法句經
Chinese title:法句經
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CHAPTER 1: IMPERMANENCE
The Chapter on Impermanence contains 21 verses. Its essential meaning is that when one is awake yet pursues sensual desires, one becomes darkened and deluded. Neither glory nor life can be preserved for long. The Path alone is true.
[1]
Awaken from deep slumber;
Joyfully contemplate.
Listen attentively to what I say,
Collected from the Buddha’s teachings.
[2]
All conditioned phenomena are impermanent;
They are subject to arising and decline.
Once born, they must inevitably die;
Quiescent cessation is the highest bliss.
[3]
Just as a potter
Mixes clay and shapes vessels,
All of which will eventually shatter,
So too is human life.
[4]
Like the swift current of a river,
Flowing onward and never back,
So too is human life:
Once gone, it never returns.
[5]
Like a herdsman holding a staff,
Watching cattle as they graze,
So too do aging and death
Fatten them only to carry them away.
[6]
Not even one among hundreds of thousands,
No matter how eminent or wealthy,
Can hoard and preserve possessions
Without all of them falling into decay.
[7]
Busily occupied throughout day and night,
Life itself continually diminishes.
When one’s allotted years are exhausted,
It is like a well whose water has run dry.
[8]
The poor all depart this life;
The wealthy must also die.
Whatever comes together must disperse;
Whatever is born must die.
[9]
Sentient beings contend with one another,
Even to the point of losing their lives.
According to karma, they descend or rise;
They themselves receive misfortune or merit.
[10]
The aged and feeble taste suffering;
At death, consciousness departs.
Clinging fondly to the prison of family life,
They cannot end birth and death.
[11]
In but a moment, old age arrives;
Form and beauty decline and wither.
In youth, the mind finds all as it wishes;
In old age, calamities close in.
[12]
Though one may live for a hundred years,
Death still follows close behind.
Aging and illness ceaselessly oppress one,
And afflictions continue into lives to come.
[13]
Once a single day has passed,
One’s lifespan has likewise diminished.
Like a fish deprived of water,
What joy can there be?
[14]
In old age, the countenance fades;
Illness ravages us.
The body decays and putrefies;
Death is the common law.
[15]
Of what use is this body,
This place that constantly excretes filth?
Disease brings torment;
After aging and decline, it must die.
[16]
With sensual craving and an unrestrained mind,
Wrongdoing increases day by day.
One neither sees nor hears
That life is impermanent.
[17]
Neither children, father, nor brothers
Can be relied upon as refuge.
When death brings painful oppression,
No one can offer protection.
[18]
Indolent and arrogant by day and night,
Still lustful even in old age,
Possessing wealth but giving no alms,
And disobeying the Buddha’s teaching—
Obscured by these four things,
One brings ruin upon oneself.
[19]
Though one enters the sea or dwells in the sky,
Though one climbs to the summit of a rocky mountain,
There is not a single place
Where one may escape death.
[20]
These deeds are one’s own creation;
Their karmic results will follow accordingly.
Whoever is bound by afflictions
Goes directly toward the sorrow of aging and death.
[21]
Pure and fully self-aware,
Seeing that birth has been exhausted,
The bhiksu, disenchanted with afflictions,
Escapes the realm of birth and death.
CHAPTER 2: TRAINING
The Chapter on Training contains 29 verses. Its essential meaning is to teach the method of cultivation: cast off your darkness and ignorance, and you will behold the light of the Path.
[1]
Alas, why sleep so heavily?
Like bees, snails, mussels, and grubs,
Hiding amid impurity,
Deludedly regarding it as good.
[2]
Already grievously wounded,
The heart aches as though diseased;
Beset by so many calamities,
Why still delight in sleep?
[3]
Contemplate without heedlessness;
Follow in the Sage’s footsteps.
Then you will be free from sorrow,
And through right mindfulness, delusion will cease of itself.
[4]
Through right view, training in the Path increases;
Wisdom illuminates the world.
Merit arises throughout hundreds of thousands of lives,
And one never falls into evil destinies.
[5]
Do not follow deviant paths
Or believe doctrines of wrong view.
Do not become tainted by licentious habits,
Causing sensual desire to increase.
[6]
Skillfully cultivate the wholesome Dharma;
Train without transgressing it.
Practicing the Path free from distress,
One abides in happiness life after life.
[7]
Diligently train and restrain body and mind;
Always exercise care in speech.
You will certainly reach the deathless state;
With conditioned activity extinguished, you will attain peace.
[8]
Do not learn what is wrong;
Practice what is right.
Clearly understand and cultivate the Dharma;
With the outflows exhausted, attain quiescent cessation.
[9]
Seeing that the Dharma benefits body and mind,
One will certainly reach the state of well-being.
Diligently working for the benefit of others—
Such a one is wise and worthy.
[10]
Whoever gives rise to the thought of awakening
Becomes ever firmer in training in the Path.
Whoever clings to the destruction of restraint
Declines and does not progress.
[11]
Single-minded, resolute, and strong,
Train and attain the Middle Way.
Whoever understands this principle
Should remember always to practice it.
[12]
First sever the mind of craving,
Pride, and the view of a self in the body.
Abolish every fetter;
Such a one is a supreme practitioner of the Path.
[13]
If, while training, you have no
Good companion or virtuous spiritual friend,
Maintain goodness and practice alone;
Do not associate with fools.
[14]
Train diligently in observing the precepts;
What need is there for a companion?
Alone and free from sorrow,
Be like an elephant in the wilderness.
[15]
Observing the precepts and being widely learned,
One should master both.
Only then may one be called accomplished in precepts and learning;
Therefore, train and strive in cultivation.
[16]
In learning the Path, first observe the precepts;
Then the six sense faculties will become steadfast.
Give without seeking recompense;
Be diligent and do not lie down in idleness.
[17]
Though one may live for a hundred years
With wrong views and an unwholesome mind,
It is not equal to living a single day
Diligently receiving the true Dharma.
[18]
Though one may live for a hundred years,
Worshiping fire and practicing magical arts,
It is not equal to observing the precepts for a moment
And thereby gaining surpassing merit.
[19]
Speak only after you have done it;
If you cannot do it, do not speak empty words.
The wise swiftly cast away
Falsehood and untrustworthiness.
[20]
In learning the Path, seek faith and understanding;
Examine what is right and wrong.
Once you know the Dharma, teach it to others;
With wisdom as your lamp, you will no longer be deluded.
[21]
With braided hair, one follows a deviant path;
Clad in grass, inwardly one remains greedy.
Obscured and unable to understand,
One is like the deaf listening to music.
[22]
Only through cultivation can evil be abandoned;
Use medicine to eliminate the three poisons.
The true person transcends birth and death,
Like a snake shedding its skin.
[23]
Training, widely learned,
And observing the precepts without transgression,
In this life and in lives to come,
One’s good renown and aspirations will be fulfilled.
[24]
Training with little understanding
And observing the precepts imperfectly,
In this life and in lives to come,
One suffers, and one’s original aspiration fails.
[25]
There are two essentials in learning the Path:
Always remain close to the widely learned,
And deeply comprehend the meaning of ultimate truth.
Though arduous, this will keep one from falling into error.
[26]
Weeds harm a field of grain;
Many desires harm one’s training.
Uproot the weeds and eliminate deviant evil,
And the harvest will surely be abundant.
[27]
Think carefully before speaking;
Let your words not be harsh.
