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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But those who, when the law has been well preached to them, follow the law, will pass across the dominion of death, however difficult to overcome.
—The Dhammapada
Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy.
—The Dhammapada
A man does not become a Brahmana by his platted hair, by his family, or by birth; in whom there is truth and righteousness, he is blessed, he is a Brahmana.
—The Dhammapada
Few are there among men who arrive at the other shore (become Arhats); the other people here run up and down the shore.
—The Dhammapada
I do not call a man a Brahmana because of his origin or of his mother. He is indeed arrogant, and he is wealthy: but the poor, who is free from all attachments, him I call indeed a Brahmana.
—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
Him I call indeed a Brahmana who is bright like the moon, pure, serene, undisturbed, and in whom all gaiety is extinct.
—The Dhammapada
If an intelligent man be associated for one minute only with a wise man, he will soon perceive the truth, as the tongue perceives the taste of soup.
—The Dhammapada
Fools of little understanding have themselves for their greatest enemies, for they do evil deeds which must bear bitter fruits.
—The Dhammapada
If a man commits a sin, let him not do it again; let him not delight in sin: pain is the outcome of evil.
—The Dhammapada
Let him live in charity, let him be perfect in his duties; then in the fulness of delight he will make an end of suffering.
—The Dhammapada
If an occasion arises, friends are pleasant; enjoyment is pleasant, whatever be the cause; a good work is pleasant in the hour of death; the giving up of all grief is pleasant.
—The Dhammapada
The fool who knows his foolishness, is wise at least so far. But a fool who thinks himself wise, he is called a fool indeed.
—The Dhammapada
He in whom there is truth, virtue, love, restraint, moderation, he who is free from impurity and is wise, he is called an elder.
—The Dhammapada
That fetter wise people call strong which drags down, yields, but is difficult to undo; after having cut this at last, people leave the world, free from cares, and leaving desires and pleasures behind.
—The Dhammapada
They who know what is forbidden as forbidden, and what is not forbidden as not forbidden, such men, embracing the true doctrine, enter the good path.
—The Dhammapada
As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break through a well-reflecting mind.
—The Dhammapada
The evil-doer suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next; he suffers in both. He suffers when he thinks of the evil he has done; he suffers more when going on the evil path.
—The Dhammapada
A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in reflection, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, cannot fall away (from his perfect state)—he is close upon Nirvana.
—The Dhammapada
He whom no desire with its snares and poisons can lead astray, by what track can you lead him, the Awakened, the Omniscient, the trackless?
—The Dhammapada
Him I call indeed a Brahmana from whom anger and hatred, pride and envy have dropt like a mustard seed from the point of a needle.
—The Dhammapada
Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight in earnestness, and rejoice in the knowledge of the Ariyas (the elect).
—The Dhammapada
Four things does a wreckless man gain who covets his neighbour’s wife,—a bad reputation, an uncomfortable bed, thirdly, punishment, and lastly, hell.
—The Dhammapada
Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil deed has not ripened; but when his evil deed has ripened, then does the evil-doer see evil.
—The Dhammapada
Like a well-guarded frontier fort, with defences within and without, so let a man guard himself. Not a moment should escape, for they who allow the right moment to pass, suffer pain when they are in hell.
—The Dhammapada
He who always quiets the evil, whether small or large, he is called a Samana (a quiet man), because he has quieted all evil.
—The Dhammapada
The sight of the elect (Arya) is good, to live with them is always happiness; if a man does not see fools, he will be truly happy.
—The Dhammapada
An envious greedy, dishonest man does not become respectable by means of much talking only, or by the beauty of his complexion.
—The Dhammapada
If a man’s thoughts are not dissipated, if his mind is not perplexed, if he has ceased to think of good or evil, then there is no fear for him while he is watchful.
—The Dhammapada
And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing the highest law, a life of one day is better if a man sees the highest law.
—The Dhammapada
He in whom that feeling is destroyed, and taken out with the very root, finds rest by day and by night.
—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
If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good.
—The Dhammapada
This salutary word I tell you, ‘Do ye, as many as are here assembled, dig up the root of thirst, as he who wants the sweet-scented Usira root must dig up the Birana grass, that Mara (the tempter) may not crush you again and again, as the stream crushes the reeds.’
—The Dhammapada
May both the layman and he who has left the world think that this is done by me; may they be subject to me in everything which is to be done or is not to be done, thus is the mind of the fool, and his desire and pride increase.
—The Dhammapada
Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt not enter again into birth and decay.
—The Dhammapada
If a man would hasten towards the good, he should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.
—The Dhammapada
He who never identifies himself with name and form, and does not grieve over what is no more, he indeed is called a Bhikshu.
—The Dhammapada
Forests are delightful; where the world finds no delight, there the passionless will find delight, for they look not for pleasures.
—The Dhammapada
A man is not an elder because his head is grey; his age may be ripe, but he is called ‘Old-in-vain.’
—The Dhammapada
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