The Twin Verses
(Dhammapada I)
(1)
all that we are is the result of what we have thought
all is founded on our thoughts
is made up of our thoughts
if one speaks or acts with an evil thought
suffering will follow
as the wheel of the cart follows the hoof of the ox
(2)
all that we are is the result of what we have thought
all is founded on our thoughts
is made up of our thoughts
if one speaks or acts with a pure thought
happiness will follow
like one's own shadow that never leaves
(3)
"he insulted me, hit me
he defeated me, robbed me"
in those who harbor such thoughts
hatred will never cease
(4)
"he insulted me, hit me
he defeated me, robbed me"
in those who do not harbor such thoughts
hatred ceases completely
(5)
for never here
does hatred cease by hatred
it only ceases by freedom from hatred
this is a perennial truth
(6)
others do not realize
that we must control ourselves
but those who realize this
their quarrels cease at once
(7)
if you live for pleasure only
your senses uncontrolled
immoderate in your food
idle and weak
Mara will certainly overthrow you
as the wind throws down a brittle tree
(8)
if you live looking at reality
your senses well controlled
moderate in your food
faithful and strong
Mara will not overthrow you
any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain
(9)
if someone has not cleansed himself from defilement
and puts on the yellow robe
disregarding self-control and truthfulness
he is not worthy of the yellow robe
(10)
if someone has cleansed himself from defilement
well established in the precepts
endowed with self-control and truthfulness
he indeed is worthy of the yellow robe
(11)
those who see value where there is none
and don't see value where there is value
do not understand value
dwelling in the realm of wrong thought
(12)
those who see value where there is value
and don't see value where there is none
understand value
dwelling in the realm of right thought
(13)
as rain breaks through
an ill-thatched roof
passion will break through
an undeveloped mind
(14)
as rain does not break through
a well-thatched roof
passion will not break through
a well-developed mind
(15)
the evil-doer is sorry in this world and the next
he is sorry in both places
he is sorry and suffers
when he sees the evil of his work
(16)
the virtuous person is happy in this world and the next
he is happy in both places
he is happy and rejoices
when he sees the purity of his work
(17)
the evil-doer suffers in this world and the next
he suffers in both places
he suffers when he thinks of the evil he has done
and going to a bad place he suffers even more
(18)
the virtuous person is happy in this world and the next
he is happy in both places
he is happy when he thinks of the good he has done
and going to a good place he is even more happy
(19)
even if you can recite lots of scripture
if you are unaware and do not act according
you are like a cowherd counting the cows of others
not a sharer in the wanderer's life
(20)
even if you recite little scripture
but act according the Dhamma
having forsaken passion and hatred and delusion
possessing right knowledge and serenity of mind
not clinging either here or in the other world
you are a sharer in the wanderer's life
[The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment]
The Dhammapada is a collection of 423 sayings in verse ascribed to the Buddha, divided into 26 chapters. It describes the wisdom of Buddha in the form of short verses, composed in the Pali language, and is one of the best loved works of Buddhist literature. It is regarded as the authentic teaching of the Buddha, spoken by him, memorized by his disciples, and compiled for oral transmission shortly after his death. "Dhammapada" means a "word or verse of the Dhamma" (in Sanskrit: Dharma). The oldest surviving manuscripts date from 1500 CE, but the work reached
its present form by at least 500 CE, when an important commentary, the Dhammapadatthakatha, was written.
The language of the Dhammapada is clear and direct. The verses are divided loosely by theme, such as "awareness," "fools," and "old age." Chapter I, translated above, consists of "negative-positive" twin parallel verses. Rhyme is not used, but alliteration is frequent. The content, also, has an approachable quality. The book is widely used in Theravada countries as an accessible introduction to the Buddha's teaching (countries where the Theravada tradition survives are Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos). But not all verses in the Dhammapada are strictly Buddhist - on the contrary, the work contains many bits of folk wisdom which were not specific to Buddhism, but shared with Jain and Hindu literature.
The dates of the Buddha's life are contested. Theravada places the life of the Buddha from 623 BCE to 543 BCE, but most modern scholars date the Buddha's death (paranibbana) 150 years later, to around 400 BCE, so that he would have lived in the late 5th c. BCE - and that would then also be the period of time in which the canonical literature as the Dhammapada was born.
Pali is a Middle Indian language that served as a sort of lingua franca in ancient India; it was descended from Old Indian of which Sanskrit was a refined version (comparable to how Italian and French are descended from vernacular Latin, rather than from literary Latin). As an educated aristocrat the Buddha must have known Sanskrit, but he seems deliberately to have avoided using it so that his teachings could reach the widest possible audience. In contrast to the Theravada texts, the texts of Mahayana Buddhism were all written in Sanskrit.
[Seated Buddha (c. 475), Sarnath Museum, India. This pose refers to the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath, where the figure was found]
The first two verses in the above translation address the problem of intention (kamma): it is the intention with which an act is performed that causes its consequences.
"Here" in the first line of Verse 5 refers to our world, i.e. samsara, the conditioned universe of kamma in which beings die and are reborn, and are exposed to their own particular way of suffering (dukka). Only Nibbana (Nirvana) is unconditioned and therefore means freedom.
"Mara" in Verse 7 is the demonic celestial king who tempted Prince Siddhartha by trying to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women. In Buddhist cosmology, he is associated with temptation and desire, with the forces antagonistic to enlightenment as he tries to bind beings to the world.
The "yellow robe" in Verse 9 refers to the yellow or orange robe worn by Buddhist monks.
"Right thought" in the last line of Verse 12 refers to the second element of the Eight-fold Path formulated by the Buddha which leads to freedom from suffering (right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration).
"A bad place" in the last line of Verse 17 refers to one of the four bad places of rebirth: among demons, animals, hungry ghosts, and the realm of hell. In the same way, "a good place" in Verse 18 points at one of the two good places of rebirth: among the gods and among human beings.
"According" in Verse 19 is "according to the Dhamma."
"A wanderer's life" in the last line of Verse 19 refers to "wandering spiritual seekers," and here is synonymous with bhikkhu, monks.
Dhamma in Verse 20 is the teaching taught by the Buddha, considered as perennial truth.
This wonderful anthology constitutes a perfect compendium of the Buddha’s teaching, comprising between its covers all the essential principles elaborated at length in the forty-odd volumes of the Pali Canon.
The above translation is a composite version based on various translations.
Word for word translation with explanation of grammar
The Dhammapada, a new translation, by Valerie J. Roebuck (Penguin Classics) - recommended translation with excellent introduction and commentary. It draws on up-to-date scholarship and combines that with readability. Also my commentary borrows from it.
Translation by Max Muller at Wikisource
See for a list of other translations, the Dhammapada article in Wikipedia
Photos: via Wikimedia Commons
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