Khuddakanikāya
Translators: sujato and suddhaso
Minor Collection Collection of Minor Texts
Dhammapada
Sayings of the Dhamma 1–20
Verses of Dhamma
Yamakavagga
1. Pairs
Chapter of Pairs
Cakkhupālattheravatthu
Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Intention shapes experiences;
All things are preceded by the mind,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā;
intention is first, they’re made by intention.
surpassed by the mind, created by the mind.
Manasā ce paduṭṭhena,
If with corrupt intent
If one speaks or acts
bhāsati vā karoti vā;
you speak or act,
with a corrupted mind,
Tato naṁ dukkhamanveti,
suffering follows you,
Then suffering follows,
cakkaṁva vahato padaṁ.
like a wheel, the ox’s foot.
As a track follows a wheel.
Maṭṭhakuṇḍalīvatthu
Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Intention shapes experiences;
All things are preceded by the mind,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā;
intention is first, they’re made by intention.
surpassed by the mind, created by the mind.
Manasā ce pasannena,
If with pure intent
If one speaks or acts
bhāsati vā karoti vā;
you speak or act,
with a pure mind,
Tato naṁ sukhamanveti,
happiness follows you
Then happiness follows,
chāyāva anapāyinī.
like a shadow that never leaves.
As a shadow that never leaves.
Tissattheravatthu
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,
“They abused me, they hit me!
“They abused me, they hurt me,
ajini maṁ ahāsi me;
They beat me, they robbed me!”
they defeated me, they robbed me!”
Ye ca taṁ upanayhanti,
For those who bear such a grudge,
For those who hold on to this
veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati.
hatred is never laid to rest.
hostility is never replaced by peace.
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,
“They abused me, they hit me!
“They abused me, they hurt me,
ajini maṁ ahāsi me;
They beat me, they robbed me!”
they defeated me, they robbed me!”
Ye ca taṁ nupanayhanti,
For those who bear no such grudge,
For those who do not hold on to this
veraṁ tesūpasammati.
hatred is laid to rest.
hostility is replaced by peace.
Kāḷayakkhinīvatthu
Na hi verena verāni,
For never is hatred
Hostility is never pacified
sammantīdha kudācanaṁ;
laid to rest by hate,
by means of hostility.
Averena ca sammanti,
it’s laid to rest by love:
Only by means of non-hostility is it pacified.
esa dhammo sanantano.
this is an ancient teaching.
This is an eternal truth.
Kosambakavatthu
Pare ca na vijānanti,
When others do not understand,
Others do not know
mayamettha yamāmase;
let us, who do understand this,
that we must be restrained.
Ye ca tattha vijānanti,
restrain ourselves in this regard;
The wise ones who know this
tato sammanti medhagā.
for that is how conflicts are laid to rest.
attain peace.
Mahākāḷattheravatthu
Subhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
Those who contemplate the beautiful,
If one focuses on beauty,
indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ;
their faculties unrestrained,
lacks sense-restraint,
Bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṁ,
immoderate in eating,
does not know the right amount when eating,
kusītaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ;
lazy, lacking energy:
is lazy, and lacks energy,
Taṁ ve pasahati māro,
Māra strikes them down
Māra subdues such a person
vāto rukkhaṁva dubbalaṁ.
like the wind, a feeble tree.
just as the wind subdues a weak tree.
Asubhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
Those who contemplate the ugly,
If one does not focus on beauty,
Indriyesu susaṁvutaṁ;
their faculties well-restrained,
has good sense-restraint,
Bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṁ,
eating in moderation,
knows the right amount when eating,
Saddhaṁ āraddhavīriyaṁ;
faithful and energetic:
has faith, and has persistent energy,
Taṁ ve nappasahati māro,
Māra cannot strike them down,
Māra does not subdue such a person
Vāto selaṁva pabbataṁ.
like the wind, a rocky mountain.
just as the wind does not subdue a stone mountain.
Devadattavatthu
Anikkasāvo kāsāvaṁ,
One who, not free of stains themselves,
An impure person
yo vatthaṁ paridahissati;
would wear the robe stained in ocher,
who dons a monastic robe
Apeto damasaccena,
bereft of self-control and of truth:
without true self-control
na so kāsāvamarahati.
they are not worthy of the ocher robe.
is not worthy of the monastic robe.
Yo ca vantakasāvassa,
One who’s purged all their stains,
One who has expelled all impurity,
sīlesu susamāhito;
steady in ethics,
is focused on moral conduct,
Upeto damasaccena,
possessed of self-control and of truth,
and is committed to true self-control
sa ve kāsāvamarahati.
they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.
is worthy of the monastic robe.
