The Dhammapada (“Words of the Doctrine”) is an anthology of verses, comprising of Gautama Buddha’s adages and teachings. Composed in the 3rd century BCE in the Pāli language, it is one of the foundational texts of Buddhism. It has long been one of the most beloved of the Buddhist texts in the West.
The Dhammapada‘s 423 pithy aphorisms are organized topically into 26 vaggas (chapters) that penetrate the core of human experience. The verses are occasionally arranged in pairs, e.g., “The Fool” and “The Sage,” “The World” and “The Buddha,” and other chapters. Many of the Dhammapada‘s aphorisms are also found in other books of the Pāli canon.
The Dhammapada‘s insights carry the endurance of all great literature. It was the first Pāli text ever to be translated, first into Latin by the Danish intellectual Viggo Fausböll in 1855. Over the years, hundreds of scholars have produced voluminous commentaries on the Dhammapada—not only to explain the phrasing of the individual verses but also to add narratives on the occasions on which the Buddha is supposed to have uttered each verse.
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He who has reached the consummation, who does not tremble, who is without thirst and without sin, he has broken all the thorns of life: this will be his last body.
—The Dhammapada
The thirst of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper; he runs from life to life, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest.
—The Dhammapada
A Bhikshu who, though he receives little, does not despise what he has received, even the gods will praise him, if his life is pure, and if he is not slothful.
—The Dhammapada
The Bhikshu, full of delight, who is calm in the doctrine of Buddha will reach the quiet place (Nirvana), cessation of natural desires, and happiness.
—The Dhammapada
He who says what is not, goes to hell; he also who, having done a thing, says I have not done it. After death both are equal, they are men with evil deeds in the next world.
—The Dhammapada
If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.
—The Dhammapada
Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower?
—The Dhammapada
Not to commit any sin, to do good, and to purify one’s mind, that is the teaching of (all) the Awakened.
—The Dhammapada
Good people shine from afar, like the snowy mountains; bad people are not seen, like arrows shot by night.
—The Dhammapada
Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man advances like a racer, leaving behind the hack.
—The Dhammapada
There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.
—The Dhammapada
Topics: Emotions, Greed
Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, It will not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gather it little by little.
—The Dhammapada
Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed!
—The Dhammapada
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.
—The Dhammapada
These sons belong to me, and this wealth belongs to me, with such thoughts a fool is tormented. He himself does not belong to himself; how much less sons and wealth?
—The Dhammapada
This mind of mine went formerly wandering about as it liked, as it listed, as it pleased; but I shall now hold it in thoroughly, as the rider who holds the hook holds in the furious elephant.
—The Dhammapada
A man is not just if he carries a matter by violence; no, he who distinguishes both right and wrong, who is learned and leads others, not by violence, but by law and equity, and who is guarded by the law and intelligent, he is called just.
—The Dhammapada
Fools of little understanding have themselves for their greatest enemies, for they do evil deeds which must bear bitter fruits.
—The Dhammapada
Topics: Buddhism
Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt enter into the heavenly world of the elect (Ariya).
—The Dhammapada
Give up what is before, give up what is behind, give up what is in the middle, when thou goest to the other shore of existence; if thy mind is altogether free, thou wilt not again enter into birth and decay.
—The Dhammapada
The uncharitable do not go to the world of the gods; fools only do not praise liberality; a wise man rejoices in liberality, and through it becomes blessed in the other world.
—The Dhammapada
He who overcomes this fierce thirst, difficult to be conquered in this world, sufferings fall off from him, like water-drops from a lotus leaf.
—The Dhammapada
He who dwells in the law, delights in the law, meditates on the law, follows the law, that Bhikshu will never fall away from the true law.
—The Dhammapada
Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of another’s, however great; let a man, after he has discerned his own duty, be always attentive to his duty.
—The Dhammapada
Topics: Buddhism
He who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed himself from sin, who disregards temperance and truth, is unworthy of the yellow dress.
—The Dhammapada
Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly.
—The Dhammapada
Topics: Buddhism
The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by hatred: therefore a gift bestowed on those who do not hate brings great reward.
—The Dhammapada
If a man is tossed about by doubts, full of strong passions, and yearning only for what is delightful, his thirst will grow more and more, and he will indeed make his fetters strong.
—The Dhammapada
He who walks in the company of fools suffers a long way; company with fools, as with an enemy, is always painful; company with the wise is pleasure, like meeting with kinsfolk.
—The Dhammapada
He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.
—The Dhammapada
Topics: Buddhism, Anger
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