Category: Eastern Mysticism

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

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

Mind precedes all things;
mind is their chief, mind is their maker.
If one speaks or does a deed
with a mind that is pure within,
happiness then follows along
like a never departing shadow.

Dhammapada 1.2
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Na paresaṃ vilomāni,
na paresaṃ katākataṃ.
Attanova avekkheyya,
katāni akatāni ca.

Look not to the faults of others,
nor to their omissions and commissions.
But rather look to your own acts,
to what you have done and left undone.

Dhammapada 4.50
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

Uddhaṃ, tiriyaṃ apācinaṃ,
yāvatā jagato gati
samavekkhitā va dhammānaṃ
khandhānaṃ udayabbayaṃ.

Above, across or back again,
wherever one goes in the world
let one carefully scrutinise
the rise and fall of compounded things.

Itivuttaka 4.111
Gemstones of the Good Dhamma, compiled and translated by Ven. S. Dhammika

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

Tasseva tena pāpiyo,
yo kuddhaṃ paṭikujjhati.
Kuddhaṃ appaṭikujjhanto,
saṅgāmaṃ jeti dujjayaṃ.

The worse of the two is one,
who, when abused, retaliates.
One who does not retaliate,
wins a battle hard to win.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.188
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

Uṭṭhānako analaso,
Āpadāsu na vedhati,
Acchinnavutti medhāvī,
Tādiso labhate yasaṃ.

Who is energetic and not indolent,
In misfortune unshaken,
Flawless in manner and intelligent,
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

Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
Yo dhammaṃ ativattati,
Nihīyati yaso tassa
Kāḷapakkheva candimā.

Chandā dosā bhayā mohā,
Yo dhammaṃ nātivattati,
Āpūrati yaso tassa
Sukkapakkheva candimā.

Whoever through desire, hate or fear,
Or ignorance should transgress the Dhamma,
All one’s glory fades away
Like the moon during the waning half.

Whoever through desire, hate or fear,
Or ignorance never transgresses the Dhamma,
All one’s glory ever increases
Like the moon during the waxing half.

Dīgha Nikāya 3.246
Everyman’s Ethics: Four Discourses by the Buddha (WH 14), translated by Narada Thera

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

Na tena ariyo hoti yena pāṇāni hiṃsati.
Ahiṃsā sabbapāṇānaṃ
“ariyo”ti pavuccati.

One is not noble who injures living beings.
One is called “noble” because
one is harmless towards all living beings.

Dhammapada 19.270
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Evaṃ bho purisa jānāhi:
pāpadhammā asaññatā.
Mā taṃ lobho adhammo ca
ciraṃ dukkhāya randhayuṃ.

Know this, O good one:
evil things are difficult to control.
Let not greed and wickedness
drag you to protracted misery.

Dhammapada 18.248
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Kodhaṃ jahe vippajaheyya mānaṃ,
saṃyojanaṃ sabbamatikkameyya.
Taṃ nāmarūpasmimasajjamānaṃ
akiñcanaṃ nānupatanti dukkhā.

One should give up anger, renounce pride,
and overcome all fetters.
Suffering never befalls one
who clings not to mind and body and is detached.

Dhammapada 17.221
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Attā hi attano nātho;
ko hi nātho paro siyā?
Attanā hi sudantena,
nāthaṃ labhati dullabhaṃ.

One truly is the protector of oneself;
who else could the protector be?
With oneself fully controlled,
one gains a mastery that is hard to gain.

Dhammapada 12.160
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from Pāli by Acharya Buddharakkhita

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

Idha tappati, pecca tappati,
pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati.
“Pāpaṃ me katan”ti tappati,
bhiyyo tappati, duggatiṃ gato.

Idha nandati, pecca nandati,
katapuñño ubhayattha nandati.
“Puññaṃ me katan”ti nandati,
bhiyyo nandati, suggatiṃ gato.

Agony now, agony hereafter,
the wrong-doer suffers agony in both worlds.
Agonized now by the knowledge that one has done wrong,
one suffers more agony, gone to a state of woe.
Rejoicing now, rejoicing hereafter,
the doer of wholesome actions rejoices in both worlds.
Rejoicing now in the knowledge that one has acted rightly,
one rejoices more, gone to a state of bliss.

Dhammapada 1.17, 1.18
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

Tumhehi kiccamātappaṃ;
Akkhātāro Tathāgatā.
Paṭipannā pamokkhanti
jhāyino mārabandhanā.

You have to do your own work;
Enlightened Ones will only show the way.
Those who practise meditation
will free themselves from the chains of death.

Dhammapada 20.276
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

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