28. Sin (UV-KG28)

Avoid doing all wicked actions, practise most perfect virtue, thoroughly subdue your mind; this is the doctrine of the Buddha.

By charity one's merit is increased, by being well controlled one makes no enemies: the virtuous man, having cast off sin, puts an end to misery (kleśa) and obtains nirvāṇa.

If the wise man is mixed with fools and lives in their midst, he remains separate; as one naturally drinks milk rather than water, so does the wise man cast away evil-doers.

Seeing all the wickedness of the world, having seen the means to put an end to it, the elect take no pleasure in sin; the wicked cannot please the virtuous.

He (the elect) knows the sweetness of perfect peace, the sweetness of solitude; free from disease, without sin, he drinks the sweetness of delighting in the law.

His mind having done away with sins (āsrava), and not held by fetters, having cast off virtue and vice, he (the elect) is without fear of the evil way.

Having given up a house, speaking well, teaching what is sin, the wise man tells what puts an end to (life); with such as he ought men to associate. If one associates with such as he, one is not made sinful but virtuous.

He who is at rest and dispassionate, speaks with moderation and is without arrogance, he tears off all wickedness as does the wind the leaves of a tree.

The fool who is angered against a pure and sinless person who is without hatred, the sin falls back on him like dust thrown up against the wind.

By acts of virtue one is virtuous, by acts of wickedness one is wicked; a man will perceive himself (the consequence) of that which he has repeatedly done.

If by oneself evil has been done, oneself has all the suffering: if by oneself evil has been left undone, oneself is made pure: one cannot cleanse another; purity and impurity are one's own doings.

The sins that one has committed accumulate until they crush the fool, as a diamond pierces a precious stone.

As the traveller who can see (avoids) the dangers, so does the wise man avoid the sins of the life in this world.

As the merchant who has great treasures and few companions avoids dangerous roads, as he who loves life avoids poison, so let the sage avoid sinfulness.

He who has no wound in his hand can take poison in his hand, for poison affects not him who has no wound; so likewise there is no evil for him who does not commit evil.

Deeds that are hurtful to oneself and deeds that are wrong are easy to do; deeds that are beneficial and that bring happiness, they are very difficult to do.

It is easy for the righteous to do right, it is difficult for the righteous to do evil; it is easy for the wicked to do evil, it is difficult for the elect (ariya) to do evil.

As long as an evil deed has not ripened, the fool thinks that it is sweet; when an evil deed has ripened, then he perceives that it is burning.

As long as an evil deed has not ripened, one thinks that it is right; when an evil deed has ripened, then one sees that it is evil.

As long as a good deed has not ripened, good seems like evil; when a good deed has ripened, then one perceives it is good.

He who has laid up for himself the miseries of sin will find no joy; even if a man has done evil a hundred times, let him not do it again.

He who has laid up for himself the felicity of virtue will find joy; if a man had done what is virtuous, let him do it again.

The mind (of that man) delights in evil who does what is right slothfully; keeping his mind away from evil, he must hasten towards what is good.

He who has done even a little evil experiences in this world and in the other great ruin and a great deal of suffering; it is like poison that has entered into internal parts.

He who has done even a little good finds in this world and in the other happiness and great profit; it is like a seed that has well taken root.

He who inflicts pain on one who is sinless, who is angered with one who is without anger, will speedily arrive himself at one of these ten states.

He will experience no end of pain (vedana), or he will be torn limb from limb, or he will experience a heavy sensation of pain, or his mind will become deranged:

Or he will be separated from his relatives, or he will lose his wealth, or he will have some trouble with the king, or no end of disagreeable things:

Or yet, again, his home will be destroyed by a great fire; and when the senseless man has finished with this body he will go to hell.

He who has done what is evil cannot free himself of it; he may have done it long ago or afar off, he may have done it in solitude, but he cannot cast it off, and when it has ripened he cannot cast it off.

He who has done what is right is free of fear; he may have done it long ago or afar off, he may have done it in solitude; he is without fear, and when it (i.e., his good deed) has ripened he is without fear.

He who has done what is evil brings grief (on himself); though he has done it long ago or afar off, it brings sorrow; he may have done it in solitude, it brings sorrow; and when it has ripened it brings him sorrow.

When one has seen one's evil deeds, one has sorrow here and one will have sorrow in the other world; the evil-doer has sorrow in both places; he mourns and will greatly sorrow.

He who has done what is right is made happy; (though) he has done it long ago and afar off, he is made happy; he may have done it in solitude, (but) he is made happy; and when it has ripened it brings him joy.

When one has seen one's righteous deeds, one rejoices here and will also rejoice in the other (world); he who has done what is right rejoices in both places; he is made glad, he will be exceedingly joyful.

He who has done what is evil is made to suffer; though he has done it long ago, though he has done it afar off, he is made to suffer; though he has done it in solitude, he is made to suffer; and when it has ripened it brings him suffering.

When one has seen one's evil deeds, one suffers in this (world); one will suffer in the next (world); the evil-doer suffers in both; he suffers and he will greatly suffer.

He who has done what is right is made happy; (though) he has done it long ago, (though) he has done it afar off, he is made happy; though he has done it in solitude he is made happy; and when it has ripened he is made happy.

When one has seen one's righteous deeds one rejoices here and will rejoice in the other world; he who has done what is right rejoices in both places; he is made glad, he will be made exceedingly joyful.

He who has done evil and has not done what was right, who strays away from the law, who is an unbeliever, the wicked man is in fear of death, like one on a great river in a leaky (lit. bad) boat.

He who has been virtuous and has done what is right, who follows the doctrines of the holy men of old, he has never any fear of death, like one in a strong boat which can reach the other shore.

Chapter on Sin, the Twenty-eighth.

Translated by Woodville Rockhill.

1975, Udânavarga: a collection of verses from the Buddhist canon compiled by Dharmatrâta, Oriental Press, Amsterdam (reprint of original from 1883).

Translated (into Tibetan) by the Indian Pandit Vidyaprabhakara and the Lotsāva Bande-rin-tchen-mtchog; revised and arranged by the corrector, the Lotsāva Bande-dpal-brtsegs.

Original taken from University of Oslo, faculty of humanities.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Yasoj and Ayya Vimala.