Live by principle, with good conduct,Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, don’t conduct yourself badly.na naṁ duccaritaṁ care; For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, in this world and the next.asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
- Minor CollectionKhuddakanikāya
- Sayings of the Dhamma 167–178Dhammapada
13. The WorldLokavagga
Don’t resort to lowly things,Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, don’t abide in negligence,pamādena na saṁvase; don’t resort to wrong views,Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, don’t perpetuate the world.na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.
Get up, don’t be heedless,Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, live by principle, with good conduct.dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care; For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, in this world and the next.asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
Look upon the worldYathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe, as a bubbleyathā passe marīcikaṁ; or a mirage,Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ, then the King of Death won’t see you.maccurājā na passati.
Come, see this world decked outEtha passathimaṁ lokaṁ, like a fancy royal chariot.cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ; Here fools founder,Yattha bālā visīdanti, but the discerning are not chained.natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.
He who once was heedless,Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, but turned to heedfulness,pacchā so nappamajjati; lights up the worldSomaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, like the moon freed from clouds.abbhā muttova candimā.
Someone whose bad deedYassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ, is supplanted by the good,kusalena pidhīyati; lights up the world,Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, like the moon freed from clouds.abbhā muttova candimā.
Blind is the world,Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko, few are those who clearly see.tanukettha vipassati; Only a handful go to heaven,Sakuṇo jālamuttova, like a bird freed from a net.appo saggāya gacchati.
Swans fly by the sun’s path,Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, psychic sages fly through space.ākāse yanti iddhiyā; The attentive leave the world,Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, having vanquished Māra with his legions.jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.
When a personage, spurning the hereafter,Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa, transgresses in just one thing—musāvādissa jantuno; lying—Vitiṇṇaparalokassa, there is no evil they would not do.natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.
The miserly don’t ascend to heaven,Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti, it takes a fool to not praise giving.Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ; The attentive celebrate giving,Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno, and so find happiness in the hereafter.Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.
The fruit of stream-entry is betterPathabyā ekarajjena, than being the one king of the earth,saggassa gamanena vā; than going to heaven,Sabbalokādhipaccena, than lordship over all the world.sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.