When the teaching is well explained,Ye ca kho sammadakkhāte, the people who practice accordinglydhamme dhammānuvattino; will cross overTe janā pāramessanti, Death’s dominion so hard to pass.maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ.
- Minor CollectionKhuddakanikāya
- Sayings of the Dhamma 76–89Dhammapada
6. The AstutePaṇḍitavagga
Regard one who sees your faultsNidhīnaṁva pavattāraṁ, as a guide to a hidden treasure.yaṁ passe vajjadassinaṁ; Stay close to one so intelligent and astuteNiggayhavādiṁ medhāviṁ, who curbs you when you need it.tādisaṁ paṇḍitaṁ bhaje; Sticking close to such an impartial person,Tādisaṁ bhajamānassa, things get better, not worse.seyyo hoti na pāpiyo.
Advise and instruct;Ovadeyyānusāseyya, curb wickedness:asabbhā ca nivāraye; for you shall be loved by the good,Satañhi so piyo hoti, and disliked by the bad.asataṁ hoti appiyo.
Don’t mix with bad friends,Na bhaje pāpake mitte, nor with the worst of men.na bhaje purisādhame; Mix with spiritual friends,Bhajetha mitte kalyāṇe, and with the best of men.bhajetha purisuttame.
Through joy in the teaching you sleep at ease,Dhammapīti sukhaṁ seti, with clear and confident heart.vippasannena cetasā; An astute person always delights in the teachingAriyappavedite dhamme, proclaimed by the Noble One.sadā ramati paṇḍito.
While irrigators guide water,Udakañhi nayanti nettikā, fletchers bend arrows straight,Usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ; and carpenters bend timber straight,Dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā, the astute tame themselves.Attānaṁ damayanti paṇḍitā.
As the wind cannot stirSelo yathā ekaghano, a solid mass of rock,vātena na samīrati; so too blame and praiseEvaṁ nindāpasaṁsāsu, do not affect the wise.na samiñjanti paṇḍitā.
Like a deep lake,Yathāpi rahado gambhīro, clear and unclouded,vippasanno anāvilo; so clear are the astuteEvaṁ dhammāni sutvāna, when they hear the teachings.vippasīdanti paṇḍitā.
True persons give up everything,Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajanti, they don’t cajole for the things they desire.Na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo; Though touched by sadness or happiness,Sukhena phuṭṭhā atha vā dukhena, the astute appear neither depressed nor elated.Na uccāvacaṁ paṇḍitā dassayanti.
Never wish for success by unjust means,Na attahetu na parassa hetu, for your own sake or that of another,Na puttamicche na dhanaṁ na raṭṭhaṁ; desiring children, wealth, or nation;Na iccheyya adhammena samiddhimattano, rather, be virtuous, wise, and just.Sa sīlavā paññavā dhammiko siyā.
Few are those among humansAppakā te manussesu, who cross to the far shore.ye janā pāragāmino; The rest just run aroundAthāyaṁ itarā pajā, on the near shore.tīramevānudhāvati.
Rid of dark qualities,Kaṇhaṁ dhammaṁ vippahāya, an astute person would develop the bright.Sukkaṁ bhāvetha paṇḍito; Having left home for homelessnessOkā anokamāgamma, in seclusion, where joy is hard,Viveke yattha dūramaṁ.
they’d long for satisfaction there.Tatrābhiratimiccheyya, Forsaking sensual pleasures, owning nothing,hitvā kāme akiñcano; an astute person would cleanse themselvesPariyodapeyya attānaṁ, of mental corruptions.cittaklesehi paṇḍito.
And those whose minds are rightly developedYesaṁ sambodhiyaṅgesu, in the awakening factors;sammā cittaṁ subhāvitaṁ; who, letting go of attachments,Ādānapaṭinissagge, delight in not grasping:anupādāya ye ratā; with defilements ended, brilliant,Khīṇāsavā jutimanto, they are quenched in this world.te loke parinibbutā.