Udanavarga 1: 法句經卷上

Compiled by the venerable Dharmatrāta.

Translated by the Indian śramaṇa Vighna and others under the Wu.

Chapter 1: Impermanence, twenty-one sections.

The Chapter on Impermanence awakens [beings from] the stupor of desire; honor and life are hard to preserve, only the Way is true.

Awakening from sleep,
one should reflect with joy;
listen to what I say,
recording the words of the Buddha.
Conditioned things are impermanent;
they are phenomena of rise and fall.
Whatever is born must die;
their cessation brings bliss.
Like a potter
shaping clay into vessels:
every one must be broken;
human life is also thus.
Like a rushing river
flowing on, never to return;
human life is like this:
those who pass away do not come back.
Like a man holding a staff,
going out to herd and pasture cattle;
so too are old age and death:
they shepherd life away.
Not one, but hundreds and thousands
of clan-born men and women,
having amassed wealth and property,
fail not to decline and perish.
Day and night for the living,
life cuts and chips away at itself;
the exhausting of life-span
is like water in a drying puddle.
All that is constant comes to an end;
what is high also falls;
meetings end in separation;
those who live must die.
Sentient beings overcome one another,
thereby losing their lives;
fallen according to their deeds,
they themselves receive misfortune and blessing.
In old age one sees suffering and pain;
at death the mind departs;
delighting in the prison-bonds of home,
greed for the world never ceases.
Alas, old age arrives!
The complexion changes to decrepitude;
in youth all went as wished;
in old age one is trampled underfoot.
Though one live a hundred years,
one still passes away in death;
loathed by old age,
the branches of illness reach their term.
This day has already passed;
life is correspondingly reduced,
like fish in dwindling water:
what joy is there in this?
In old age complexion fades;
the afflicted naturally breaks down;
the body decays and rots;
the end of life comes naturally.
Of what use is this body?
A foul place of constant oozing,
troubled by disease,
having the afflictions of old age and death.
Indulging desires without restraint,
what is non-Dharma multiplies;
failing to perceive or hear of change,
life-span is impermanent.
There are no sons to rely upon,
nor father or brother;
pressed by death,
there is no kin to depend on.
Negligent day and night,
not halting lust in old age,
having wealth but not giving,
not accepting the Buddha's words:
having these four flaws,
one wrongs and deceives oneself.

Neither in the sky nor in the ocean,
nor entering into mountain clefts,
is there any place on earth
where one may escape without suffering death.
‘This task is done, this is mine to do;
I must do this to accomplish that’—
people are agitated and troubled by this,
trampled by the griefs of old age and death.
Knowing this, one can purify oneself;
seeing thus, birth is exhausted;
the bhikṣu weary of Māra's army
is delivered from saṃsāra.

Chapter 2: Learning and Training, of the Dharmapada, twenty-nine sections.

The Chapter on Learning and Training guides through what is to be practiced, dispelling one's ignorance and darkness, so that one may see the brightness of the Way.

Alas! Why do you sleep?
Like gnats, snails, clams, and worms,
covered and obscured by impurity,
confusedly regarding [it] as a self.
How can one, struck with wounds,
the mind as if seized by acute pain,
having encountered myriad perils and distress,
instead turn to sleep?
Mindful and not negligent,
acting with benevolence and learning benevolent tracks,
from this there will be no grief,
constantly mindful of the thought that extinguishes oneself.
Cultivating tasks with right view,
this is the light for the world;
the merit produced is a thousandfold,
and one will never fall into the bad destinies.

Do not study lesser paths
so as to believe in wrong views;
do not practice heedlessness,
causing desire to increase.
Skillfully cultivate the practice of the Dharma;
study and recite without violation;
practicing the Way brings no grief,
and constant ease through life after life.
Compassionately train and restrain the body;
constantly guard speech and thought;
this leads to the deathless;
by extinguishing action one attains ease.
If it is not your task, do not study it;
if it is your task, it should be practiced;
having known what is to be kept in mind,
the āsravas are extinguished.
Seeing the Dharma benefits the body;
one who arrives at the good path,
knowing the benefit and acting vigorously,
is called worthy and wise.
For one who gives rise to awakening to the meaning,
training in cessation brings firmness;
clinging to cessation and being unrestrained
causes harm without flourishing.
This approach is strong;
this training is balanced;
comprehending the meaning from this,
one should remember and practice it.
In study, first cut off the mother,
command the ruler and the two ministers,
and discard all attendants and retinues:
this is the supreme renunciant.
If in study there are no peers,
and one does not find a good friend,
it is better to maintain goodness alone
than to companion with the foolish.
Delighting in śīla and training in practice,
what need is there for a companion?
Being good alone brings no grief,
like an elephant in the open wilderness.
Śīla and hearing are both good;
of the two, which is superior?
Weighing śīla against hearing,
one should carefully study and practice.
In study, first guard śīla;
opening and closing must be firm;
give and do not take;
strive to practice and do not lie down.

Though a person live a hundred years
with wrong study and evil intent,
it is better to live for a single day
with vigor, receiving the true Dharma.
Though a person live a hundred years
serving fire and cultivating strange arts,
it is better, for a single moment,
to serve one of śīla, whose merit is renowned.
If able to act, it is acceptable to speak of it;
if unable, do not speak empty words;
falsehood and lack of faith
are cast aside by the wise.
In study, one must first seek understanding,
observing and distinguishing right from wrong;
having received truth, one should instruct others,
luminous with wisdom and no longer confused.
With disheveled hair practicing wrong paths,
wearing grass robes while internally greedy and defiled,
dim-witted and not recognizing the truth,
like a deaf man listening to the five musical notes.
If in training one can abandon the three evils,
countering myriad poisons with medicine,
a vigorous man crosses beyond saṃsāra,
as a snake sheds its old skin.

If one trains, is of much hearing,
and maintains śīla without lapse,
one is praised in both lives,
and attains what is wished.
If one trains but has little hearing,
and fails to complete śīla,
one suffers pain in both lives,
and loses one's original wish.
Study has two aspects:
always draw near to much hearing,
and peacefully, truly comprehend the meaning;
though in hardship, do not turn astray.
Weeds harm the grain;
many desires hinder study;
weeding out all evils,
the harvest will surely be bountiful.
Speak only after reflecting;
let words not be unyielding;
speaking Dharma and speaking meaning,
speak without contradiction.
Train well and do not violate;
fear the Dharma and know what is forbidden;
seeing the subtle and knowing it,
heeding it leaves no later distress.
Cast far away demerit and merit;
strive to fulfill brahmacarya;
restraining oneself throughout life:
this is called good training.

Chapter 3: Much Hearing, of the Dharmapada, nineteen sections.

The Chapter on Much Hearing also encourages hearing and study; accumulating hearing achieves sagehood, bringing oneself to right awakening.

Much hearing can preserve firmness;
honoring the Dharma serves as a rampart;
vigor is hard to overcome or destroy;
thereby śīla and prajñā are completed.
Much hearing makes the mind bright;
once bright, wisdom increases;
with wisdom, one broadly comprehends meaning;
seeing the meaning, practicing Dharma brings ease.
Much hearing can eliminate grief;
it can take samādhi as joy;
skillfully expounding the Dharma of amṛta,
one brings oneself to attain nirvāṇa.
Through hearing, one knows dharma and vinaya;
one resolves doubts and also sees rightly;
from hearing, one abandons non-Dharma;
practicing, one reaches the deathless place.
It can manifest the Way for the teacher;
it resolves doubts and makes study bright;
it also gives rise to the root of purity;
it can uphold the dharma treasury.
Being able to restrain oneself brings understanding of meaning;
understanding, the meaning is not pierced;
one who receives the Dharma and relies on the Dharma
from this quickly attains ease.
If one has heard a little or much,
and is conceited, being arrogant toward others,
this is like a blind person holding a candle:
lighting others, yet not bright oneself.
In seeking rank, wealth,
honor, and the merit of ascending to heaven,
or eloquence and vigor in the world,
this hearing is foremost.
Emperors and kings court and honor hearing;
the gods in heaven are also thus;
hearing is the foremost treasury,
richest in wealth and strong in power.
The wise defer to hearing;
those who love the Way also delight in it;
kings serve it with all their hearts,
and even Śakra and Brahmā do so.
Rṣis always revere hearing;
how much more so the noble and wealthy?
Therefore wisdom is honored;
nothing surpasses this in deserve of homage.
One serves the sun for its brightness;
one serves a father for his kindness;
one serves a lord with one's strength;
for the sake of hearing, one serves a renunciant.
A person serves a physician for life;
wishing to prevail, one relies on the powerful;
the Dharma resides in the place of wisdom;
meritorious practice is bright life after life.
Observe a friend in counsel;
distinguish a companion in time of urgency;
look at a wife in bedchamber pleasure;
to know wisdom, look in speech.
Hearing is a benefit in this world
for wife, children, brothers, and friends;
it also brings merit in future lives;
accumulating hearing achieves sage wisdom.
This can disperse grief and hatred;
it also removes misfortune and decline;
wishing to attain peaceful auspiciousness,
one should serve those of much hearing.
No wound surpasses grief;
no arrow shot surpasses folly;
these are so strong none can extract them,
yet solely through much hearing are they removed.
The blind thereby obtain eyes;
the darkened thereby obtain a candle;
it also guides the people of the world,
like one with eyes leading the sightless.
Therefore, one can abandon delusion,
leave behind arrogance and the pleasures of wealth,
striving to learn and serve those who have heard:
this is called accumulating virtue.

Chapter 4: Sincere Faith, of the Dharmapada, eighteen sections.

The Chapter on Sincere Faith establishes the root of the Way; resolute due to right view, one advances without looking back.

Faith, shame, śīla, mind, and wealth—
these dharmas are praised by refined persons;
this way is spoken of by the wise;
thus one ascends to heavenly realms.
The foolish do not cultivate heavenly conduct,
nor do they praise giving;
those who have faith, give, and aid the good
from this reach that ease.
Faith is the elder of the true person;
mindful of the Dharma, where one abides is peaceful;
those close [to it], their minds attain the superior;
among the wise of life, it is the worthiest in life.

Faith can attain the Way;
the Dharma brings nirvāṇa;
from hearing one gains wisdom;
wherever one arrives, there is light.
Faith can cross the abyss;
restraint serves as the boatman;
vigor eliminates suffering;
wisdom reaches the other shore.
A person of faithful practice
is praised by the sages;
one who delights in the unconditioned
has all bonds untied.
With faith and śīla,
the mind of wisdom is able to act;
a vigorous person crosses over hatred,
and from this escapes the abyss.
Faith makes śīla sincere,
and also receives wisdom;
wherever one can act,
everywhere one is sustained.
Compared to worldly benefits,
wisdom and faith are light;
this wealth is the highest treasure;
household possessions are impermanent.
Wishing to see the true ones,
delighting in hearing the Dharma expounded,
able to cast off the defilement of stinginess:
this is called faith.
Faith can cross the river;
its merit is hard to seize;
it can prohibit and stop thievery;
the śramaṇa in the wilds is joyful.
Without faith, one does not practice,
and likes to denigrate upright speech,
like one unskillful at drawing water
who digs a spring and stirs up mud.
A worthy person practices wisdom,
delighting to look up to the clear stream,
like one skillful at drawing water,
mindful to keep it undisturbed.
Faith is not tainted by others;
only with the worthy and good does one associate;
what is good should be learned,
what is not good should be kept at a distance.
Faith is my chariot;
none knows what it carries;
like a great elephant tamed,
self-taming is supreme.
The wealth of faith, the wealth of śīla,
shame and modesty are also wealth;
the wealth of hearing, the wealth of giving,
and wisdom constitute the seven wealths.
From faith keeping śīla,
constantly cleanly observing the Dharma,
wise and benefiting practice,
honoring and respecting without forgetting:
if one has this wealth in life,
regardless of man or woman,
one is never impoverished in the end;
the worthy recognizes the truth.

Chapter 5: Guarding Śīla, of the Dharmapada, sixteen sections.

The Chapter on Guarding Śīla imparts the good path and restrains what is wrong and evil, so that afterwards there is no regret.

If a person is always pure, upholds the vinaya to the end, and purely cultivates good conduct, / then their śīla is accomplished in this way. When a wise person guards śīla, their merit brings about the Three Jewels, / their renown brings about gain, and afterwards they ascend to heavenly bliss. Constantly seeing the place of the Dharma, / guarding śīla becomes clarity; they attain the perfection of right view, and it is a maṅgala among their kind. / One who upholds śīla is at peace, making their body free from affliction; sleeping at night peacefully, / when awake they are always joyful. Cultivating śīla and dāna, generating puṇya brings about puṇya; / going from this place to that, they always arrive at a peaceful place. What is good at the end? / What is good when established in peace? What is a treasure for humanity? What can thieves not take? / Śīla is good and peaceful at the end of old age; śīla is good when established in peace; prajñā is a treasure for humanity; puṇya cannot be taken by thieves. When a bhikṣu establishes śīla, he guards and restrains all the sense faculties, / knows moderation in food, and awakens his mind to make it accord. Subduing the mind with śīla, / guarding the mind in correct samādhi, inwardly practicing right contemplation, never forgetting right knowledge. / The clear and wise guard śīla, inwardly contemplate right knowledge, practice the Way as appropriate, / and naturally cleanse themselves and eliminate suffering. Eradicate all defilements; eliminate pride and do not let it arise; / throughout life seek the Dharma; do not depart from the noble even for a moment. Liberation through śīla, samādhi, and prajñā— / these one should contemplate well; having completely left defilements behind, free of calamities, one eliminates existence. / Attached to liberation, one crosses over; remaining [defilements] will never arise again; transcending all realms of Māra, / like the sun, clear and bright. Wild delusion and self-indulgence—these one should always avoid externally; / practice śīla, samādhi, and prajñā, seeking fulfillment without departing from them. Upholding śīla with purity, / the mind is not self-indulgent; having been liberated by right knowledge, one does not see the factions of wrong views. / This leads to an auspicious place, being the unsurpassed Way; it also abandons what is not the Way / and leaves all realms of Māra.

Chapter 6 of the Dharmapada: Mindfulness, Containing Twelve Sections

The chapter on mindfulness: it is the beginning of guarding the subtle; contemplating ānāpāna internally, one will certainly understand the guiding principles of the Way.

Mindfulness of breathing out and breathing in: completely fulfilling and truly contemplating it, / from beginning to end penetrating smoothly, peaceful as the Buddha taught. / This illuminates the world, like the moon appearing when clouds disperse; / whether walking or stopping, learn to contemplate; whether sitting or lying down, do not neglect or forget it. / When a bhikṣu establishes this mindfulness, former benefits will later be surpassed; / gaining it at first, in the end he will surely conquer; departing, he will not see saṃsāra. / If one sees the dwelling place of the body, taking the six contacts as paramount, / the bhikṣu is always single-minded, and directly knows nirvāṇa himself. / Already having these various states of mindfulness, one always establishes practice in oneself; / if it is not so, one will never attain the practice of the mind. / Those who follow this original practice thus cross over the fatigue of craving; / if one can awaken the mind and mindfulness, one knows the joy of single-minded liberation. / Practicing the Dharma equanimously according to the time, this crosses over the grief of old age and death; / when a bhikṣu awakens his mind and practices, he should make it accord with this mindfulness. / All thoughts of saṃsāra are abandoned; thus one is able to make an end of suffering; / one should always listen to the subtle and wondrous, awakening one's own mind. / One who is able to awaken is worthy; from beginning to end there is no confluence [with defilement]; / because the awakened mind can accord, day and night strive to study and practice, / one should comprehend the essentials of amṛta, and make all āsravas end. / When a person obtains good benefit, they then come to take refuge in the Buddha; / therefore, day and night, constantly be mindful of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. / Having understood and awakened one's own mind, such is a disciple of the Buddha; / day and night always be mindful of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. / Be mindful of the body, be mindful of impermanence, be mindful of śīla and the virtue of dāna; / emptiness, wishlessness, and signlessness: day and night one should be mindful of these.

Chapter 7 of the Dharmapada: Benevolence and Compassion, Containing Nineteen Sections

The chapter on benevolence and compassion: this speaks of the great person, the conduct of the noble ones; its virtue is universal and immeasurable.

Practicing benevolence without killing, constantly able to restrain the body, this is the place of the deathless; / wherever one goes, there is no adversity. Not killing is benevolence; guarding one's speech and mind, / this is the place of the deathless; wherever one goes, there is no adversity. When others are disordered, one is self-composed; / guarding oneself with benevolence and compassion, able to endure when seeing anger: this is brahmacarya. / Utmost sincere, peaceful, and composed, with no harsh words from the mouth, not bearing wrath toward others: / this is called brahmacarya. Hanging down one's hands in non-action, not harming living beings, / not molesting or annoying [anyone]: this accords with brahmacarya. Always with compassion and sorrow, / pure as the Buddha's teaching, knowing contentment and knowing where to stop: this crosses over saṃsāra. / Having few desires and fond of learning, not deluded by profit, benevolent and not transgressing: / such a person is praised in the world. Benevolent and long-lived without transgressing, not stirring up changes for temporary pleasure; / though others contend and agitate, the wise remain at peace through silence. Universally solicitous of worthy friends, / extending pity to living beings, constantly practicing a compassionate mind, wherever one goes one is at peace. / Benevolent, gentle, and not crooked, dwelling in peace without sorrow, the heavens protect them. / The wise take pleasure in compassion; day and night they are mindful of compassion; their mind is free of aggression, / and they do not harm living beings. This practice has no enemies; lacking compassion, one kills, / violating śīla with deceptive words, shifting faults to others. Not caring for living beings, / wine causes loss of purpose, leading to careless conduct, afterwards falling into a bad destiny. / Without sincerity, one is not genuine; walking in benevolence and practicing compassion, with universal love saving the multitude, / there are eleven praises: puṇya constantly attends the body; sleeping at peace; waking at peace; / not seeing bad dreams; protected by devas; loved by humans; unaffected by poison; unaffected by weapons; / not perishing by water or fire; gaining benefit wherever one is; upon death ascending to the Brahmā heaven— / these are the eleven. If one is mindful of a compassionate mind, immeasurable and unceasing, / saṃsāra gradually thins, and one obtains benefit and crosses over the world. Benevolence has no disordered mind; / compassion is the foremost to be practiced; pitying living beings, this puṇya is immeasurable.

Even if one exhausted one's entire lifespan, diligently serving the people of the world, / sacrificing elephants and horses to worship the heavens, it would not equal practicing a single act of compassion.

Chapter 8 of the Dharmapada: Speech, Containing Twelve Sections

The chapter on speech: it serves to discipline the mouth; speaking and conversing should rely on reason and principle.

Evil words and curses, haughtily insulting and despising others—initiating this conduct, / hatred and enmity will burgeon and grow. Modest words and compliant phrases, respecting others, / abandoning knots and enduring malice, hatred and enmity will naturally cease. When a man is born, / an axe is in his mouth; that with which he cuts his body / arises from his evil words. / Quarrels bring little benefit, like losing wealth by a roll of the dice; / from them arise contentions, / causing the mind to incline toward evil.

Praising the evil, and being evil toward those who are praised—these two are both evil; / taking pleasure in brokering fights with the mouth, afterwards there will never be peace. / Lacking the Way, one falls into a bad destiny, personally increasing the suffering of hell; / distancing from folly and cultivating an enduring mind, minding the truth, one will not transgress. / From goodness one attains liberation; doing evil, one cannot be liberated; / one who is well liberated is worthy; this is liberation from evil and affliction. / Understanding how to humble one's mind, not being impetuous, speech hits the mark; / speaking according to meaning, speaking according to the Dharma, such words are gentle and sweet. / Therefore, in one's speech, one must ensure oneself no harm, / nor injure the multitude; this is being able to speak well. / Making words agreeable to the mind, also bringing about joy, / not letting evil intent arise, what is spoken is acceptable to all. / Utmost sincere is the discourse of amṛta, conforming to Dharma and without fault; / truly according with meaning, according with Dharma, this is established near the Way. / Those who speak as the Buddha spoke—this is auspicious, attaining extinction; / able to make an end of the great expanse [of suffering], this is called the supreme among words.

Chapter 9 of the Dharmapada: Pairs, Containing Twenty-Two Sections

The chapter on pairs: pairs elucidate each other; good and evil form counterparts; stating the meaning, it is never single.

Mind is the foundation of dharmas, mind is supreme, mind is master; if in one's mind one thinks evil, / then in speech and action, guilt and suffering will follow, like the wheel following the track of the cart. / Mind is the foundation of dharmas, mind is supreme, mind is master; if in one's mind one thinks good, / then in speech and action, puṇya and joy will follow, like a shadow following the body. / Following a disordered mind in practice, restrained by folly, one enters darkness; arrogant and without Dharma, / how could one understand good words? Following a correct mind in practice, open and clear, / not harboring jealousy, one is quick to comprehend good words. Resenting an enemy, / enmity has never ceased; without resentment it ceases naturally: this is the Way that should be revered. / Not fond of blaming others, strive to examine oneself; if one knows this, / [hostility] is eternally extinguished without harm. Living while viewing the body as pure, not restraining the sense faculties, / intemperate in food and drink, negligent, indolent, and weak: one is subdued by the crooked, / like the wind flattening grass. Contemplating the body as impure, able to restrain the sense faculties, / knowing moderation in food, always taking pleasure in vīrya: one is unmoved by the crooked, / like the wind against a great mountain. Not vomiting poisonous inclinations, the mind of desire gallops wildly; / unable to tame oneself, one is unsuited for the Dharma robe. Able to vomit poisonous inclinations, the mind of śīla calm and peaceful, / subduing the mind and already tamed: this person is suited for the Dharma robe. / Taking the true as false, taking the false as true: this is wrong intention; / one will not attain the true benefit. Knowing the true as true, seeing the false and knowing it to be false: / this is right intention; / one will surely attain the true benefit. If a house is poorly thatched, / when it rains it leaks; if the mind does not contemplate practice, / lust penetrates it. / If a house is well thatched, / when it rains it does not leak; restraining the mind and contemplating practice, / lust does not arise. / A base person stains others like approaching a foul object; / gradually led astray, habituated to wrong, without realizing, evil is formed. / A worthy person stains others like approaching fragrant incense; / advancing in wisdom and habituating goodness, their conduct becomes pure and fragrant. / Making sorrow brings later sorrow; practicing evil brings sorrow in both: / they sorrow and dread, / seeing their guilt, the mind is terrified. / Making joy brings later joy; practicing good brings joy in both: / they are joyful and glad, / seeing their puṇya, the mind is at peace. / Repenting now and repenting later; doing evil brings repentance in both; / it is their own calamity, / suffering the burning affliction of guilt. / Rejoicing now and rejoicing later; doing good brings joy in both; / it is their own blessing, / receiving puṇya and delight. / Artful speech and many desires, dissipated and without śīla, / harboring lust, anger, and delusion, not contemplating śamatha and vipaśyanā, gathered together like a herd of cattle: / such a one is not a disciple of the Buddha. / Speaking timely with few desires, practicing the Way according to Dharma, / removing lust, anger, and delusion, awakening to the correct mind of liberation, facing objects without arousal: / such a one is a disciple of the Buddha.

Chapter 10 of the Dharmapada: Carelessness, Containing Twenty Sections

The chapter on carelessness: it cites the vinaya to discipline the passions, guards against the crooked and restrains lapses, using the Way to encourage the worthy.

Śīla is the path of amṛta; pramāda is the track of death; / not coveting leads to the deathless; losing the Way is self-destruction. / Wisdom guards the Way and triumphs; never being careless, / not coveting brings joy; from this one attains the bliss of the Way. / Constantly contemplate the Way; strengthen oneself to maintain right practice; / the valiant attain crossing over the world; their maṅgala has none superior. / Right mindfulness constantly arises; conduct being pure, evil is easily extinguished; / self-restrained, living by the Dharma, not transgressing, good renown increases. / Initiating practice without pramāda, restrained so as to tame one's mind, / prajñā can create the illumination of samādhi, not returning to the dark abyss. / The foolish are difficult to awaken; greedy, disordered, and fond of contention; / the superiorly wise are always grave and prudent, guarding this as the most revered treasure. / Do not covet, do not be fond of contention, and do not crave sensual pleasures; / with a mind contemplating non-carelessness, one can obtain great peace. / If one restrains oneself against pramāda, able to cast it away, one is worthy; / having ascended the pavilion of wisdom, departing from danger, one is immediately at peace. / The clearly wise observe the foolish, just as the mountain observes the ground; / dwelling in turmoil yet upright in body, such a person alone awakens; / this power surpasses a lion; abandoning evil, one is of great wisdom. / Sleep is heavy like a mountain; enveloped by the darkness of delusion, / resting peacefully without reckoning on suffering, therefore one constantly undergoes the womb. / Not indulging oneself according to the times, able to control āsravas and bring them to an end; / when self-indulgent, Māra gains the advantage, like a lion seizing a deer. / One who is able not to be self-indulgent is a bhikṣu of śīla; / one whose thoughts are correct and pure should constantly guard the mind. / A cautious bhikṣu is joyful; one who is careless has much sorrow and error; / transformed from small to great contention, accumulated evil enters the blaze. / Guarding śīla, puṇya brings good; violating śīla, one has fear in the heart; / able to cut off the āsravas of the three realms, this indeed is approaching nirvāṇa.

If one was heedless before but can restrain oneself later, one illuminates the world; / mindfulness and samādhi are what is fitting.
If one covers past misdeeds with subsequent good, / one illuminates the world; / mindful reflection on good is what is fitting.
One who abandons home in youth and vigorously cultivates the Buddha's teaching / illuminates the world, like the moon emerging when clouds disperse.
If a person who previously did evil halts and commits it no more, / one illuminates the world, like the moon emerging when clouds disperse.
Inflicting no distress in life, experiencing no grief at death, / such a person sees the Way firmly and, having struck the mark, grieves no more.
Cutting off dark, defiled dharmas, one learns only what is pure and bright.
Crossing the abyss, never to return, discarding attachments in conduct and rest, / one no longer stains oneself with pleasures; with desires ended, one has no sorrow.

Dharmapada, Chapter 11: The Mind, Twelve Verses

The chapter on the mind explains that although the spirit of the mind is empty and without form, its fabrications are unceasing.

The mind drives actions to go astray, difficult to guard and difficult to restrain; / when wisdom rectifies its root, its brilliance becomes immense.
Fickle and hard to keep steady, following only desire, / controlling the mind is good; one who tames oneself attains tranquility.
The mind is subtle and hard to perceive, moving in the train of desires; / the wise person always guards oneself, and being able to guard it, is at ease.
Roaming alone and journeying far, concealed and formless; / one who diminishes the mind nears the Way, and the bonds of Māra are undone.
When the mind has no abiding rest and also does not know the Dharma, / it is confused by worldly affairs and possesses no correct knowledge.
Its thoughts have nowhere they cease, endless and boundlessly spreading; / merit can check evil, and one who awakens is worthy.
The Buddha taught the nature of the mind: though subtle, it is not real; / one should awaken to the wandering mind and not follow the dissipated heart.
Seeing the Dharma is most secure; what is wished for is accomplished; / wisdom guards the subtle mind, cutting off the causes and conditions of suffering.
Having a body does not last long; all will return to the soil.
When form disintegrates and spirit departs, residing only temporarily, what is there to covet?
The mind prepares what it will fabricate beforehand; its comings and goings have no beginning.
Its thoughts are mostly crooked and depraved, bringing evil upon itself.
This mind is fabricated by oneself; it is not made by father or mother.
One should strive toward the upright, making merit without turning back.
Hiding the six [senses] like a turtle, guarding the mind like a city wall, / wisdom fights with Māra; conquering him, there is no affliction.

Dharmapada, Chapter 12: Flowers and Fragrance, Seventeen Verses

The chapter on flowers and fragrance clarifies that the learner should practice, seeing the fruit through the flower and turning falsehood back to truth.

Who can select the earth, discarding the underworld and taking heaven? / Who preaches the verses of Dharma, as if selecting excellent flowers?
The learner selects the earth, discarding the underworld and taking heaven; / well preaching the verses of Dharma, one can gather the flowers of virtue.
Knowing that the world is compared to an earthen vessel, that illusory phenomena suddenly arise, / one cuts through Māra's blossoming flowers and does not look upon saṃsāra.
Seeing the body as foam, that illusory phenomena are naturally so, / one cuts through Māra's blossoming flowers and does not look upon saṃsāra.
When the body falls ill, it withers, like flowers wilting and falling; / the end of life arrives like a torrential flood.
Sensual desire has no satiety, scattering people's mindfulness; / wealth attained through wrong means deceives and robs oneself.
As a bee gathers from a flower without harming its color or fragrance, / taking only the nectar and departing, so does the benevolent one enter a village.
Do not focus on observing others, on what they do or do not do; / constantly examine oneself, knowing whether one is upright or not.
Like a charming flower that has fair color but no fragrance, / clever speech is just like this: without practice, there is no gain.
Like a charming flower that has beautiful color and is fragrant, / clever speech joined with practice will surely attain its reward.
If one makes many jewel blossoms and braids swaying, ornate ornaments, / one who widely accumulates virtue will find one's rebirths progressively finer.
Rare herbs and fragrant flowers do not waft against the wind; / when the near Way unfolds, the virtuous person spreads fragrance close.
Sandalwood has much perfume, and the blue lotus is a fragrant flower; / though these are called genuine, they do not equal the fragrance of śīla.
The fragrance of flowers is faint and cannot be called genuine; / the fragrance of holding śīla reaches heaven in supreme distinction.
With śīla fully perfected, practicing without pramāda, / with a concentrated mind gaining deliverance, one leaves Māra's path forever.
Just as in an irrigation ditch dug near a great road / a lotus flower grows within, fragrant, pure, and delightful, / so it is with saṃsāra: ordinary people dwell on the edges, / while the wise delight in departure, becoming disciples of the Buddha.

Dharmapada, Chapter 13: The Fool, Twenty-One Verses

The chapter on the fool is intended to open the eyes of the ignorant; therefore it depicts their conditions, desiring to make them catch sight of the light.

To the sleepless, the night is long; to the weary, the road is long; / to the fool, saṃsāra is long, for they do not know the true Dharma.
The foolish mind is always dark, rushing like a flowing river; / persisting stubbornly in a single pursuit, solitary without a companion.
The fool clings to worldly matters, experiencing sorrow and grief for a long time; / dwelling with a fool is painful, like an enemy to oneself.
'I have sons, I have wealth'—the fool is ceaselessly preoccupied with this; / when oneself is not even one's self, why worry about sons and wealth?
'I will stop here in summer; I will stop here in winter'— / the fool has many anxious concerns, not knowing future changes.
Extremely blind and deeply foolish, yet calling oneself wise; / to be foolish yet imagine oneself superior in wisdom is called the utmost foolishness.
A dull and ignorant person near a wise one is like a ladle tasting flavors: / though long accustomed to them, still unaware of the Dharma.
An open-minded person near a wise one is like a tongue tasting flavors: / though accustomed only for a moment, immediately understands the essentials of the Way.
The fool acts in ways that bring calamity upon oneself, / delighting the heart by committing evil and bringing heavy disaster on oneself.
When actions are unwholesome, one looks back with regret and stinginess; / tears stream down the face, for the retribution arises from past habitual deeds.
When actions are virtuous and wholesome, one moves forward and sees joy; / one will receive blessings in the future, rejoicing in habitual virtue.
Before a transgression has ripened, the fool regards it indifferently; / but when it comes to ripeness, one suffers great misfortune oneself.
What the fool expects is not thought to turn into suffering; / only when falling into a place of peril does one recognize unwholesomeness.
The foolish and senseless commit evil, unable to free themselves; / calamity pursues and burns them; their sins become a blazing fire.
The fool craves fine food, which grows more excessive month by month; / yet in sixteen parts, not one reflects on the Dharma.
The thoughts generated by a fool in the end bring no benefit; / they bring knives and staves upon oneself, for retribution leaves its clear impression.

Observing their dwelling place, one knows their foolishness: not giving, yet begging widely; / where they fall, they lack the wisdom of the Way, and everywhere commit evil deeds.
Those far from the Way and close to desire seek the name of learning for the sake of food; / because they crave and rely on household life, they take offerings from different clans in abundance.
Let the learner not fall into two expectations, nor become a householder śramaṇa; / craving home violates the holy teachings, leaving oneself destitute later on.
Such practice is identical to that of fools, only causing desire and arrogance to increase; / the desire for material gain is one thing, the intention to seek the Way is another.
Therefore, those who have understanding leave home to become disciples of the Buddha; / renouncing attachment and casting off worldly habits, they never fall into saṃsāra.

Dharmapada, Chapter 14: The Wise, Seventeen Verses

The chapter on the wise presents practitioners of wisdom who cultivate merit and advance in the Way, using the Dharma as a bright mirror.

Deeply observing good and evil, the mind knows what to fear and avoid; / fearing [wrong] and not committing it, in the end one is auspicious and without sorrow.
Therefore, the world has blessings: when one contemplates and carries on such conduct, / goodness realizes one's wishes, and blessings and prosperity steadily increase.
Trusting in goodness and creating merit, accumulating practice without wearying, / believing and knowing hidden virtue, which in time is sure to be revealed.
Always avoid what is unrighteous, do not associate with foolish people; / reflect on following worthy friends, and attach oneself to superior persons.
Delighting in the Dharma, one sleeps in peace, with a joyful heart and clear thoughts; / when the holy ones expound the Dharma, the wise always delight in practicing it.
Benevolent and wise people observe the precepts and uphold the Way, / like the moon among the stars, illuminating the world.
The bow-maker shapes the horn; the boatman steers the boat; / the carpenter shapes the timber; the wise person trains the body.
Just as a solid rock cannot be moved by the wind, / the mind of the wise person is steady, unswayed by blame or praise.
Just as a deep abyss is serene, still, and clear, / when the wise hear the Way, their minds are pure and joyful.

Great persons embody absence of desire; wherever they are, they shine brightly; / though they encounter suffering or joy, they do not haughtily display their wisdom.
The greatly worthy have no worldly concerns; they do not desire sons, wealth, or kingdoms; / always guarding the Way of śīla and wisdom, they do not crave dishonest wealth and honor.
The wise person knows the unsteady, comparing it to a tree planted in sand; / if a friend's determination is not strong, their plain silk is dyed by the colors around them.

The world is entirely submerged in the abyss; few can cross over to the shore.
If someone seeks to cross, they must hasten forward.
One who sincerely craves the Way inspects and receives the correct teachings; / this person approaches the other shore, escape from death being supreme.
Cutting off the dharmas of the five aggregates, serenely contemplating with wisdom, / one does not fall back into the abyss, renouncing attachment to its light.
Subduing emotions and desires, ending pleasures in unconditioned calm, / one is able to rescue oneself, making the mind become wisdom.
Studying to attain correct knowledge, the mind contemplates the correct Way; / single-mindedly receiving the truths, non-arising is one's delight; / with āsravas exhausted and habits eradicated, this is attaining deliverance from the world.

Dharmapada, Chapter 15: The Arhat, Ten Verses

The chapter on the arhat explains that the nature of the true person is free from desire, unattached, and the mind does not alter or change.

Having departed from sorrow and affliction, released from everything, / fetters and bonds already untied, cool without heat.
With a purified mind attaining mindfulness, there is nothing one craves or delights in; / having crossed the abyss of delusion, like wild geese abandoning a pond.
Measuring the belly when eating, without accumulating or hoarding anything, / the mind is empty and free of perception, having crossed the realm of all conditioned activity.
Like birds in the sky, flying far without obstruction, / worldly habits are exhausted, and one no longer looks up for food.
With an open mind free of affliction, having reached the place of liberation, / like a flying bird that descends briefly and immediately departs.
Controlling the sense faculties into obedience, like horses guided by a charioteer, / abandoning habits of arrogance, one is revered by the gods.
Without anger like the earth, immovable like a mountain, / the true person is without defilement, saṃsāra in this world severed.
The mind has ceased its restlessness, speech and deeds have also stilled; / liberated through correctness, serenely returning to extinction.
Renouncing desire without attachment, shattering the obstacles of the three realms, / expectations and intentions already extinguished, such a one is called a superior person.
In a village or in the wilderness, on level ground or high hills, / wherever the worthy one passes, none fail to receive blessings.
They delight in vacant solitude, which the multitude cannot bear; / how joyous to have no expectations, with nothing desired or sought.

Dharmapada, Chapter 16: The Thousands, Sixteen Verses

The chapter on the thousands shows learners that reciting many scriptures without their essentials is not as good as concise clarity.

Though reciting a thousand words, if the meanings of the phrases are not correct, / they are not as good as one essential phrase, hearing which can extinguish mental afflictions.
Though reciting a thousand words, if they lack righteousness, what benefit is there? / They are not as good as one righteous phrase, which can deliver one if heard and practiced.
Though reciting many scriptures, if not understood, what benefit is there? / Understanding a single phrase of Dharma, one can attain the Way by practice.
One man may conquer a thousand times a thousand enemies, / yet that does not compare to conquering oneself, which is supreme among battles.
Conquering oneself is most worthy; therefore such a one is called a hero among men.
Guarding the mind and training the body, humbling oneself to the end of life.
Though called exalted gods, spirits, Māra, Brahmā, or Śakra, / none can conquer a person who has conquered oneself.
Sacrificing a thousand times each month, without stopping for a whole lifetime, / is not as good as, for a single moment, contemplating the Dharma single-mindedly; / the merit of one thought of the Way surpasses that entire lifetime.
Though serving the fire sacrifice for a full hundred years, / it is not as good as, for a single moment, making offerings to the Three Jewels; / the merit of one offering surpasses those hundred years.