Make an island of yourself!So karohi dīpamattano, Swiftly strive, learn to be wise!Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava; Purged of stains, flawless,Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo, you’ll go to the heavenly realm of the noble ones.Dibbaṁ ariyabhūmiṁ upehisi.
- Minor CollectionKhuddakanikāya
- Sayings of the Dhamma 235–255Dhammapada
18. StainsMalavagga
Today you’re like a withered leaf,Paṇḍupalāsova dānisi, Yama’s men await you.Yamapurisāpi ca te upaṭṭhitā; You stand at the departure gates,Uyyogamukhe ca tiṭṭhasi, yet you have no supplies for the road.Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
You’ve journeyed the stages of life,Upanītavayo ca dānisi, and now you set out to meet Yama.Sampayātosi yamassa santikaṁ; Along the way there’s nowhere to stay,Vāso te natthi antarā, yet you have no supplies for the road.Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.
Make an island of yourself!So karohi dīpamattano, Swiftly strive, learn to be wise!Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava; Purged of stains, flawless,Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo, you’ll not come again to rebirth and old age.Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.
A smart person would purgeAnupubbena medhāvī, their own stains gradually,thokaṁ thokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe; bit by bit, moment by moment,Kammāro rajatasseva, like a smith smelting silver.niddhame malamattano.
It is the rust born on the ironAyasāva malaṁ samuṭṭhitaṁ, that eats away the place it arose.Tatuṭṭhāya tameva khādati; And so it is their own deedsEvaṁ atidhonacārinaṁ, that lead the overly-ascetic to a bad place.Sāni kammāni nayanti duggatiṁ.
Not rehearsing is the stain of hymns.Asajjhāyamalā mantā, The stain of houses is neglect.anuṭṭhānamalā gharā; Laziness is the stain of beauty.Malaṁ vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ, A guard’s stain is negligence.pamādo rakkhato malaṁ.
Misconduct is a woman’s stain.Malitthiyā duccaritaṁ, A giver’s stain is stinginess.maccheraṁ dadato malaṁ; Bad qualities are a stainMalā ve pāpakā dhammā, in this world and the next.asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
But a worse stain than theseTato malā malataraṁ, is ignorance, the worst stain of all.avijjā paramaṁ malaṁ; Having given up that stain,Etaṁ malaṁ pahantvāna, be without stains, mendicants!nimmalā hotha bhikkhavo.
Life is easy for the shameless.Sujīvaṁ ahirikena, With all the rude courage of a crow,kākasūrena dhaṁsinā; they live pushy,Pakkhandinā pagabbhena, rude, and corrupt.saṅkiliṭṭhena jīvitaṁ.
Life is hard for the conscientious,Hirīmatā ca dujjīvaṁ, always seeking purity,niccaṁ sucigavesinā; neither clinging nor rude,Alīnenāppagabbhena, pure of livelihood and discerning.suddhājīvena passatā.
Take anyone in this worldYo pāṇamatipāteti, who kills living creatures,musāvādañca bhāsati; speaks falsely, steals,Loke adinnamādiyati, commits adultery,paradārañca gacchati.
and indulges in drinkingSurāmerayapānañca, beer and wine.yo naro anuyuñjati; Right here they dig upIdheva meso lokasmiṁ, the root of their own self.mūlaṁ khaṇati attano.
Know this, my man:Evaṁ bho purisa jānāhi, they are unrestrained and wicked.pāpadhammā asaññatā; Don’t let that greed and unrighteousnessMā taṁ lobho adhammo ca, inflict pain on you for long.ciraṁ dukkhāya randhayuṁ.
The people give according to their faith,Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ, according to their confidence.yathāpasādanaṁ jano; If you get upset over that,Tattha yo ca maṅku bhavati, over others’ food and drink,paresaṁ pānabhojane; you’ll not, by day or by night,Na so divā vā rattiṁ vā, become immersed in samādhi.samādhimadhigacchati.
Those who have cut that out,Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ, dug it up at the root, eradicated it,mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ; they will, by day or by night,Sa ve divā vā rattiṁ vā, become immersed in samādhi.samādhimadhigacchati.
There is no fire like greed,Natthi rāgasamo aggi, no crime like hate,natthi dosasamo gaho; no net like delusion,Natthi mohasamaṁ jālaṁ, no river like craving.natthi taṇhāsamā nadī.
It’s easy to see the faults of others,Sudassaṁ vajjamaññesaṁ, hard to see one’s own.attano pana duddasaṁ; For the faults of othersParesaṁ hi so vajjāni, are tossed high like hay,opunāti yathā bhusaṁ; while one’s own are hidden,Attano pana chādeti, as a cheat hides a bad hand.kaliṁva kitavā saṭho.
When you look for the flaws of others,Paravajjānupassissa, always finding fault,niccaṁ ujjhānasaññino; your defilements only grow,Āsavā tassa vaḍḍhanti, you’re far from ending defilements.ārā so āsavakkhayā.
In the atmosphere there is no track,Ākāseva padaṁ natthi, there’s no true ascetic outside here.samaṇo natthi bāhire; People enjoy proliferation,Papañcābhiratā pajā, the Realized Ones are free of proliferation.nippapañcā tathāgatā.
In the atmosphere there is no track,Ākāseva padaṁ natthi, there’s no true ascetic outside here.samaṇo natthi bāhire; No conditions last forever,Saṅkhārā sassatā natthi, the Awakened Ones are not shaken.natthi buddhānamiñjitaṁ.