire;
like a bee collecting nectar
one acquires wealth by harming none.

Dīgha Nikāya 3.265
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

Sududdasaṃ sunipuṇaṃ,
yatthakāmanipātinaṃ;
cittaṃ rakkhetha medhāvī,
cittaṃ guttaṃ sukhāvahaṃ.

Difficult to detect and very subtle,
the mind seizes whatever it wants;
so let a wise one guard one’s mind,
for a guarded mind brings happiness.

Dhammapada 3.36
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika