Dhammapada

As an elephant in battle bears the arrows at him hurled, I must bear men's bitter tongues, for very evil is the world.

Tamed, they lead him into battle; tamed, the king his back ascends; Tamed is he the best of beings, whom no bitter speech offends.

Good are well-tamed mules, and good are Scindian steeds of lineage famed; Good indeed the mighty tusker; best of all the man self-tamed.

Yet such mounts can nought avail us, cannot be Nibbāna's guide; We can only reach The Pathless on the self-tamed self astride.

With the must from temples streaming, mighty Dhanapālako Captive, tastes no food, but longeth to the Nāga-grove to go.

Sluggish, gluttonous and sleepy, wallowing idly to and fro, Like a huge and grain-fed hog, a fool again to birth must go.

Once this mind roamed as it listed, as it pleaded a-wandering went. As the holder of the ankus checks the furious elephant, Now with wisdom I'll restrain it, guide it wholly to my bent.

Take delight in earnestness; watch thy thoughts and never tire; Lift thee from the Path of Evil, like the tusker sunk in mire.

Hast thou found no fellow-traveller, upright, firm, intelligent? As a king deserts his borders, by the enemy pursued, Like the tusker in the forest, go thy way in solitude.

Better is the lonely life, for fools companions cannot be; Live alone and do no evil, live alone with scanty needs, Lonely, as the mighty tusker in the forest lonely feeds.

Sweet it is to be a mother, sweet the lot of fatherhood, Sweet the life of holy hermits, sweet the life of Brāhmans good.

Even as a creeper groweth, Creatures that are indolent Find their craving ever grow; Like a monkey in the forest Seeking fruit from bough to bough, So they wander to and fro.

He who yields to sordid craving That thro' all the world doth go, Like the gadding vine that spreadeth, That man's sorrows ever grow.

He who quiets sordid craving, Hard in this world to allay, Like the dewdrop from the lotus, All his sorrows fall away.

Lo! to all of ye assembled This the good advice I tell: "Dig ye up the root of craving, As men dig the scented grass. Let not Death so oft assail ye, Even as the rushing torrent O'er the river reeds doth pass."

If the root be still uninjured, Trees cut down will spring again; If the root of craving liveth, Still there is rebirth of pain.

When the six and thirty currents Bring one under pleasure's sway, Thoughts, like waves, with passion surging. Sweep him all confused away.

Everywhere those streams are flowing; Now the creeper of desire Plants its roots and standeth fast; Cut it ere it riseth higher, Cut it with the axe of wisdom, Root the creeper up at last.

Restless, wanton is men's craving; They who wander to and fro In the restless search for pleasure Birth and death must undergo.

They who in the trap of craving, Like a hare run to and fro, By the fetters' bonds entangled, Long must sorrow undergo.

Beings, in the trap of craving Like a hare run to and fro: Mendicants who hope for freedom Must their passions all forego.

Whoso, free from human passions, Junglewards to run is fain; Who, from lust emancipated, To his lust runs back again; Lo! the man infatuated Plunges into bonds of pain.

Not by ties of wood or iron Nor of rope (the wise men say) Are men held in bondage strong; But for jewels, wives and children, They who passionately crave, They are held in bondage long.

They who yield to their desires Down the stream of craving swim; As we see the spider run In the net himself hath spun. Wise men cut the net and go Free from craving, free from woe.

Loose all behind, between, before; Cross thou unto the other shore; With thy mind on all sides free Birth and death no more shalt see.

He whose mind is tossed with doubt, Seeing bliss in passion's surge, Makes his craving grow the longer, Rivets all his bonds the stronger.

Free from lust, to nothing clinging, Who is skilful to interpret All the wealth of sacred lore; All the mass of letters knowing (Whether after or before), This indeed is his last body, He's a Master of The Wisdom, Mighty Being, He indeed is born no more.

Conqueror of all am I! Knowing all, from all conditions Of existence I am free; By the slaying of desire I have ended craving's fire. Who could then my teacher be? I have now forsaken all, I myself, by mine own knowledge. Whom should I my teacher call?

Weeds are the ruin of the fields; This world is spoiled by hate; To those by hatred undefiled The fruit of gifts is great.

Weeds are the ruin of the fields; Deluded are mankind; Then great the fruit of gifts to those Whom folly doth not blind.

In hand and foot and speech whoso is self restrained; Whoso to ponder inwardly delights, Who liveth lonely and is well-content, Him men call mendicant.

Whoso controls his lips, and words of wisdom speaks, Is not puffed up, who can elucidate The meaning and the essence of The Norm - Pleasant is he to hear.

Who dwelleth in the Norm and in the Norm delights, Who searcheth out and well remembers it - From the True Norm that steadfast mendicant Will never fall away.

Let him not think of little worth the alms he gains. Nor jealous be of alms to others given; For whoso envies other mendicants Wins not tranquillity.

Though small the part of charity that falls to him, Whoso despiseth not the alms he gains, If he live clean, not given to slothfulness, E'en by the gods is praised.

Whoso hath neither part nor lot in Name and Form (Who saith not "this is I" or "this is mine") And grieveth not for what existeth not, A mendicant is called.

