Category: Eastern Mysticism

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

Kalyāṇamitto yo bhikkhu, sappatisso sagāravo;
Karaṃ mittānaṃ vacanaṃ, sampajāno patissato;
Pāpuṇe anupubbena, sabbasaṃyojanakkhayaṃ.

When a bhikkhu has good friends, and is reverential and respectful;
Doing what one’s friends advise, clearly comprehending and mindful;
One may progressively attain the destruction of all fetters.

Itivuttaka 1.17
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

Happiness is here and now!

– the Japanese tradition
✿⊱╮✿⊱╮ ✿⊱╮✿⊱╮✿⊱╮

Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā,
tesaṃ hetuṃ Tathāgato āha
tesañca yo nirodho;
evaṃvādī Mahāsamaṇo.

Those phenomena arising from a cause,
of these the Enlightened One has told the cause
and also their cessation;
this is the “doctrine” of the Great Recluse.

Vinaya 3.60
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

Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā.
Manasā ce paduṭṭhena
bhāsati vā karoti vā,
tato naṃ dukkhamanveti
cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ.

Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā.
Manasā ce pasannena
bhāsati vā karoti vā,
tato naṃ sukhamanveti
chāyāva anapāyinī.

Mind precedes all phenomena,
mind matters most, everything is mind-made.
If with an impure mind
one performs any action of speech or body,
then suffering will follow that person
as the cartwheel follows the foot of the draught animal.

Mind precedes all phenomena,
mind matters most, everything is mind-made.
If with a pure mind
one performs any action of speech or body,
then happiness will follow that person
as a shadow that never departs.

Dhammapada 1.1, 1.2
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

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

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

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

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

Udakañhi nayanti nettikā;
usukārā namayanti tejanaṃ;
dāruṃ namayanti tacchakā;
attānaṃ damayanti paṇḍitā.

Irrigators regulate the rivers;
fletchers straighten the arrow shaft;
carpenters shape the wood;
the wise control themselves.

Dhammapada 6.80
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

Tañca kammaṃ kataṃ sādhu,
yaṃ katvā nānutappati,
yassa patīto sumano,
vipākaṃ paṭisevati.

Well done is that action of doing
which one repents not later,
and the fruit of which,
one reaps with delight and happiness.

Dhammapada 5.68
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yāvajīvampi ce bālo, paṇḍitaṃ payirupāsati,
Na so dhammaṃ vijānāti
dabbī sūparasaṃ yathā.

Though all one’s life a fool associates with a wise person,
one no more comprehends the Truth
than a spoon tastes the flavor of the soup.

Dhammapada 5.64
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Te jhāyino sātatikā, niccaṃ daḷhaparakkamā,
phusanti dhīrā nibbānaṃ, yogakkhemaṃ anuttaraṃ.

The wise ones, ever meditative and steadfastly persevering,
alone experience Nibbana, the incomparable freedom from bondage.

Dhammapada 2.23
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Appamādo amatapadaṃ.
Pamādo maccuno padaṃ.
Appamattā na mīyanti.
Ye pamattā yathā matā.

Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless.
Heedlessness is the path to death.
The heedful die not.
The heedless are as if dead already.

Dhammapada 2.21
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

Sukhā virāgatā loke,
Kāmānaṃ samatikkamo;
Asmimānassa yo vinayo —
etaṃ ve paramaṃ sukhaṃ.

Blissful is passionlessness in the world,
The overcoming of sensual desires;
But the abolition of the conceit I am —
That is truly the supreme bliss.

Udāna 2.11
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland