



Produced by Tom Weiss





THE DHAMMAPADA

A Collection of Verses Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists

Translated from Pali by F. Max Muller


From:

     The Sacred Books of the East
     Translated by Various Oriental Scholars
     Edited by F. Max Muller
     Volume X
     Part I




[Note: The introduction, notes and index have been omitted.]




Contents

     Chapter 1: The Twin Verses
     Chapter 2: On Earnestness
     Chapter 3: Thought
     Chapter 4: Flowers
     Chapter 5: The Fool
     Chapter 6: The Wise Man (Pandita)
     Chapter 7: The Venerable (Arhat)
     Chapter 8: The Thousands
     Chapter 9: Evil
     Chapter 10: Punishment
     Chapter 11: Old Age
     Chapter 12: Self
     Chapter 13: The World
     Chapter 14: The Buddha (the Awakened)
     Chapter 15: Happiness
     Chapter 16: Pleasure
     Chapter 17: Anger
     Chapter 18: Impurity
     Chapter 19: The Just
     Chapter 20: The Way
     Chapter 21: Miscellaneous
     Chapter 22: The Downward Course
     Chapter 23: The Elephant
     Chapter 24: Thirst
     Chapter 25: The Bhikshu (Mendicant)
     Chapter 26 The Brahmana (Arhat)




DHAMMAPADA




Chapter I. The Twin-Verses

1. All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded
on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts
with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of
the ox that draws the carriage.

2. All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded
on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts
with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never
leaves him.

3. "He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,"--in those
who harbour such thoughts hatred will never cease.

4. "He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,"--in those
who do not harbour such thoughts hatred will cease.

5. For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by
love, this is an old rule.

6. The world does not know that we must all come to an end here;--but
those who know it, their quarrels cease at once.

7. He who lives looking for pleasures only, his senses uncontrolled,
immoderate in his food, idle, and weak, Mara (the tempter) will
certainly overthrow him, as the wind throws down a weak tree.

8. He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well
controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mara will
certainly not overthrow, any more than the wind throws down a rocky
mountain.

9. He who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed
himself from sin, who disregards temperance and truth, is unworthy of
the yellow dress.

10. But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all
virtues, and regards also temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of
the yellow dress.

11. They who imagine truth in untruth, and see untruth in truth, never
arrive at truth, but follow vain desires.

12. They who know truth in truth, and untruth in untruth, arrive at
truth, and follow true desires.

13. As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break
through an unreflecting mind.

14. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will
not break through a well-reflecting mind.

15. The evil-doer mourns in this world, and he mourns in the next; he
mourns in both. He mourns and suffers when he sees the evil of his own
work.

16. The virtuous man delights in this world, and he delights in the
next; he delights in both. He delights and rejoices, when he sees the
purity of his own work.

17. The evil-doer suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next; he
suffers in both. He suffers when he thinks