The Chapter about the World (DHP167-178)

One should not follow lowly things, one should not abide heedlessly,
one should not follow a wrong view, one should not foster worldliness.

One should strive, not be heedless, one should live by Dhamma, with good conduct,
living by Dhamma one lives at ease in this world and the next.

One should live by Dhamma, with good conduct, not with bad conduct,
living by Dhamma one lives at ease in this world and the next.

One should see it as a bubble, one should see it as a mirage,
looking on the world in this way the King of Death does not see one.

Come, look upon this world adorned like a king’s gilded chariot,
where fools become depressed – there is no bond for those who understand.

Whoever was heedless before, but later is not heedless,
that one shines brightly on this world like the moon released from a cloud.

The one whose wicked deed is covered over by a good deed –
that one shines brightly on this world like the moon released from a cloud.

This world is blind, few here have true insight,
as few go to heaven as birds that escape from the net.

Geese go through the path of the sky, they go through the firmament by their power,
the wise are led out of the world, after beating Māra and his host.

For the person speaking falsely, who has transgressed in this one thing,
who has abandoned the next world, there is no wickedness left undone.

The miserly go not to the world of the gods,
fools surely do not praise giving,
but the wise one rejoices in giving,
and through that he is happy hereafter.

Having sole sovereignty over the earth, or going to heaven,
or lordship over the whole world – better is the fruit of stream-entry.

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.