Pairs (DHP1-20)

All phenomena are preceded by the mind,
Created by the mind,
And have the mind as their master.
If one speaks or acts from a corrupted mind,
Suffering follows as the cart-wheel follows the ox’s
foot.

All phenomena are preceded by the mind,
Created by the mind,
And have the mind as their master.
If one speaks or acts with a pure mind,
Happiness follows as an ever-present shadow.

He insulted me; he struck me;
He defeated me; he robbed me.
For those who dwell on such resentments,
Enmity never ceases.

He insulted me; he struck me;
He defeated me; he robbed me.
For those who do not dwell on such resentments,
Enmity subsides;

For enmities are never appeased by enmity.
They are appeased by peace.
This is an eternal law.

But many do not realize that we all must die.
Those who do realize this appease their quarrels.

One who lives unrestrained in the senses
And focused on pleasant things,
Who is immoderate in food,
Who is listless and lazy:
Māra overcomes him,
Just as wind overcomes a weak tree.

One who lives restrained in the senses
And focused on unpleasant things,
Who is moderate in food,
Who has faith and diligence:
Māra cannot overcome him,
Just as wind cannot overcome a rocky mountain.

Whoever would take on the yellow robe,
While hampered by defilement,
Being unrestrained and without truth,
Is unworthy of that yellow robe.

Whoever has thrown off defilement,
Is well-established in virtue,
And is possessed with self-control and truth,
Is truly worthy of the yellow robe.

Those who deem the worthless as valuable,
And see the valuable as worthless:
They do not attain the valuable;
They roam in the field of wrong thought.

(But) those who have known the valuable as valuable
And see the worthless as worthless:
They attain the valuable;
They roam in the field of right thought.

Just as rain penetrates a poorly thatched house,
So passion penetrates an uncultivated mind.

Just as rain does not penetrate a well-thatched house,
So passion fails to penetrate a well-cultivated mind.

Here he grieves, following death he grieves;
In both states the evil-doer grieves.
He grieves, he is afflicted,
Having seen his defiled deeds.

Here he rejoices, following death he rejoices;
In both states he who has done good deeds rejoices.
He rejoices, he delights,
Having seen his pure deeds.

Here he is tormented, following death he is
tormented;
In both states the evil-doer is tormented.
He is tormented knowing, “I have done evil.” Reborn to a miserable state, he is tormented all the
more.

Here he rejoices, following death he rejoices;
In both states he who has done good deeds rejoices.
He rejoices knowing, “I have done good deeds.” Reborn to a blissful state, he rejoices all the more.

One who recites much scripture,
But, being negligent, does not act accordingly,
Is like a cowherd counting others’ cows,
Having no share in the fruits of monastic life.

One who recites little scripture,
But lives in truth according to the teaching,
Having abandoned lust, ill will, and delusion,
Having right knowledge and a well-emancipated
mind,
Not clinging in this world or the next:
He truly shares the fruits of monastic life.

© Peter Feldmeier, 2013.

First published in Dhammapada — The Way of Truth : A Fresh Translation and Commentary on Buddhism’s Most Beloved Text by Buddhist Publication Society.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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