Dhammapada
	No, that deed is well done of which a man does not repent and the reward of which he receives gladly and cheerful y. As long as the evil deed done does not bear fruit, the unin- tel igent person thinks it is like honey; but when it ripens, then he suffers grief. If you see an intel igent man who detects faults and blames what is blame-worthy, fol ow that wise man as though he were a revealer of (hidden) treasures. Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is im- proper -- he will be beloved of the good, by the bad he will be hated. Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends; have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men. Irrigaters guide the water; fletchers bend the arrow; carpen- ters bend a log of wood; wise people fashion themselves. As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, wise people falter not amidst blame and praise. Wise people, after they have listened to the laws, become serene like a deep, clear and still lake. ere is no suffering for him who has finished his journey and abandoned grief, who has freed himself on all sides and thrown off the fet ers. ey depart with their thoughts wel -col ected, they do not delight in an abode; like swans who have left their lake, they leave their house and home. e gods even envy him whose senses like horses well broken in by the driver, have been subdued, who is free from pride and free from evil propensities. In a hamlet or in a forest, on the sea or on the dry land, wher- ever venerable persons (Arhats) dwel , that place is delightful. Forests are delightful; where the worldly find no delight, there the passionless wil find delight, for they look not for pleasure. Even though a speech be composed of a thousand words, but words without sense, one word of sense is bet er, which if a man hears he becomes quiet. If one man conquers in bat le a thousand times a thousand men, if another conquers himself, he is the greatest of conquerors. Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil deed has not ripened but when his evil deed has ripened, then does the evil-doer see evil. Even a good man sees evil as long as his good deed has not ripened; but when his good deed has ripened then does the good man see happiness. Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, it will not come unto me. Even by the fal ing of water-drops a water- pot is fil ed, the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gathers it lit le by lit le. Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, it will not come unto me. Even by the fal ing of water-drops a water- pot is fil ed; the steadfast man becomes full of good, even if he gathers it lit le by lit le. He who has no wound on his hand may touch poison with his hand; poison does not affect one who has no wound; how is there evil for one who does not commit evil? Whosoever offends a harmless, pure and innocent person, that evil fal s back upon that fool, like light dust thrown up against the wind. Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sun, not if one enters into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world, where if a man abide, he might be free from an evil deed. Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sun, not if one enters into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where if a man abide, death could not overcome him. All men tremble at punishment, all men fear death; remem- bering that thou art like unto them, do not strike or slay. All men tremble at punishment, all men love life, remember- ing that thou are unto them, do not strike or slay. He who, seeking his own happiness, does not injure or kill beings who also long for happiness, will find happiness after death. Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech breeds trouble, thou wilt receive blows for blows. If like a shat ered gong, thou speakest not, then thou hast reached Nirvana, contention is not found in thee. As a cowherd with his staff drives his cows to pasture, so do Old Age and Death drive the life of men. Not to blame, not to strike, to live restrained under the pre- cepts to be moderate in eating, to sleep and sit alone, and to dwell on lofty thoughts, this is the teaching of the Awakened. ere is no satisfying lusts even by a shower of gold-pieces; he who knows that lusts have a short taste and bring suffering in their train is wise. Even in heavenly pleasures he finds no delight; the fol ower of the Supremely Enlightened One delights only in the destruc- tion of every craving. Men driven by fear go to many a refuge, to mountains and forests, to shrines and graves and sacred trees. But that is not a safe refuge, that is not the best refuge; a man is not delivered from al pains after having gone to that refuge. He who takes refuge with the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Order; he who with clear understanding sees the Four Noble Truths, is delivered from all pains after having gone to that refuge. Let us live happily then, free from ailments among the ailing. Among men who are ailing, let us dwell free from ailments. Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy. Among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed. Let us live happily then, though we call nothing our own. We shall be like the bright gods, feeding on happiness. Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeats, he, contented, is happy. ere is no fire like lust; there is no losing throw like hatred; there is no pain like this body, there is no happiness higher than peace. Hunger is the greatest affliction, the body the chief of sor- row; of one who knows this truly, that is Nirvana, the highest happiness. Health is the greatest blessings, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness. He who has tasted the sweetness of solitude and tranquility, is free from fear and sin, while he drinks in the nectar of the Law. e sight of the noble is good, to live with them is always blessedness; if a man did not see the unwise, he would be truly happy. He who consorts with the immature in wisdom suffers a long journey; company with fools, as with as enemy, is always painful; company with the steadfast is pleasant like meeting with kinsfolk. erefore one should fol ow the wise, the intel igent, the learned, the much enduring, the dutiful, the noble, one should fol ow a good and wise man, as the moon fol ows the paths of the stars. He who gives himself to vanity and does not give himself to meditation, forget ing the real aim of life and grasping at the pleasurable, will come to envy him who has exerted himself in meditation. Let no man cleave to things that are pleasant or to those that are unpleasant. Not to see what is pleasant is pain, and it is pain to see what is unpleasant. From pleasure comes grief, from affection comes fear; he who is free from affection neither sorrows nor fears. From (earthly) affection comes grief, from affection comes fear; he who is free from affection neither sorrows nor fears.From (sensuous) delight comes grief, from such delight comes fear; he who is free from delight neither sorrows nor fears. From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from lust neither sorrows nor fears. From craving comes grief, from craving comes fear; he who is free from craving neither sorrows nor fears. He who possesses