Sāriputtattheravatthu
Asāre sāramatino,
Thinking the inessential is essential,
One who thinks the non-essential is essential
sāre cāsāradassino;
seeing the essential as inessential;
and who sees the essential as non-essential
Te sāraṁ nādhigacchanti,
they don’t realize the essential,
does not arrive at the essence;
micchāsaṅkappagocarā.
for wrong thoughts are their habitat.
their conduct is based on incorrect attitudes.
Sārañca sārato ñatvā,
Having known the essential as essential,
One who knows the essential as essential
asārañca asārato;
and the inessential as inessential;
and the non-essential as non-essential
Te sāraṁ adhigacchanti,
they realize the essential,
arrives at the essence;
sammāsaṅkappagocarā.
for right thoughts are their habitat.
their conduct is based on correct attitudes.
Nandattheravatthu
Yathā agāraṁ ducchannaṁ,
Just as rain seeps into
Just as rain penetrates
vuṭṭhī samativijjhati;
a poorly roofed house,
a poorly sealed house,
Evaṁ abhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
lust seeps into
in the same way, passion penetrates
rāgo samativijjhati.
an undeveloped mind.
an undeveloped mind.
Yathā agāraṁ suchannaṁ,
Just as rain doesn’t seep into
Just as rain does not penetrate
vuṭṭhī na samativijjhati;
a well roofed house,
a well-sealed house,
Evaṁ subhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
lust doesn’t seep into
in the same way, passion does not penetrate
rāgo na samativijjhati.
a well developed mind.
a well-developed mind.
Cundasūkarikavatthu
Idha socati pecca socati,
Here they grieve, hereafter they grieve,
One sorrows here, one sorrows afterwards,
Pāpakārī ubhayattha socati;
an evildoer grieves in both places.
an evildoer sorrows both times.
So socati so vihaññati,
They grieve and fret,
One sorrows and agonizes
Disvā kammakiliṭṭhamattano.
seeing their own corrupt deeds.
after seeing one's own defiled actions.
Dhammikaupāsakavatthu
Idha modati pecca modati,
Here they rejoice, hereafter they rejoice,
One rejoices here, one rejoices afterwards,
Katapuñño ubhayattha modati;
one who does good rejoices in both places.
one who has made merit rejoices both times.
So modati so pamodati,
They rejoice and celebrate,
One rejoices and exults
Disvā kammavisuddhimattano.
seeing their own pure deeds.
after seeing one's own pure actions.
Devadattavatthu
Idha tappati pecca tappati,
Here they’re tormented, <j>hereafter they’re tormented,
Tormented here, tormented afterwards,
Pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati;
an evildoer is tormented in both places.
an evildoer is tormented both times.
“Pāpaṁ me katan”ti tappati,
They’re tormented <j>thinking of bad things they’ve done;
One is tormented by the thought “I have done evil,”
Bhiyyo tappati duggatiṁ gato.
when gone to a bad place, <j>they’re tormented all the more.
And one is tormented even more when one has arrived at a bad destiny.
Sumanadevīvatthu
Idha nandati pecca nandati,
Here they delight, hereafter they delight,
One delights here, one delights afterwards,
Katapuñño ubhayattha nandati;
one who does good delights in both places.
one who has made merit delights both times.
“Puññaṁ me katan”ti nandati,
They delight thinking of good things they’ve done;
One is delighted by the thought “I have made merit,”
Bhiyyo nandati suggatiṁ gato.
when gone to a good place, they delight all the more.
And one delights even more when one has arrived at a good destiny.
Dvesahāyakabhikkhuvatthu
Bahumpi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno,
Much though they may recite scripture,
A negligent person who says much that is beneficial
Na takkaro hoti naro pamatto;
if a negligent person does not apply them,
but does not act accordingly
Gopova gāvo gaṇayaṁ paresaṁ,
then, like a cowherd who counts the cattle of others,
is like a cowherd who counts other people's cows,
Na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
they miss out on the blessings of the ascetic life.
and is not part of the contemplative life.
Appampi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno,
Little though they may recite scripture,
Even if they say little that is beneficial,
Dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī;
if they live in line with the teachings,
one who lives according to the Dhamma,
Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ,
having given up greed, hate, and delusion,
having abandoned passion, hatred, and delusion,
Sammappajāno suvimuttacitto;
with deep understanding and heart well freed,
with accurate understanding and a well-liberated mind,
Anupādiyāno idha vā huraṁ vā,
not grasping to this world or the next,
not grasping either here or beyond,
Sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
they share in the blessings of the ascetic life.
is part of the contemplative life.
Yamakavaggo paṭhamo.