Expound the meaning in accordance with the Dharma;
Let your speech contain no fault.
[28]
Train well and do not transgress;
Fear evil and clearly know what is forbidden.
Whoever knows and sees thoroughly
Will thereafter be free from calamity.
[29]
Transcending both demerit and merit,
One’s conduct becomes pure.
Forever restraining oneself—
Such a one is skilled in cultivation.
CHAPTER 3: GREAT LEARNING
The Chapter on Great Learning contains 19 verses. Its essential meaning likewise encourages training, study, and listening to the Dharma. Cultivate extensive learning, become a noble one, and personally attain perfect awakening.
[1]
Great learning makes cultivation steadfast;
Upholding the Dharma forms a protective wall.
Diligence destroys obstacles difficult to surmount;
Thus, precepts and wisdom are perfected.
[2]
Great learning illuminates the mind;
When the mind is bright, wisdom increases.
As wisdom grows, one widely expounds the meaning;
Seeing the meaning, one practices the Dharma in peace.
[3]
Great learning skillfully dispels anxiety
And enables one to enter the peace of meditative concentration.
One skillfully teaches the Dharma of deathless nectar
And personally attains the Path of nirvana.
[4]
Hearing the Dharma, one understands the sutras and precepts;
Dispelling doubt, one sees the truth.
Through hearing, one abandons evil dharmas
And reaches the deathless state.
[5]
A wise teacher skillfully reveals the Path,
Dispels doubts, and brings training to mastery.
Purifying the roots of affliction,
One skillfully reveres and upholds the Dharma treasury.
[6]
Skillfully gathering and expounding the profound meaning,
One understands clearly and does not transgress.
Receiving the Dharma and relying upon the Dharma,
One thereby swiftly attains peace.
[7]
If one understands only a little
Yet becomes conceited, arrogant, and scornful,
One is like a blind person holding a torch,
Illuminating others but not oneself.
[8]
In seeking wealth, craving rank,
Enjoying noble power, or heavenly blessings,
And in the transcendent wisdom of eloquent discernment,
Great learning is foremost.
[9]
Kings esteem the wise and worthy;
The devas do likewise.
Great learning is a treasury of jewels,
The greatest strength and wealth.
[10]
The wise honor the greatly learned;
Practitioners of the Path also rejoice in them.
Kings and rulers cherish them wholeheartedly;
Sakra and Brahma do likewise.
[11]
Sages esteem the greatly learned;
How much more, then, do the very wealthy!
For wisdom is the most precious of all.
Nothing is more worthy of reverence
[12]
Honor the gods for their radiance
Be filial to parents for their kindness
Be loyal to the king for his protection
Revere the wise for their great learning
[13]
Good health depends upon a skilled physician
Victory depends upon heroes
The Buddha-Dharma abides in wisdom
The merit of cultivation shines for ten thousand generations
[14]
A good friend is known through deeds
True affection is known in times of danger
Happiness is found within the home
Wisdom is known through spoken words
[15]
Great learning brings benefit in this life
To wife, children, siblings, and friends
It also brings blessings in lives to come
Accumulating until noble wisdom is attained
[16]
If one wishes skillfully to extinguish anger
And also avert calamity and decline
If one wishes to attain peace and well-being
One should revere those of great learning
[17]
No grievous wound equals sorrow
No piercing arrow equals ignorance
Though one be strong, one cannot pull it out
Only great learning can wholly remove it
[18]
Through wisdom, the blind gain eyes
Through a lamp, those in darkness see light
The learned guide people in the world
As one with sight guides the blind
[19]
Only through wisdom can delusion be dispelled
Freedom from desire extinguishes arrogance
Study and revere those of great learning
This is the accumulation of virtue
CHAPTER 4: RIGHT FAITH
The Chapter on Right Faith contains 18 verses. The central meaning of this chapter concerns faith as the foundation for studying the Buddha’s teaching and cultivating the Path. If one possesses right view, one’s practice will never regress.
[1]
Faith, morality, conscience, and moral dread are treasures
These are Dharmas praised by saints and sages
This Path is taught by the wise
Helping people swiftly to be reborn in heaven
[2]
Fools do not cultivate goodness
Nor do they praise generosity
Faith and giving support the worthy
And thereby lead to a wholesome destination
[3]
Faith nurtures and develops the Path
Mindfulness of the Dharma abides in peace and bliss
Whoever draws near attains supreme wisdom
And dwells long among saints and sages
[4]
Only through profound faith can the Path be attained
And cessation realized in accordance with the Dharma
From this, wisdom is perfected
Illuminating every destination
[5]
Firm faith crosses the deep sea
Collected thought serves as the helmsman
Diligence dispels suffering and distress
Awakened wisdom reaches the farther shore
[6]
Those who faithfully recollect and practice
Will be praised by saints and sages
Those who delight in the unconditioned
Cast off every bond
[7]
Faith and the Dharma of morality
A wise mind skillfully cultivated
Enable a true person to sever afflictions
And thereby escape samsara
[8]
Faith brings morality to fulfillment
And also brings longevity and wisdom
Wherever one skillfully practices the Path
Everywhere one receives offerings
[9]
Among benefits that transcend the world
Faith and wisdom are the mother of understanding
These treasures are supremely precious
For worldly possessions are inherently impermanent
[10]
Wishing to behold the saints and sages
Delighting in hearing the wondrous Dharma
Skillfully relinquishing the defilements of mind—
This alone is profound faith
[11]
Only through faith can one cross the river
Such merit is difficult to seize
Thieves are skillfully warded off
And the peaceful seclusion of an ascetic is joyful
[12]
The faithless do not cultivate the Path
And delight in rejecting truthful words
Like one unskilled in drawing water
Who stirs the spring and raises muddy sediment
[13]
The wise cultivate faith and wisdom
And thirst for the lofty, pure Path
Like one skilled in drawing spring water
Gently, without stirring it up
[14]
Faith and wisdom are unstained by evil
They associate only with the worthy and wise
What is good should be learned
What is evil must be shunned
[15]
Faith is like riding in a carriage
That bears us to our destination
As with the training of an elephant
Self-mastery is the supreme victory
[16]
The treasure of faith and the treasure of morality
The treasure of conscience and the treasure of moral dread
Together with learning, generosity, and wisdom
Are called the Seven Dharma Treasures
[17]
Through faith, one upholds morality
Purely and constantly contemplates the Dharma
Cultivates wisdom for the benefit of oneself and others
And reverently practices without ever forgetting
[18]
Whoever possesses the Seven Dharma Treasures
Whether man or woman
Will never suffer poverty
For they have seen the truth
CHAPTER 5: UPHOLDING MORALITY
The Chapter on Upholding Morality contains 16 verses. The central meaning of this chapter is to exhort us to cultivate and uphold wholesome Dharmas and to prevent wrong views and unlawful conduct, so that we will have no cause for regret thereafter.
[1]
Whose mind is always radiant
Who fully and reverently upholds morality
And purely cultivates wholesome deeds—
Such a one has perfected morality
[2]
The wise skillfully guard morality
And will receive three blessed rewards:
Wholesome benefit, widespread good renown,
And rebirth in heaven when life ends
[3]
One should behold those who uphold morality
For wisdom arises from guarding morality
Perfecting right knowledge and right view
They attain peace and well-being
[4]
Upholding morality brings peace and bliss
And keeps the body free from affliction
At night one lies down calmly and peacefully
And awakens always at ease and joyful
[5]
Uphold morality and practice generosity
Cultivate merit and prepare fields of merit
Thereby reaching the farther shore
And always arriving at a place of peace and bliss
[6]
What is the highest good?
What practice brings peace and bliss?
What is the most precious thing?
What can never be taken away?
[7]
Moral conduct is the highest good
Upholding morality brings peace and bliss
Wisdom is the most precious thing
Merit and virtue can never be taken away
[8]
A bhikkhu establishes the virtue of morality
Guards and restrains all the sense faculties
Knows moderation in food and drink
And maintains proper awareness while asleep and awake
[9]
Use morality to subdue the mind
Guard the thought of right concentration
With one-pointed mind, cultivate calm and insight
Not forgetting is right wisdom
[10]
The worthy and wise guard morality
And contemplate with right wisdom
Their practice of the Path is always in harmony
And suffering and distress are naturally purified away
[11]
Completely remove every stain of wrongdoing
Uproot it entirely and give rise to no doubt
Throughout life, seek the Dharma of morality
And never depart from noble mindfulness
[12]
Morality, concentration, wisdom, and liberation
Should be skillfully contemplated
All defilements have then been left behind
And the calamities of the three realms extinguished
[13]
Liberated from every bond
With delusion utterly extinguished
One transcends all domains of Mara
And shines brightly like the sun
[14]
Pride and deranged delusion
A bhikkhu must shun
Cultivating morality, concentration, and wisdom
One should remain diligent and never depart from them
[15]
Upholding morality, the mind becomes pure
Collect the mind and do not become heedless
When right wisdom has opened unobstructed
One will not be besieged by wrong views
[16]
Proceeding to the auspicious destination
One realizes the unsurpassed Path
And also leaves behind evil and perverse dharmas
Free from hindrances, one vanquishes the hosts of Mara
CHAPTER 6: CONTEMPLATION
The Chapter on Contemplation contains 12 verses. The central meaning of this chapter is to teach us carefully to guard the subtle thoughts that arise in the mind and to observe the inhalation and exhalation of the breath; we will then awaken to the essential meaning of the Path.
[1]
Observe the breath as it enters and leaves
Focus the mind and contemplate it carefully
Comprehend it thoroughly from beginning to end
Observing as the Buddha taught
[2]
This illuminates the world
As the moon appears when clouds disperse
While walking or standing, train in contemplation
While lying or sitting, do not forget
[3]
A bhikkhu who establishes this mindfulness
In the present life and lives to come
Will gain victories without end
And never again fall into birth and death
[4]
If one sees that the body abides in peace
And guards the six sense faculties
A bhikkhu who is always one-pointed
Knows for himself that nirvana is realized
[5]
Having established these contemplations
And always practicing them oneself
How could one thereby fail
Forever to master the mind?
[6]
Whoever cultivates the fundamental Dharma
Thus transcends worldly defilements
Skillfully awakening to the workings of thought
One attains concentration, and the mind is joyful
Practicing the Dharmas as circumstances require
One then escapes birth, aging, and death
[7]
A bhikkhu who awakens to the workings of thought
Must bring mindfulness into harmony
Severing the afflictions of birth and death
And realizing the Path of nirvana
[8]
One should always listen to the wondrous Dharma
And awaken for oneself to one’s own mind
Whoever awakens becomes a saint or sage
And fear will forever cease
[9]
Awakening brings the mind into harmony
Diligently cultivate and study day and night
Fully understanding the Dharma of deathlessness
One will certainly attain the undefiled state
[10]
Whoever attains wholesome benefit
Will certainly take refuge in the Buddha
Therefore, throughout both day and night
Always recollect the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
[11]
To awaken for oneself to one’s own mind—
Such a one is a disciple of the Buddha
Throughout both day and night, always recollect
The merits of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
[12]
Be mindful of the body and of impermanence
Be mindful of morality, generosity, and virtue
Wishlessness, emptiness, and signlessness—
Throughout both day and night, keep them in mind
CHAPTER 7: LOVING-KINDNESS AND COMPASSION
The Chapter on Loving-Kindness and Compassion contains 18 verses. The central meaning of this chapter concerns the conduct of noble beings; great beings always employ virtue to bring boundless sentient beings universally to liberation.
[1]
With loving-kindness, one does not kill or harm
And always skillfully restrains bodily karma
This is the deathless realm
Wherever one goes, no calamity arises
[2]
With loving-kindness, one does not kill or harm
And guards the karma of speech and mind
This is the deathless realm
Wherever one goes, no calamity arises
[3]
Having subdued disturbance and affliction
Guard and preserve the compassionate mind
When faced with anger, still patiently endure
This is the cultivation of pure conduct
[4]
Gentle and sincere in heart
Never uttering harsh or evil words
Bearing no anger toward others—
This is the cultivation of pure conduct
[5]
Peacefully join the palms in reverence
Do not harm any sentient being
And cause neither affliction nor sorrow
That is the practice of purity.
[6]
With loving-kindness, always compassionate,
Pure as taught by the Buddha,
Knowing contentment and knowing when to stop,
One will surely transcend birth and death.
[7]
Learned, with few desires,
Not deluded by profit or fame,
Never violating benevolence or righteousness,
One is praised and extolled by the world.
[8]
The virtuous harm and violate no one,
Nor do they pursue fleeting illusions.
While worldly people contend and compete,
Those with wisdom remain serene at heart.
[9]
The good and worthy are filled with universal love,
Having compassion for all sentient beings.
Their loving-kindness always extends everywhere;
Wherever they go, there will be peace and well-being.
[10]
The virtuous are neither deviant nor deceitful;
Dwelling in peace, they are free from sorrow.
Devas follow and protect them;
The wise cherish loving-kindness and compassion.
[11]
Day and night, give rise to thoughts of loving-kindness;
Completely abandon the mind of contention.
If one harms no sentient being,
One will encounter no enmity or hatred.
[12]
Killing reveals a lack of loving-kindness;
One violates the precepts and also speaks falsely.
At fault, one does not practice generosity
And gives no thought to birth, aging, and death.
[13]
Drinking alcohol causes one to lose reason,
And one’s conduct grows ever more reckless.
After death, one falls into the three evil destinies;
Cunning and deceitful, one lacks sincerity.
[14]
Follow the practice of loving-kindness and compassion,
Universally loving and saving sentient beings.
One thereby obtains eleven benefits,
And merit and virtue always accompany oneself.
[15]
One sleeps peacefully and awakens at ease;
One does not have evil dreams.
Devas protect one, and people cherish and respect one;
Poisons and warfare cannot harm one.
One encounters no calamity from water or fire;
The place where one dwells receives blessings.
After death, one is born in the Brahma Heaven—
These are the eleven benefits.
[16]
If one maintains a mind of loving-kindness and compassion,
Immeasurable and never forgotten,
Birth and death will gradually be ended,
And one will attain benefit transcending the world.
[17]
The benevolent are unwavering in resolve;
The practice of compassion is very difficult to undertake.
Having compassion for all sentient beings,
Their merit is immeasurable.
[18]
Even if someone, throughout an entire lifetime,
Were to serve and worship every deity,
Offering elephants and horses in sacrifice to heaven,
It would not equal the practice of loving-kindness and compassion.
CHAPTER 8: SPEECH
The Chapter on Speech contains twelve verses. The general meaning of this chapter is to teach us to be careful of verbal karma in speaking and conversation, and to use speech in accordance with the principles of the Path.
[1]
Reviling others and speaking harsh words,
Being arrogant and treating others with contempt—
When one gives rise to such evil conduct,
Enmity and hatred increase all the more.
[2]
Speak agreeably with humble words,
Respecting and cherishing others.
Patiently endure evil and eliminate afflictions;
Then enmity and hatred will dissolve by themselves.
[3]
Whoever always harbors an evil heart
Is like one who has an axe within the mouth;
Thus, one cuts oneself down
By speaking evil words.
[4]
Contending and struggling for a trifling gain
Is like losing a hidden treasure.
From this, conflict arises,
Causing the mind to turn toward evil paths.
[5]
Praising evil and extolling wicked deeds—
Both are equally evil.
A tongue that delights in contention
Will surely find no peace afterward.
[6]
Those without the Path fall into evil destinies,
Increasing their own suffering in hell.
Abandon delusion and cultivate patience;
With right mindfulness, one does not transgress.
[7]
Doing good, one attains liberation;
Doing evil, one is bound.
Through complete understanding, one becomes noble and worthy;
This is liberation from affliction and distress.
[8]
A bhikshu gathers and restrains the mind;
His speech is never hasty.
Its meaning accords with the Dharma,
And his words are sweet, gentle, and pleasing.
[9]
Whoever uses speech skillfully
Will surely not bring calamity upon themselves,
Nor come into conflict with others;
This is skillful speech.
[10]
Words that accord with one’s intent
Also bring joy to others.
Do not cause minds to turn toward evil;
Let speech inspire trust and happiness.
[11]
With utmost sincerity, expound the deathless nectar;
In accordance with the Dharma, free from error.
Speech that accords with the meaning of the Dharma—
That draws one near to the Great Path.
[12]
Whoever teaches as the Buddha taught
Attains the auspicious peace of cessation,
And skillfully ends all afflictions;
This is the supreme speech.
CHAPTER 9: TWIN VERSES
The Chapter on Twin Verses contains twenty-two verses. The general meaning of this chapter is to set good and evil in contrast in order to illuminate the principles. ...
[1]
Mind is the root of all phenomena;
Mind guides them and is their master.
If one thinks evil thoughts within the mind,
One will immediately speak and act accordingly.
Suffering born of wrongdoing follows in pursuit,
As the wheel follows the track.
[2]
Mind is the root of all phenomena;
Mind guides them and is their master.
If one thinks wholesome thoughts within the mind,
One will immediately speak and act accordingly.
Blessings and happiness follow in pursuit,
As a shadow follows the form.
[3]
Confused thoughts arise following the mind;
Ignorance leads one into darkness.
Arrogant and unknowing of the Dharma,
How can one understand good words?
[4]
Right intention arises following the mind;
Penetratingly, one understands with clarity.
Unafflicted by jealousy or greed,
One fully comprehends good words.
[5]
Whoever clings to enmity and hatred
Will never bring enmity to an end.
Through non-hatred, hatred ceases by itself;
This is the Path worthy of practice.
[6]
Placing expectations upon others
Is not as good as examining oneself.
If one understands this principle,
Calamities will forever be eliminated.
[7]
With wrong view, one regards the body as pure;
The faculties are not restrained.
Immoderate in food and drink,
Lazy and timid as well,
One is subdued by evil influences,
As grass is flattened by the wind.
[8]
Contemplate the body as impure;
Skillfully restrain the faculties.
Know moderation in food and drink,
And always delight in diligence.
Then one will not be moved by evil influences,
As Mount Tai is unmoved by the wind.
[9]
If the poisonous nature is not uprooted,
And the heart runs after desires,
One is not yet able to discipline oneself
And is unworthy to wear the Dharma robe.
[10]
When the poisonous nature is skillfully uprooted,
One observes the precepts with a serene mind.
When that mind has been disciplined,
One is worthy to wear the Dharma robe.
[11]
Taking the real to be false,
And taking the false to be real—
This is a mind of wrong view,
Which gains no wholesome benefit.
[12]
Knowing the true to be true,
And the false to be false—
This is a mind of right view,
Which will surely gain wholesome benefit.
[13]
If the roof is not well sealed,
Rain will continually leak through.
If one’s mind does not reflect,
Greed, anger, and delusion will always remain.
[14]
If the roof is securely thatched,
Rain will not leak through.
If one’s mind reflects within itself,
Greed, anger, and delusion will forever cease.
[15]
Evil people influence others
As a foul-smelling object affects those nearby.
Gradually deluded into doing evil deeds,
Unknowingly, one becomes evil.
[16]
Virtuous people influence others
Like fragrant incense smoke nearby.
Wisdom increases, and one performs wholesome deeds;
The fragrance of one’s conduct and karma spreads afar.
[17]
Causing sorrow, one sorrows in the life to come;
Doing evil, one is filled with grief.
Fearful, one is always troubled and distressed;
Seeing one’s offenses, the heart is filled with remorse.
[18]
Creating happiness, one is happy in the life to come;
Doing good, one is filled with joy.
Delighted, one is always joyful;
Seeing one’s merit, the mind is serene.
[19]
One suffers now and suffers in the life to come;
Doing evil, one is filled with pain.
One personally encounters calamity
And undergoes the burning affliction of wrongdoing.
[20]
One rejoices now and rejoices in the life to come;
Doing good, one is filled with joy.
One personally encounters favorable conditions
And peacefully enjoys the rewards of merit.
[21]
Craving gain, one speaks clever words;
Heedless, one does not observe the precepts.
Harboring greed, anger, and delusion,
One does not reflect through calm abiding and insight.
Though gathering together like a herd of cattle,
Such people are not disciples of the Buddha.
[22]
Free from craving, one speaks at the proper time;
One practices the Path in accordance with the Dharma.
Eliminating greed, anger, and delusion,
One’s mind awakens rightly and understands completely.
Encountering adversity, one’s mind remains unmoved;
Such a person is a disciple of the Buddha.
CHAPTER 10: HEEDLESSNESS
The Chapter on Heedlessness contains twenty verses. The general meaning of this chapter is to teach the precepts and discipline in order to prevent and eliminate evil and wrongdoing, and to use the Path to encourage the cultivation of virtue.
[1]
The precepts are the path to the deathless nectar;
Heedlessness is the path to death.
Free from craving, one will attain the deathless;
Losing the Path, one destroys oneself.
[2]
The wise practice the supreme Path
And are forever free from heedlessness.
They rejoice because they are free from craving;
The bliss of Dharma arises from this.
[3]
Always reflect upon and recollect the Path;
Courageously cultivate right conduct.
A true person transcends the world;
No auspiciousness surpasses this.
[4]
Always arouse right mindfulness;
When one is pure, evil is easily eliminated.
Following the Dharma, discipline oneself;
By not transgressing, one’s good name resounds.
[5]
Diligent and free from heedlessness,
Restrain and discipline the mind.
From wisdom arises the clarity of samadhi;
One will no longer fall into the abyss.
[6]
Fools, deficient in wisdom and understanding,
Delight in disorder and contention.
Those of supreme wisdom are always vigilant,
Guarding right mindfulness as a treasure.
[7]
Do not crave or contend,
Nor hanker after sensual pleasures.
Only when the mind is free from heedlessness
Can one attain great peace and happiness.
[8]
Always restrain oneself from heedlessness;
Skillfully eliminating it, one becomes noble and worthy.
Having ascended the tower of wisdom,
One abandons danger and immediately attains safety.
