Miscellaneous

If, by giving up a lesser happiness,

One could experience greater happiness,

A wise person would renounce the lesser

To behold the greater.

Those who seek their own happiness

By causing suffering for others

Are entangled with hostility.

From hostility they are not set free.

The toxins multiply

For the insolent and negligent

Who reject what they should do

And do instead what they should not.

But the toxins come to an end

For those who are mindful and alert,

Who are constantly well-engaged

With mindfulness of the body,

Who don’t resort to what they should not do

But persist in doing what they should.

Having killed

Mother, father

Two warrior kings,

A kingdom and its subjects,

The brahmin, undisturbed, moves on.

Having killed

Mother, father,

Two learned kings,

And a tiger,

The brahmin, undisturbed, moves on.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Who constantly, day and night,

Are mindful of the Buddha.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Who constantly, day and night,

Are mindful of the Dharma.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Who constantly, day and night,

Are mindful of the Sangha.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Who constantly, day and night,

Are mindful of the body.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Whose minds constantly, day and night,

Delight in harmlessness.

Always wide awake

Are the disciples of Gotama

Whose minds constantly, day and night,

Delight in [spiritual] practice.

Going forth [into homelessness] is difficult- it’s hard to enjoy.

Household life is difficult- it’s painful.

Living with discordant people is suffering.

A traveler is subject to suffering,

So don’t be a traveler

And don’t be subject to suffering.

People endowed

With faith, virtue, fame, and wealth

Are revered

Wherever they go.

From afar, good people shine

Like the Himalaya mountains.

Close up, bad people disappear

Like arrows shot into the night.

Sitting alone, resting alone, walking alone,

Untiring and alone,

Whoever has tamed oneself

Will find delight in the forest.

~ Dhammapada