O mendicants! bail out the water from this boat! Swift will it go when from this burden freed. Of passion and of hatred cut the root; Then shalt thou reach The Peace.

Cut off the five; desert the five; the five subdue! That mendicant, who from the fetters five Hath freed himself at last, by men is called "A crosser of the Stream".

O mendicant! be meditative; let not sloth, Let not thy passions toss thee to and fro; Lest, swallowing the ball, thou burning cry, "Ah! this is suffering!"

The mendicant, whose mind hath gained tranquillity, When he hath entered on his empty cell, Hath joy beyond man's power to tell, for he The Truth discerneth well.

Soon as he grasps the rise and fall of elements, Such pleasure and delight thereby he wins As falls to them that rightly know the state Of immortality.

Let the wise mendicant in this world thus begin; Guard thou thy senses; next, with mind content, By discipline restrained, seek noble friends Who zealous live and pure;

And by the laws of friendship act, live perfectly, And upright walk according to the Norm; Then in the fullness of thy joy thou shalt An end of suffering make.

O mendicants! just as the snow-white vassikâ, The jasmine, putting forth fresh blooms to-day, Sheds down the withered blooms of yesterday, So shed ye lust and hate.

Tranquil in body, speech and mind, O mendicants, Whoso in every way is well-restrained, Who all this world's desires hath thrown aside He is "the tranquil" called.

Rouse thou the self by self, by self examine self; Thus guarded by the self, and with thy mind Intent and watchful, thus, O mendicant, Thou shall live happily.

Yea! Self is guard of self and refuge takes in self; Just as a dealer trains a thoroughbred, A noble steed, and breaks him to the rein, So do thou self restrain.

Lo ye! a mendicant, though young he be, that strives To grasp the teaching of the Awakened One, Lights up the world, as from a cloud released The moon lights up the night.

Cut off the stream, O Brāhmana, right manfully; Repel desires; when thou hast known the end Of things conditioned, thou shalt be A knower of the Uncreate.

When by the twofold law (restraint and ecstasy), By virtue of the knowledge he hath gained, The Brāhmana hath crossed the stream; Then every fetter falls away.

Whoso the stream hath crossed and from this shore hath passed, Free from all cares, unfettered; one to whom This shore and that alike are naught; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

No little profit cometh to the Brāhmaṇa Who hath his mind from pleasant things restrained; Soon as the lust to harm is gone All sorrowing is laid to rest.

Whoso offendeth not in thought and word and deed, In whom no evil from these three is seen; Whoso is in these three controlled; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

If there be one from whom thou canst obtain the Norm Which He, the All-Awakened One, declared, Revere him, as a Brāhmaṇa The sacrificial fire reveres.

Not matted hair, nor caste, nor noble birth can make The Brāhmaṇa; but he that knows the truth And knows the Norm, is blest indeed; And him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Of what avail to thee, O fool, is matted hair? And what avails thy garment made of skins? The outer part thou makest clean, But all is ravening within.

Whoso wears rags from dustheaps picked, whoso is lean, With veins o'erspread, who in the jungle dwells And meditates in loneliness; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

One is not Brāhmaṇa because of race or birth; "Hail-fellow" is such called, and riches hath. Possessing naught, free from desire Is one I call a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso hath cut all fetters off and hath no fear Of what may him befall; whoso from bonds And all attachments is released; Is one I call a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso hath cut the strap, the leathern thong, the ropes And all thereto pertaining, and the bar Hath lifted; him, the Awakened one; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

He who endures, tho' innocent of all offence, Abuse and blows and e'en imprisonment With patience strong, a host in strength; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who hath no anger, who to all his vows is true, Upright in life, from passion free, subdued, No more on earth to be reborn; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who like a dew-drop on a lotus-lily leaf, Or seed of mustard on a needle's point, Clings not to any worldly bliss; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who knoweth even in this world his sorrow's end, Who bath laid down the burden of desire, Emancipated from his bonds; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso is deep in wisdom and intelligence, Who can with skill discern the right and wrong, Who hath attained the highest goal; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

From whom all anger, hate, hypocrisy and pride Have fall'n away, as from a needle's point A grain of mustard-seed falls off; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

He that takes nothing in this world that is not given, Whatever it may be, or great or small, Or long or short or good or bad; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso on earth hath passed beyond the opposites Of good and evil, and is free from grief, From passion and impurity; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who, like the moon on high, is stainless, pure and calm, Translucent and serene, who hath restrained The rise of all delightful states; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso hath trod the hard and muddy road of births, Hath crossed delusion, reached the other shore, Nor lusts, nor doubts, grasps not, is calm, Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who homeless wanders through this world, a mendicant, Abandoning desires, who hath restrained The rise of sensual delight; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Whoso hath left behind all ties that bind on earth, And e'en the heavenly world transcended hath; Whoso from every tie is free; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Who joy and pain hath left, who from the heat of life Is cooled, and hath no basis of rebirth, Heroic conqueror of the worlds; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.

Whose passage hence the gods themselves cannot discern, Nor demi-gods nor men; a worthy one In whom the passions are subdued; Him I deem a Brāhmaṇa.