The Wise One (DHP76-89)

One ought to regard another who sees one’s faults,
And censures what should be censured,
As a revealer of treasures.
One should associate with such an intelligent and
wise person,
For such company is always for the better.

He who would counsel, instruct,
And restrain another from base behavior
Is dear to the good, but displeasing to the bad.

Do not associate with bad friends.
Do not associate with depraved people.
Associate with virtuous friends.
Associate with the best of people.

One who drinks in the Dhamma sleeps happily
With a clear mind.
The wise one ever-delights in the Dhamma
Proclaimed by the noble ones.

Irrigators guide water,
Fletchers straighten the shaft,
Carpenters bend wood,
The wise master themselves.

Just as a solid rock is unmoved by the wind,
So the wise are unmoved by blame or praise.

Just as a deep lake is clear and undisturbed,
So the wise become clear,
Having heard the teachings.

The good are not pleasure-lovers who seek idle
chatter;
Always, they are detached.
Though touched by comfort and then by affliction,
The wise manifest no elation or depression.

One who would not want, for the sake of oneself or
another,
A son, wealth, a kingdom, or unjust success;
This is one who is virtuous, wise, and righteous.

Few are those who have gone to the other shore;
Many are those who run about on this side.

But those who live according to the well-taught
Dhamma
Will go beyond the realm of death, so difficult to
cross.

Having abandoned the dark state,
The wise one cultivates the light;
Having gone from home to homelessness,
He enters solitude, so difficult to enjoy.

Owning nothing, having abandoned sense pleasures,
Having cleansed himself from mental defilements,
There, let the wise one wish for delight.

Those who have minds well-developed in the means
of awakening,
Who, having removed the toxins, delight in
renouncing attachments:
They are radiant and completely emancipated in
this world.

© 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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