Category: Eastern Mysticism

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

Idha modati pecca modati;
katapuñño ubhayattha modati.
So modati so pamodati,
disvā kammavisuddhimattano.

The doer of good rejoices here and hereafter;
one rejoices in both the worlds.
One rejoices and exults,
recollecting one’s own pure deeds.

Dhammapada 1.16
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Pāṇaṃ na hane na ca ghātayeyya,
na cānujaññā hanataṃ paresaṃ,
sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṃ.
Ye thāvarā ye ca tasā santi loke.

One should not kill a living being,
nor cause it to be killed,
nor should one incite another to kill.
Do not injure any being, either strong or weak, in the world.

Sutta Nipāta 2.396
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta, translated by John D. Ireland

Idha socati pecca socati;
pāpakārī ubhayattha socati.
So socati so vihaññati,
disvā kammakiliṭṭhamattano.

The evil-doer grieves here and hereafter;
one grieves in both the worlds.
One laments and is afflicted,
recollecting one’s own impure deeds.

Dhammapada 1.15
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Yathā agāraṃ ducchannaṃ vuṭṭhī samativijjhati,
evaṃ abhāvitaṃ cittaṃ rāgo samativijjhati.

Just as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house,
so passion penetrates an undeveloped mind.

Dhammapada 1.13
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Yo ca mettaṃ bhāvayati
Appamāṇaṃ paṭissato
Tanū saṃyojanā honti,
Passato upadhikkhayaṃ.

For one who mindfully develops
Boundless loving-kindness
Seeing the destruction of clinging,
The fetters are worn away.

Itivuttaka 1.27
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

Kāyena saṃvaro sādhu; sādhu vācāya saṃvaro;
manasā saṃvaro sādhu. Sādhu sabbattha saṃvaro.
Sabbattha saṃvuto bhikkhu
sabbadukkhā pamuccati.

Good is restraint in the body; good is restraint in speech;
good is restraint in thought. Restraint everywhere is good.
The monk restrained in every way
is freed from all suffering.

Dhammapada 25.361
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Cakkhumā,
visamānīva,
vijjamāne parakkame.
Paṇḍito jīvalokasmiṃ,
pāpāni parivajjaye.

A person with good eyes,
encountering a treacherous, uneven place,
would try hard to avoid it.
A wise person, in the world of life,
should avoid evil deeds.

Udāna 5.43
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Sa vedagū,
Vūsitabrahmacariyo,
Lokantagū,
Pāragatoti vuccatī.

One who is a master of knowledge,
Who has lived the holy life,
Is called one gone to the world’s end,
One who has reached the further shore.

Itivuttaka 4.109
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland

Source: The I Ching Weekly for October 2, 2017

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

One is one’s own protector,
one is one’s own refuge.
Therefore, one should control oneself,
even as a trader controls a noble steed.

Dhammapada 25.380
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Slay anger and you will be happy,
slay anger and you will not sorrow.
For the slaying of anger in all its forms
with its poisoned root and sweet sting —
that is the slaying the nobles praise;
with anger slain one weeps no more.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.187
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Sukhaṃ yāva jarā sīlaṃ,
sukhā saddhā patiṭṭhitā,
sukho paññāya paṭilābho,
pāpānaṃ akaraṇaṃ sukhaṃ.

Good is virtue until life’s end,
good is faith that is steadfast,
good is the acquisition of wisdom,
and good is the avoidance of evil.

Dhammapada 23.333
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Sace labhetha nipakaṃ sahāyaṃ
saddhiṃ caraṃ sādhuvihāridhīraṃ,
abhibhuyya sabbāni parissayāni,
careyya tenattamano satīmā.

If for company you find a wise and prudent friend
who leads a good life,
you should, overcoming all impediments,
keep their company joyously and mindfully.

Dhammapada 23.328
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yo ca dhammamabhiññāya
dhammamaññāya paṇḍito,
rahadova nivāte ca
anejo vūpasammati.

Thoroughly understanding the Dhamma
and freed from longing through insight,
the wise one rid of all desire
is calm as a pool unstirred by wind.

Itivuttaka 3.92
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Appamādaratā hotha!
Sacittamanurakkhatha!
Duggā uddharathattānaṃ,
paṅke sannova kuñjaro.

Delight in heedfulness!
Guard well your thoughts!
Draw yourself out of this bog of evil,
even as an elephant draws itself out of the mud.

Dhammapada 23.327
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Yañca kāmasukhaṃ loke,
yañcidaṃ diviyaṃ sukhaṃ,
taṇhakkhayasukhassete,
kalaṃ nāgghanti soḷasiṃ.

Any sensual bliss in the world,
any heavenly bliss,
isn’t worth one sixteenth-sixteenth
of the bliss of the ending of craving.

Udāna 2.12
Translated from Pāli by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Sukhā matteyyatā loke,
atho petteyyatā sukhā,
sukhā sāmaññatā loke,
atho brahmaññatā sukhā.

In this world, good it is to serve one’s mother,
good it is to serve one’s father,
good it is to serve the monks and nuns,
and good it is to serve the holy ones.

Dhammapada 23.332
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ,
kusalassa upasampadā,
sacittapariyodapanaṃ —
etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.

To avoid all evil,
to cultivate good,
and to purify one’s mind —
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Dhammapada 14.183
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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