character and discrimination, who is just, speaks the truth, and does what is his own business, him the world will hold dear. He in whom a desire for the ineffable has sprung up, whose mind is permeated by this desire and whose thoughts are not bewildered by sensuality is said to be `bound up- stream'. Kinsmen, friends and wel -wishers salute a man who has been long away and returns safe from afar. In like manner his good works receive him, who has done good and has gone from this world to the other -- as kinsmen receive one who is dear to them on his return. He who holds back rising anger like a rol ing chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins. Let a man overcome anger by mildness, let him overcome the niggard by liberty, the liar by truth. ere is an old saying, O Atula, it is not only of today: `ey blame him who sits silent, they blame him who speaks much, they blame him who says lit le'. ere is no one in the world who is not blamed. ere never was, there never will be, nor is there now, a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised. Beware of bodily anger, and control thy body. Leave the sins of the body and with thy body practise virtue. Beware of the anger of the tongue and control thy tongue. Leave the sins of the tongue and practise virtue with the tongue. Beware of the anger of the mind and control thy mind. Leave the sins of the mind and practise virtue with thy mind. e taint of prayers is non-repetition, the taint of houses il - repair, the taint of (bodily) beauty is sloth, the taint of a watch- man, lack of vigilance. e fault of others is easily perceived but that of one's self is difficult to perceive; a man winnows his neighbours' faults like chaff, but hides his own, even as a dishonest gambler hides a los- ing throw. If a man looks after the faults of others and is always inclined to take offence, his own evil propensities will grow; far indeed is such a man from their destruction. A man is not learned because he talks much; he who is patient, free from hatred and fear, he is cal ed the learned. A man is not an elder because his head is grey; his age may be ripe, but he is cal ed `old-in-vain'. He who is beyond merit and demerit, who lives chastely, who with knowledge passes through the world, is truly cal ed a mendicant. A man is not a sage because he observes silence, if he is fool- ish and ignorant; but the man who taking the balance, chooses the good and rejects the evil, is a sage and for that very reason, he who understands both worlds is therefore cal ed a sage. He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose wil and thought are weak, that lazy and idle man wil never find the way to wisdom. rough meditation wisdom is won, through lack of medi- tation wisdom is lost; let a man who knows this double path of pain and loss so conduct himself that wisdom will grow. Cut down the whole forest (of lust), not a tree only. Danger comes out of the forest (of lust); when you have cut down the forest (of lust) and its undergrowth, then, monks, will you be rid of the forest and be freed. Death comes and carries off that man absorbed in his chil- dren and flocks, his mind distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping vil age. Sons are no help, nor a father, not relations, there is no help from kinsfolk for one whom Death has seized. If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure and look to the great. He who by causing pain to others wishes to obtain happiness for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free from hatred. What ought to be done is neglected, what ought not to be done is done; the evil proclivities of unruly, heedless people are always increasing. But they who, ever alert, meditate on the body do not fol- low what ought not be done, but steadfastly do what ought to be done, the evil proclivities of watchful and wise people will come to an end. ey who are ashamed of what they ought not to be ashamed of, and are not ashamed of what they ought to be ashamed of, such men, embracing false doctrines enter the downward path.ey who fear when they ought not fear, and fear not when they ought to fear, such men, embracing false doctrines, enter the downward path. ey who see sin where none exists, and do not see it where it does exists, such men, embracing false doctrines, enter the downward path. ey who know what is forbidden as forbidden, and what is not forbidden as not forbidden, such men, embracing the true doctrine, enter the good path. Patiently shal I endure abuse as the elephant in the bat le en- dures the arrows sent from the bow; for the world is il -natured. ey lead a tame elephant to bat le, the king mounts a tame elephant; the tamed is the best among men, he who patiently endures abuse.... Mules are good if tamed, and noble Sindhu horses, and great elephants; but he who tames himself is bet er stil . If a man become lazy and a great eater, if he is sleepy and rol s himself round like a great hog fed on wash, that fool is born again and again. e mind of mine went formerly wandering about as it liked, as it listed, as it pleased; but I shall now control it perfectly as a rider controls with his hook a rut ing elephant. If a man does not find a prudent companion to walk with, not one who is upright and steadfast, let him walk alone like a king who has left his conquered country -- behind, like an elephant in the forest. It is bet er to live alone, there is no companionship with a fool; let a man walk alone, let him commit no sin, let him do with few wishes, like an elephant in the forest. If an occasion arises friends are pleasant; enjoyment is pleas- ant when one shares it with another; a good work is pleasant in the hour of death; the giving up of all grief is pleasant. e gift of the Law exceeds all gifts; the sweetness of the Law exceeds all sweetness, the delight in the Law exceeds all delights; the extinction of thirst overcomes all suffering. e fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by lust; therefore a gift bestowed on those who are free from lust brings great reward. e fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by hatred; therefore a gift bestowed on those who do not hate brings great reward. e fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by delusion; therefore a gift bestowed on those who are free from delusion brings great reward. e fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by craving; therefore a gift bestowed on those who are free from craving, brings great reward. Restraint in the eye is good, good is restraint in the ear, in the nose restraint is good, good is restraint in the tongue. In the body restraint is good, good is restraint in speech, in thought restraint is good, good is restraint in all things. A monk restrained in all things, is freed from all suffering. As the jasmine sheds its withered flowers, even so, O monks, men should shed lust and hatred. e monk who is quiet in body, speech and mind, who is col ected and has refused the baits of the world, is truly cal ed tranquil. Rouse thyself, examine thyself by thyself; thus selfguarded and mindful, will thou, O monks, live happily. For self is the lord of the self, self is the refuge of self, there- fore curb thyself as the merchant curbs a good horse. EXTRACTS OF THE DHAMMAPADA ¡ûBACK¡û |INDEX| ¡úNEXT¡ú