THE PAIRS

THE BUDDHA'S PATH OF VIRTUE A TRANSLATION OF THE DHAMMAPADA BY F.L. WOODWARD, M.A.

CHAPTER ONE.

THE PAIRS.

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1.
All states arising have mind for their causing,
Mind for their master, of mind are the offspring.
He who with foul mind speaks or does action—
Him pain pursues as the wheel dogs the ox-hoof.

2.
All states arising have mind for their causing,
Mind for their master, of mind are the offspring.
He who with pure mind speaks or does action—
Him bliss pursues, to him clings like his shadow.

3.
"This man abused me: he beat me and conquered,
Conquered and plundered." Cherishing in such thoughts,
Never appeased is the hatred of such men.

4.

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"This man abused me, he beat me and conquered,
Conquered and plundered." Not having such thoughts,
Quickly appeased is the hatred of such men.

5.
Never by hatred is hatred appeaséd
Nay! but by kindness; that's the old-time Norm.[1]

6.
Others don't grasp this—"We men are mortals".[2]
Men who can grasp this soon end their quarrels.

7.
Looking for fair sights, unchecked in his senses,
In food uncontrolled, slack, inert, without vigour,
Death overwhelms him, as winds uproot weak trees.

8.
He who lives sense-restrained, heedless of fair sights,
Who in food keeps the mean, is trusty and sturdy,
Death cannot shake him: winds cannot move mountains.

9-10.
Without doffing his faults who would don the monk's yellow,[3]
Void of truth and of training, deserves not the monk's robe.
If he doff all his faults and be versed in the virtues,
In the training and truth firm, he merits the monk's robe.

11-12.
In the false seeing truth, and in truth seeing falsehood,
Men touch not the truth, but are fed on illusion.
But in truth seeing truth and falsehood in falsehood,
Men touch the truth ever, feeding on right thoughts.

13-14.
As the rain through the roof of a house that is ill-thatched,
Lust leaks through the mind not composed by the training:
As rain never leaks through the roof that is well-thatched,
So through the mind well-trained lust leaketh never.

15.
Here he grieves and grieves hereafter: doubly grieves the evil-doer,
Grieves and suffers anguish when he sees the foulness of his deeds.

16.
Happy here, he's happy after: doing good he's doubly glad:
Glad, exceeding happy, when he sees the pureness of his deeds.

17.
Here he suffers, suffers after: doubly suffer evil-doers:
Thoughts of ill-deeds torture, much more torture when they enter hell.[4]

18.
He rejoices here and after: doing good he's doubly glad:
Thoughts of good deeds comfort, much more comfort when they enter heaven.

19.
Though reciting many verses,[5] if they do not what they preach,
Sluggards, counting others' cattle, cannot share the Brotherhood.

20.
Practising the Norm he preaches, though he utter verses few,
Quit of anger, lust and folly, truly wise, with thoughts set free,
Caring nought for this or that world, he hath part in brotherhood.