The wise look upon fools
As a mountain towers above the earth.
[9]
Practicing rightly amid disorder,
One becomes a solitary awakened one.
This power surpasses that of a lion;
Abandoning evil is great wisdom.
[10]
Drunken with sleep, heavy as a mountain,
Enshrouded by delusion,
One lies inert, devising no means of escape,
And therefore repeatedly undergoes birth in the womb.
[11]
The mind is not unrestrained.
With the taints exhausted, the mind is liberated.
Mara takes advantage of heedlessness,
As a lion seizes a deer.
[12]
One who skillfully avoids heedlessness
Is a person who upholds the precepts,
Pure and rightly contemplative,
Who should always guard the mind.
[13]
Bhiksus, be vigilant;
Heedlessness brings much sorrow.
A minor dispute grows into a great one,
Adding evil to a blazing fire.
[14]
Keeping the precepts increases merit and goodness;
Breaking them fills the mind with anxiety.
Skillfully severing the taints of the Three Realms—
Only then does one draw near to nirvana.
[15]
One who formerly was heedless
But afterward skillfully restrains oneself
Illuminates the world;
Such a one should remember to cultivate concentration.
[16]
Though one formerly happened to do evil,
One makes amends by diligently doing good;
Such a one illuminates the world
And should remember to cultivate virtue.
[17]
A youth who leaves home
And diligently practices the Buddha’s teaching
Illuminates the world
Like the moon emerging from the clouds.
[18]
One who formerly happened to do evil
But afterward stops and does not repeat it
Illuminates the world
Like the moon emerging from the clouds.
[19]
Causing no harm in this present life,
At death one has no anxiety.
Seeing the fearless Path,
One leaves suffering and attains peace and joy.
[20]
Cut off all defiled states
And study only the pure Dharma.
No longer return to birth and death;
Abandon craving and cease evil deeds.
No longer be tainted by sensual pleasures;
Extinguishing desire, one is free from sorrow.
CHAPTER 11: THE MIND
The Chapter on the Mind contains 12 verses. Its general meaning concerns the mind, thought, and consciousness: although they have no visible form, their activities are boundless and inexhaustible.
[1]
Racing about, driven by thought,
The mind is hard to guard and restrain.
Right wisdom subdues the original mind;
The light of wisdom shines resplendently.
[2]
Swiftly darting, difficult to guard,
It is where thoughts of desire abide.
To gather in the mind is wholesome;
Once subdued, it becomes serene and at ease.
[3]
Mental thoughts are exceedingly hard to see,
Racing wherever desire leads.
The wise always guard themselves;
Skillfully guarded, they attain peace.
[4]
Alone it wanders everywhere,
Hidden and without visible form.
Gathering in the mind brings one near the Path
And frees one from Mara’s hindrances.
[5]
The deluded mind never rests
And does not know the wholesome Dharma.
Deeply lost in worldly affairs,
It has no right knowledge or right view.
[6]
Deluded thoughts never rest,
Boundless and uninterrupted.
Through the power of merit, skillfully cast off evil;
Awaken, and become a sage.
[7]
The Buddha taught that all phenomena,
Though wondrous, are not truly real.
Be vigilant toward deluded thoughts;
Do not follow a heedless mind.
[8]
Seeing the Dharma is the highest bliss;
All aspirations are thereby fulfilled.
With wisdom, guard the mind
And cut off the causes and conditions of suffering.
[9]
Before long, this body
Will return to dust.
When the body decays and consciousness departs,
Why still cling to it with longing?
[10]
The mind inclines toward creating deeds,
Coming and going without a trace.
If the heart harbors much evil,
It brings calamity upon itself.
[11]
These thoughts are created by oneself,
Not fashioned by one’s father or mother.
Cast off wrongness and cultivate right concentration;
Cultivate merit without retreating.
[12]
Gather in the six faculties like a tortoise,
And guard the mind like a fortress.
With the sword of wisdom, battle Mara;
Victorious, one is free from affliction.
CHAPTER 12: FLOWERS AND FRAGRANCE
The Chapter on Flowers and Fragrance contains 17 verses. Its general meaning is that studying the Buddha-Dharma requires clarity and practical cultivation. Because there are flowers, fruit may be seen. Transform falsity into truth.
[1]
Who can skillfully choose the proper realm,
Leave the evil paths, and be born in heaven?
Who can skillfully expound the meaning of the Dharma,
As one skillfully gathers lovely flowers?
[2]
A trainee skillfully chooses the proper realm,
Leaves the evil paths, and is born in heaven;
Skillfully expounds the wondrous Dharma’s meaning,
And skillfully gathers flowers of merit and virtue.
[3]
Contemplate the body as an earthen vessel,
An illusion like a mirage.
Cut off Mara’s flower buds,
And do not fall into the cycle of birth and death.
[4]
See the body as a bubble on water,
And know that it is an illusion.
Cut off Mara’s flower buds,
And do not fall into the cycle of birth and death.
[5]
When the body is ill, it grows feeble,
Like a fallen flower, withered and faded.
One day, death will come,
As swiftly as rushing water.
[6]
Insatiable sensual craving
Destroys all right mindfulness.
A deviant mind coveting wealth and treasure
Invites calamity and deceives itself.
[7]
Just as a bee gathers nectar
Without harming the flower’s color or fragrance,
Taking only its essence before departing,
So should a bhiksu enter a village.
[8]
Do not concern yourself with others’ affairs,
With whether their deeds are good or bad;
Instead, always reflect upon
The good and evil within yourself.
[9]
Just as a pleasing flower
May be beautiful yet lack fragrance,
So are elegant words
That bring no benefit.
[10]
Just as a pleasing flower
Is both beautiful and fragrant,
So are gentle words
That surely bring wholesome merit and benefit.
[11]
Taking many lovely flowers,
One fashions them into an ornamental garland.
One who extensively accumulates roots of goodness
Will be born in a wholesome realm in the next life.
[12]
The fragrance of rare flowers and wondrous herbs
Cannot travel against the wind,
But the virtue of a sage near the Right Path
Spreads its exquisite fragrance everywhere.
[13]
The fragrance of aromatic wood and sandalwood,
And the fragrance of blue lotus blossoms,
Though truly delightful to smell,
Cannot compare with the fragrance of moral virtue.
[14]
The fragrance of flowers diffuses but faintly
And cannot be called genuine;
The fragrance cultivated through upholding the precepts
Is supreme, permeating even the heavens.
[15]
Fully accomplished in the precepts,
One practices without heedlessness.
Through concentration and wisdom, one severs birth and death
And forever leaves deviant Maras behind.
[16]
Just as beside a field’s irrigation ditch,
Near a great highway,
A lotus flower may grow,
Pure, fragrant, and delightful,
[17]
Whatever is born must surely die;
Ordinary beings delight in that realm.
The wise resolve to escape it—
They are disciples of the Buddha.
CHAPTER 13: FOLLY AND DARKNESS
The Chapter on Folly and Darkness contains 21 verses. Its general meaning is to dispel darkness and reveal its condition, so that those who are deluded may behold the light.
[1]
Long is the night for one who cannot sleep;
Long is the road for one who is weary.
The deluded revolve endlessly in samsara,
Not knowing the Buddha’s true Dharma.
[2]
The deluded are ever sunk in darkness,
Swept away like a flowing stream.
Better to travel alone
Than to keep company with fools.
[3]
A fool clings to fate
And worries without end.
Living with the ignorant is suffering;
They give rise to enmity toward me.
[4]
“I have wealth; I have children”—
Thus the fool worries ceaselessly.
Even the self does not belong to oneself;
How much less wealth and children?
[5]
“I shall live here in summer;
I shall live here in winter.”
The fool plans many affairs,
Unaware of future change.
[6]
Even one who is utterly foolish
Is wise if one recognizes it.
But a fool who considers oneself clever—
That one is the greatest fool.
[7]
A benighted fool close to the wise
Is like a ladle serving soup:
Though it dips into it constantly,
It never knows the taste.
[8]
An intelligent person close to the wise
Is like a tongue tasting flavor:
Even in a single instant,
One clearly understands the essence of the Dharma.
[9]
The deeds of fools
Bring affliction upon their bodies.
Delighting in evil deeds,
They bring disaster upon themselves.
[10]
One who commits unwholesome deeds
Later feels remorse,
With tears streaming down,
Undergoing the recompense of former evil karma.
[11]
One who performs wholesome deeds
Later rejoices,
Enjoying blessed recompense in the future,
Smiling with a joyful heart.
[12]
Before evil karma has ripened,
The fool considers it peaceful.
But when retribution arrives,
The fool personally endures painful consequences.
[13]
The fool longs for such states,
Not recognizing them as suffering.
Only upon falling into peril
Does the fool realize they are unwholesome.
[14]
When fools commit evil,
They cannot comprehend it themselves.
Calamity pursues and scorches them;
Their evil karma blazes fiercely.
[15]
Fools crave delicious food,
Growing more attached through months and years.
Of the sixteen parts of mindfulness of the Dharma,
They do not possess even one.
[16]
Fools worry and scheme endlessly,
Yet in the end gain no benefit.
They bring knives and clubs upon themselves;
Retribution follows like an imprinted seal.
[17]
Know a fool by the fool’s conduct:
Giving nothing, yet demanding much,
Falling into deviant and evil paths,
And always committing wicked deeds.
[18]
Far from the Path and close to the greedy,
One pursues a livelihood for profit and fame.
Out of attachment and craving for households,
One seeks abundant offerings.
[19]
Those who study the Path must not fall into this;
Do not become a household-serving sramana.
Craving for households violates the sacred teaching
And will later bring deprivation upon oneself.
[20]
Such conduct is the same as that of fools
And only causes desire to increase.
Seeking gain, one’s wishes remain unfulfilled;
Seeking the Path, one also fails to attain it.
[21]
Therefore, one who possesses wisdom,
Having left home as a disciple of the Buddha,
Abandons craving and leaves worldly entanglements,
Never again falling into birth and death.
CHAPTER 14: THE WISE
The Chapter on Wisdom contains 16 verses. The main purport of this chapter is that those who cultivate genuine wisdom must cultivate merit and diligently study the Right Path. Take the Buddha-Dharma as a bright mirror.
[1]
Clearly discern good and evil
Let the heart fear evil deeds
Fearing evil, commit no offense
Auspicious forever, free from sorrow
Thus, whoever wishes for blessings
Should reflect and diligently practice
Skillfully attaining what they wish
Their blessings and fortune multiply
[2]
Perform meritorious deeds and trust in goodness
Accumulate virtue without weariness
With faith and understanding, cultivate hidden virtue
In time, splendor will arise
[3]
Always avoid meaningless affairs
Do not associate with foolish people
Cherish and follow virtuous friends
Draw near to noble beings
[4]
With joy in the Dharma, one rests at ease
The heart is joyful, the mind bright and clear
The noble ones expound the Dharma
The wise always delight in practicing it
[5]
The benevolent virtue of the wise
Observing fasts and precepts, reverently serving the Path
Is like the moon amid the stars
Shining throughout the world
[6]
The bowyer adjusts the bow's curve
The boatman steers the boat
The carpenter shapes the wood
The wise skillfully tame themselves
[7]
Like a massive rock
That raging winds cannot move
The wise remain resolute in mind
Unmoved by blame or praise
[8]
Like a deep pool of water
Still and crystal clear
When the wise hear the wondrous Path
Their hearts are pure and their minds serene
[9]
The noble person has a heart that seeks nothing
Wherever they dwell, wisdom shines brightly
Though encountering joy or suffering
They never become arrogant
[10]
The noble and worthy keep far from worldly affairs
They desire neither wealth nor children
Always keeping the precepts and cultivating the Path
They do not covet corrupt wealth and rank
[11]
The wise recognize the stirring of thoughts
Like a tree amid a sandy waste
When companions' resolve is not yet firm
They follow their inclinations and become stained by worldly dust
[12]
The world is wholly submerged
Few reach the other shore
Even supposing there are some
Who wish to cross, they merely run about in haste
[13]
Whoever sincerely seeks the Path
And receives the Buddha's true teaching
Draws near to the other shore
Escaping death and becoming a supreme person
[14]
Cut off the dharmas of the five skandhas
Through meditation, wisdom arises
No longer falling into the abyss
Relinquishing craving, one manifests radiant light
[15]
Subdue the heart's craving and attachment
Through the unconditioned, cut off sensual pleasure
Whoever skillfully rescues themselves
Causes wisdom's light to arise in the mind
[16]
Study and practice, preserving right wisdom
Let the mind always recollect the Right Path
Single-mindedly receive the True Truth
And sensual pleasure will not arise
With the outflows exhausted and accumulated defilements entirely removed
One thereby transcends the world
CHAPTER 15: THE ARHAT
The Chapter on the Arhat contains 10 verses. The main purport of this chapter is that the spiritual nature of an awakened one is far removed from craving and desire, the mind clings to nothing, and the resolve remains steadfast and unchanging.
[1]
Far removed from every sorrow
Freed from every calamity
All bonds have been untied
Still and free from affliction
[2]
With a pure mind and right mindfulness
One no longer craves sensual pleasure
Having crossed the pit of delusion
Like a wild goose leaving a dried-up pond
[3]
Knowing moderation in food and drink
Storing away no possessions
Wishlessness, emptiness, signlessness
Cultivating the path to liberate sentient beings
Like a bird in the sky
Flying far without obstruction
[4]
Worldly habitual tendencies are exhausted
There is no longer any craving for food and drink
With an empty mind, there is no calamity
One has reached the place of liberation
Like a bird in flight
Alighting briefly, then departing at once
[5]
Whoever has subdued their faculties
Like a well-tamed horse
And relinquished the habit of conceit
Will surely be revered by the devas
[6]
Like the earth, free from anger
Like a mountain, unmoving
The noble and worthy are undefiled
Having utterly escaped birth and death
[7]
Deluded thoughts have ceased
Speech is right, and conduct is right
The Right Path brings liberation
In perfect stillness, one enters nirvana
[8]
Free from desire and attachment
Severing the barriers of the Three Realms
Deluded thoughts utterly cut off
Such is the supreme person
[9]
Whether wilderness or village
Level ground or high hills
Wherever an arhat passes
There is no one who does not receive their beneficence
[10]
The noble ones delight in solitude
Where ordinary people cannot abide
Excellent indeed are those without desire
With nothing whatsoever to seek
CHAPTER 16: THOUSANDS
The Chapter on Thousands contains 16 verses. The main purport of this chapter is that even if one studies a great deal of the Buddha-Dharma but fails to comprehend its essential meaning, it is not equal to studying little and penetrating it thoroughly.
[1]
Though one recites a thousand verses
What use are they if one does not understand?
It is better to understand a single line
Upon hearing which the mind becomes still
[2]
Though one recites a thousand verses
What use are they if one does not understand?
It is better to hear but a single line
And thereby fully escape suffering
[3]
Though one recites many scriptures
What use are they if one does not understand?
By penetrating but a single line
And putting it into practice, one will attain the Path
[4]
Though one person conquers
Thousands upon thousands of enemy troops
It is not equal to subduing one's own mind
That is the highest victory
[5]
By conquering oneself, one becomes noble and worthy
And merits the name of a heroic person
Guard the mind and discipline body and mind
Always extinguishing unwholesome thoughts oneself
[6]
Even the most exalted devas
Shakra, Brahma, maras, spirits, and deities
None can surpass
One who has conquered themselves
[7]
Though one visits temples and shrines each month
Throughout one's life without ever ceasing
It cannot compare to a single moment
Of single-mindedly recollecting the True Dharma
The merit of one thought of the Path
Surpasses that of lifelong worship
[8]
Though for a full hundred years
One tends a shrine to the fire god
It cannot compare to a single moment
Of making offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
The merit and virtue of practicing once
Surpass those of a hundred years of worship
[9]
Those who seek blessings by sacrificing to deities
Should consider the blessings that follow
Not even one-fourth is thereby gained
Compared with paying homage to the worthy
[10]
Whoever skillfully performs good deeds
And always respects the elders
Naturally increases four blessings:
Beauty, strength, longevity, and happiness
[11]
Though one may live a hundred years
Far from the Path and without keeping the precepts
It is better to live for a single day
Keeping the precepts and entering right samadhi
[12]
Though one may live a hundred years
False and corrupt, without wisdom
It is better to live for a single day
Single-mindedly cultivating right wisdom
[13]
Though one may live a hundred years
Lazy and lacking diligence
It is better to live for a single day
Courageously practicing with diligence
[14]
Though one may live a hundred years
Not understanding success and failure
It is better to live for a single day
Seeing causes and knowing their results
[15]
Though one may live a hundred years
Without seeing the ambrosial Path
It is better to live for a single day
And drink the flavor of ambrosia
[16]
Though one may live a hundred years
Without understanding the meaning of the Great Path
It is better to live for a single day
Studying and practicing the essentials of the Buddha-Dharma
CHAPTER 17: KARMIC OBSTACLES
The Chapter on Karmic Obstacles contains 22 verses. The main purport of this chapter is to express compassion for evildoers—because of evil karma, they must undergo painful retribution. If one does no evil, one will not encounter calamity.
[1]
Seeing good, one does not follow and practice it
The evil mind swiftly pursues its course
One seeks blessings by improper means
And moreover delights in sexual misconduct
[2]
Whenever anyone commits an evil deed
And does not awaken to it themselves
Delighting foolishly in doing it
They will later undergo anguish
[3]
Evildoers commit violence and cruelty
Which gradually become habitual
Those who crave sensual pleasure
Naturally bring sinful retribution upon themselves
[4]
Virtuous people cultivate merit and virtue
Accumulating them more each day
Their hearts resolve to perform good deeds
And blessed rewards naturally arise
[5]
The wicked may enjoy blessed rewards
Because their evil has not yet ripened
But when that evil ripens
They bring disaster upon themselves
[6]
The virtuous may encounter calamity
Because their goodness has not yet ripened
But when that goodness ripens
They will receive its blessed reward
[7]
Those who strike others are struck in turn
Enmity meets with enmity
Those who revile others are reviled in turn
Anger meets with anger
[8]
People of the world neither hear nor see
And do not know the Buddha's True Dharma
Born with a short lifespan
Why do they still commit evil deeds?
[9]
Do not belittle a minor evil deed
Thinking it will bring no calamity
Though a drop of water is tiny
In time it fills a vessel
Evil comes to fill everything
Accumulated from small deeds
[10]
Do not belittle a minor good deed
Thinking it will bring no blessed reward
Though a drop of water is tiny
In time it fills a vessel
Blessings come to fill everything
Accumulated from small deeds
[11]
Whatever ordinary people do
Whether good or bad
They do it all for themselves
And its karmic result always follows
[12]
Those who are skilled at plundering
Will naturally have the power
To seize what belongs to others,
Yet they too will be dispossessed.
[13]
The retribution of evil does not come at once,
Just as milk does not curdle immediately after milking a cow.
Sinful karma remains in the unseen realm,
Like fire concealed beneath the ashes.
[14]
Delighting in committing evil,
Once it is done, the body must bear it.
Wailing, one undergoes sinful retribution,
Besieged by consequences according to one's karma.
[15]
One commits evil without reflection,
As though seized and restrained by bandits.
Only when dragged away does one awaken:
Having done evil, one falls into ruin,
And afterward suffers the painful retribution
Of offenses committed before.
[16]
Like poison swelling into an abscess,
Like a boat swept into a whirlpool,
Evil deeds continue to unfold,
Filling all with scenes of devastation.
[17]
One who does evil by falsely accusing another,
Who is pure and undefiled,
Will have calamity return upon oneself,
Like dust cast against the wind.
[18]
For wrongs committed long ago,
Repent now and practice goodness.
Then one becomes a lamp illuminating the world,
Like the sky unobscured by clouds.
[19]
Whatever ordinary beings do,
They will later see for themselves:
Doing good brings wholesome fruit;
Doing evil brings calamity.
[20]
Sentient beings are born from the womb;
The wicked fall into hell.
Those who do good are born in heaven;
Through the unconditioned, one attains nirvana.
[21]
Neither in heaven nor beneath the deep sea,
Nor hidden upon lofty mountains of stone,
Is there any place at all
Where one can escape past evil karma.
[22]
Sentient beings undergo suffering and distress;
None are exempt from aging and death.
Only those of supreme wisdom,
Free from false thoughts, sever evil and error.
CHAPTER 18: BLADES AND CLUBS
The Chapter on Blades and Clubs contains 14 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is to teach practitioners loving-kindness and not to use blades or clubs to cruelly harm sentient beings.
[1]
All are afraid of death;
There is no one who does not fear pain.
Taking oneself as the example,
Neither strike nor kill.
[2]
Always skillfully bring peace to sentient beings,
And employ no harmful poisons.
In this present life, one will encounter no calamity;
In future lives, one will forever be at peace.
[3]
Do not speak harsh and evil words;
Fear the retribution they summon.
Evil words bring disaster,
And blades and clubs return upon one's own body.
[4]
Let the mouth speak gentle words,
Like the ringing of a bell or chime.
If one personally engages in no contention,
Delivering beings in the world will surely be easy.
[5]
If one beats the virtuous and good,
Or slanders the innocent,
Misfortune increases tenfold,
And calamities swiftly show no mercy:
[6]
While alive, one suffers pain;
The body is broken and injured.
One suddenly encounters grievous illness,
And the mind becomes terrified and deranged.
[7]
One is falsely accused by others;
Officials cause one misery.
All one's wealth is depleted,
And one's relatives are parted and scattered.
[8]
One's house and possessions
Are utterly consumed by fire.
At death, one falls into hell—
These are the ten calamities.
[9]
Going naked and cutting off beard and hair,
Always clothing the body in grass,
Bathing and sitting upon stones—
What benefit is there in such delusion?
[10]
Neither punish, set fires, nor kill,
Nor seek victory.
Show benevolence throughout the world,
And wherever one goes, there will be no enmity.
[11]
If there is a person in this world
Who skillfully knows shame,
That person seeks the higher path,
Like one riding a well-trained horse.
[12]
Like one riding a well-trained horse,
Advancing directly into the far distance,
If a person possesses faith and moral discipline,
Gathers in the mind and diligently strives,
Practices the Path, and perfects wisdom,
That person immediately extinguishes all suffering and distress.
[13]
Strictly uphold and study the Buddha's Dharma;
Sever desire and cultivate pure conduct.
Not harming sentient beings—
This is the Path of the shramana.
[14]
One who does not harm sentient beings
Will remain free from calamity throughout life.
Always loving-kind toward all,
Who could harbor enmity against such a one?
CHAPTER 19: DECLINE IN OLD AGE
The Chapter on Decline in Old Age contains 14 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is to exhort everyone to practice diligently and not contend for fame or seize gain—for what use is regret only when old age has arrived?
[1]
What is there to rejoice in?
The world is ever burning.
Amid evil and darkness,
Nothing surpasses seeking concentration and wisdom.
[2]
Contemplate this body;
Do not rely upon it as secure.
Deluded thoughts invariably give rise to illness;
Know that the body is not real.
[3]
In old age, the complexion fades;
Illness leaves no radiance.
The skin wrinkles and the muscles waste away;
Death is drawing near.
[4]
At death, consciousness departs,
Like a person abandoning a cart.
The flesh decays and the bones lie scattered—
How can this body be protected?
[5]
The body is like a city,
Enclosed by bones and flesh.
From birth through old age and death,
It harbors only arrogance and anger.
[6]
In old age, the complexion fades,
Like an ancient cart.
Wholesome Dharma skillfully dispels suffering;
Therefore, strive to practice.
[7]
A person who does not study
Is like an old bull:
It merely grows fat,
Without the slightest merit or wisdom.
[8]
Through birth and death countless times,
Coming and going are filled with hardship.
The mind relies upon and clings greedily to the body;
Thus birth and death bring myriad sufferings.
[9]
With wisdom, behold the yoke of suffering;
Therefore, relinquish attachment to the body.
Extinguish mental intention and sever all formations;
When craving is exhausted, realize the unborn.
[10]
Having failed to cultivate pure conduct,
And also failed to accumulate wealth,
In old age one is like a white heron
Brooding beside a dried-up pond.
[11]
Having failed to uphold the precepts,
And also failed to accumulate wealth,
In decrepit old age, one's strength is exhausted—
Of what use is anything then?
[12]
Old age is like an autumn leaf;
How can the ruined body be managed?
Illness suddenly descends—
What use is regret afterward?
[13]
Life diminishes day and night;
Quickly exert yourself and strive.
The world is impermanent;
Do not remain deluded and fall into darkness.
[14]
Light the lamp of the mind;
Practice and study in quest of wisdom.
Leave defilements behind and remain unstained;
Hold aloft a torch to illuminate the path.
CHAPTER 20: CHERISHING THE SELF
The Chapter on Cherishing the Self contains 13 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is to exhort one to use this body to study and practice the Buddha's Dharma, so that it will benefit oneself in the future; when offenses are extinguished, merit immediately arises.
[1]
If one cherishes oneself,
One should guard oneself carefully.
If one wishes to eliminate craving and desire,
Study the Dharma and do not slumber.
[2]
The body is most precious;
One should always strive to study.
Having thoroughly understood, teach others;
Through perseverance, wisdom arises.
[3]
First make yourself upright,
And only afterward teach others.
If one is oneself upright,
Only then is one called a superior person.
[4]
If one has not yet found peace and joy,
How can one benefit others?
Once body and mind are tamed,
What aspiration cannot be fulfilled?
[6]
This deed was created by me before;
Later, I myself must undergo its result.
By doing evil, one brings it upon oneself,
As a diamond pierces a jewel.
[7]
If one does not uphold the precepts,
It is like being entwined by vines.
Sensual desire grows ever stronger,
And evil deeds increase day by day.
[8]
Doing evil harms the body,
Yet fools regard it as easy to do.
Doing good brings the body peace and joy,
Yet fools say it is difficult to do.
[9]
Following the teachings of the sages,
One takes the Path as one's way of life.
Fools give rise to jealousy,
And upon seeing this, conceive evil intentions.
Creating evil, they undergo evil retribution,
As though sowing the seed of suffering.
[10]
Doing evil, one personally undergoes its offense;
Doing good, one personally receives its merit.
When karma has fully ripened,
It will not change.
Cultivating goodness, one will obtain goodness,
Just as planting sweet fruit yields sweetness.
[11]
Benefit oneself and benefit others;
Such benefit is never wasted.
If one wishes to know what benefits oneself,
Moral discipline and learning are supreme.
[12]
If one wishes to care for oneself
And wishes to be born in the heavenly realms,
Reverently listen to the teaching of the Dharma,
And remember the Buddha's words.
[13]
Reflect before acting;
Do nothing harmful.
When the mind is established in this way,
One's deeds will not be in vain.
[14]
Whatever a worthy person does
Will invariably bring benefit.
Upon seeing what is good, one should do it;
In this way, one's aspirations are fulfilled.
CHAPTER 21: THE WORLDLY REALM
The Chapter on the Worldly Realm contains 14 verses. The essential meaning of this chapter is that the world is like an illusion and a dream. Therefore, relinquish this fleeting world and exert yourself in practicing the Path.
[1]
Like a cart traveling on the road
That leaves the level way,
It is ruined upon a perilous path;
When its axle breaks, sorrow surely follows.
[2]
So too, when one abandons the Dharma,
What is contrary to Dharma increases.
Fools cling to it until death
And likewise suffer calamity and distress.
[3]
Practice in accord with the Right Path;
Do not follow wrongful karma.
Whether walking, standing, lying down, or sitting, one is at peace,
And life after life remains free from calamity.
[4]
All things are like bubbles upon water;
Thoughts are like wild horses.
The world is like an illusion—
Why still delight in it?
[5]
If one eliminates craving and desire,
Cutting through their very roots,
And practices in this way day and night,
One will enter meditative concentration.
[6]
One who gives with sincere faith
Attains peace and joy.
But if the mind is afflicted,
Even though one offers food,
Throughout both night and day
That person's mind will not be settled.
[7]
The world is without eyes
And does not see the true Path.
It is like one who sees a glimmer of light
Cultivate wholesome intentions.
[8]
As a wild goose leads the entire flock,
Evading nets and soaring high,
So the wise guide the world
Beyond delusion and error.
[9]
All in the world must die;
Throughout the Three Realms there is no security.
Though the devas enjoy happiness,
When their merit is exhausted, they too perish.
[10]
Contemplate the world:
Where there is birth, there must be death.
Those who wish to transcend birth, aging, and death
Should cultivate the Right Path.
[11]
Delusion shrouds the world;
Because of sensual desire, people do not see.
Through false views and doubt, they abandon the Path;
Suffering follows the foolish.
[12]
One should utterly forsake one thing:
The conduct of one who speaks falsely.
There is no evil such a person will not commit;
In the next life, suffering will not spare them.
[13]
Though one amass many precious treasures,
Reaching even to the highest heavens,
Throughout the entire world, such riches
Cannot compare with beholding the mark of the Path.
[14]
They regard evil as good,
And what is beloved as unloved;
They take suffering to be happiness—
Thus the deluded are engulfed.
The Dharma Verse Sutra
End of the First Fascicle
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