The Chapter about Heedfulness (DHP21-32)

Heedfulness is the deathless state, heedlessness the state of the dead,
the heedful do not die, but those who are heedless are as if dead.

The wise, understanding this difference in regard to heedfulness,
rejoice in heedfulness, delight in the domain of the Noble Ones.

Those who meditate all the time, constant and firm in their effort,
those wise ones reach Nibbāna, the unsurpassed release from all bonds.

For he who is active, mindful,
pure in deeds, considerate,
self-controlled, living by Dhamma,
heedful, fame greatly increases.

Through activity, heedfulness, through self-control and through restraint,
the sage should make an island that no flood waters can overcome.

The foolish and stupid people cultivate heedlessness,
but the sagacious one guards heedfulness just as his greatest wealth.

Do not cultivate heedlessness, do not be acquainted with delight in sensual pleasure,
for the heedful one, meditating, surely attains great happiness.

When the wise one eliminates heedlessness with his heedfulness,
and mounts the palace of wisdom, griefless, he looks on grieving people;
the wise one, like one standing on a mountain, looks down on the fools, who are standing on the plains.

Heedful amongst the heedless ones, wakeful amongst the ones who sleep,
like a swift horse who abandons a weak horse, the true sage moves on.

Through heedfulness Maghavā attained leadership of the gods,
the good praise heedfulness, but heedlessness is always blamed.

A monastic who delights in heedfulness, seeing danger in heedlessness,
advances like burning fire against the fetter, small or large.
A monastic who delights in heedfulness, seeing danger in heedlessness,
is unable to fall away: he is well-nigh to Nibbāna.

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.