The Chapter about Craving (DHP334-359)

For a human who lives life heedlessly
craving increases like a clinging creeper,
he rushes from one place to another
like a monkey desiring fruit in the forest.

That one who is overcome by these low cravings and attachments in the world,
for him griefs increase like grass that has had heavy rain.

Whoever overcomes this low craving in the world, which is difficult to get past,
griefs fall from him like a drop of water from a lotus.

This I say to you: “Good luck to as many as have assembled here”,
dig up the root of craving, like one seeking the root digs up grass,
do not let Māra push you down again like a stream pushes down the reed.

Just as when the root remains firm and untroubled
though the tree was cut down, it grows again,
so when the tendency to craving is not rooted out
this suffering appears again and again.

He in whom the thirty-six streams flow pleasantly and strong,
the one with wrong view, is carried away by his passionate intentions.

Streams are flowing everywhere, the creepers remain where they grow,
seeing this, cut the creeper’s root that has arisen with wisdom.

There are flowing streams of affection and
mental happinesses for a person,
pleasure-dependent they seek happiness,
those people undergo both birth and old age.

People surrounded by craving
crawl round like a hare in a trap,
attached and clinging to fetters
they come back again and again to suffering for a long time.

People surrounded by craving
crawl round like a hare in a trap,
therefore he should remove craving –
the monk who longs for dispassion for himself.

The one who is free from desires, who is intent on the forest,
though free from the forest, runs back to the forest,
come here and look at that person,
though free, he runs back to bondage.

That bondage is not so strong say the wise,
that is made of iron or wood or reeds,
impassioned and excited they seek out
jewels and earrings and children and wives –
that bondage is strong say the wise,
dragging down the lax, hard to get free from,
having cut this down they wander about
seeking nothing, abandoning the happiness in pleasure.

Those who are impassioned by passion follow the stream
like a spider a web made by itself,
having cut this away the wise proceed,
seeking nothing, abandoning all suffering.

Be free of the past, be free of the future,
be free of the present, after crossing over all existence,
with mind liberated in every way,
you will not return to birth and old age.

For a person crushed by thoughts
and pierced by passion, contemplating the attractive,
craving increases much more,
this surely makes the bond more firm.

Whoever has delight in the calming of thoughts,
who always mindfully cultivates what is unattractive,
will surely abolish this craving,
he will cut off the bond of Māra.

Having gone to the end, without trembling, without craving, without impurity,
cutting off the darts of existence, this one is his final body.

Without craving, without attachment, skilled in words and their explanation,
knowing how syllables are arranged, which come before and which after,
the one in his final body is said to be a great person, one of great wisdom.

All-Conquering, All-Wise am I,
undefiled regarding all things,
having given up everything, liberated through craving’s destruction,
when having deep knowledge myself, who should I point to as Teacher?

The gift of the Dhamma surpasses all other gifts,
the taste of the Dhamma surpasses all other tastes,
the love of the Dhamma surpasses all other loves,
destruction of craving overcomes all suffering.

Riches destroy the stupid one who does not seek the way beyond,
through his craving for riches the stupid one destroys others and himself.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by passion,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without passion.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by hatred,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without hatred.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by delusion,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without delusion.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by desire,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without desire.

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.