The Chapter about the Pairs (DHP1-20)

Mind precedes thoughts, mind is their chief, their quality is made by mind,
if with a base mind one speaks or acts,
through that suffering follows him like a wheel follows the ox’s foot.
Mind precedes thoughts, mind is their chief, their quality is made by mind,
if with pure mind one speaks or acts,
through that happiness follows him like a shadow which does not depart.

“He abused me, he struck at me, he overcame me, he robbed me,”
those who bear ill-will towards this their hatred is never appeased.
“He abused me, he struck at me, he overcame me, he robbed me,”
those who do not bear ill-will towards this their hatred is appeased.

For not by hatred do hatreds cease at any time in this place,
they only cease with non-hatred, this truth is surely eternal.

The others do not understand that we should restrain ourselves here,
but for those here who do understand, through that, their dissensions will cease.

Living contemplating what is pleasant, uncontrolled in sense faculties,
not knowing the limit in food, indolent, low in energy –
Māra surely overthrows that one, like wind overthrows a weak tree.
Living contemplating the unpleasant, well-controlled in sense faculties,
and knowing the limit in food, faithful, with energy aroused –
Māra does not overthrow that one, just as wind does not overthrow a mountain made of rock.

The one who, while still impure, would wear the renunciant’s robe,
unendowed with restraint and truth, is not worthy of the renunciant’s robe.
The one who, steady in virtue, throws out any impurity,
endowed with restraint and truth, is indeed worthy of the renunciant’s robe.

Finding the essential in what is unessential, and seeing the unessential in what is essential,
they do not understand what is essential, and resort to wrong intention.
Knowing the essential in what is essential, and the unessential in what is unessential,
they understand what is essential, and resort to right intention.

Just as the rain penetrates a house with thatching that is poor,
so passion penetrates a mind that is undeveloped.
Just as rain does not penetrate a house with thatching that is good,
so passion cannot penetrate a mind that is well-developed.

Here he laments, after death he laments,
the wicked one laments in both places,
he laments, he suffers vexation,
seeing the defilement of his own deeds.
Here he rejoices, after death he rejoices,
the meritorious one rejoices in both places,
he rejoices, he greatly rejoices,
seeing the purity of his own deeds.

Here he suffers, after death he suffers,
the wicked one suffers in both places,
he suffers, thinking: “I have done wickedness,”
gone to a bad fate, he suffers much more.
Here she is happy, after death she is happy,
the righteous one is happy in both places,
she is happy, thinking: “I have done merit,”
gone to a good fate, she is happy much more.

Even though reciting abundant scriptures,
the heedless fellow, who does not do what they say,
like a cowboy counting other’s cattle,
does not partake of the ascetic life.

Even though reciting but few scriptures,
but living righteously in accordance with Dhamma,
abandoning greed, hate and delusion,
understanding aright, with mind well-released,
that one, unattached here and hereafter,
surely partakes of the ascetic life.

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu.

2nd edition, November 2017.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Aminah Borg-Luck.