Dhammapada · Chapter 13 of 26 · verses 167 to 178
See the world as a bubble; shine like the unclouded moon.
Lokavagga
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In this chapter the Buddha speaks about how to live in the world without being trapped by it. People are urged to rise up, live by the Dhamma and not be heedless, and to see the world as a bubble or a mirage. Anyone who turns from heedlessness, or whose wrong deeds are outweighed by good, is said to light up the world like the moon freed from clouds. The chapter warns that one who lies easily will stop at no wrong, praises generosity, and ends by saying that entering the stream, the first stage of awakening, is worth more than ruling the whole earth.
DiligenceImpermanenceEthicsGiving
The commentary tells of Angulimala, a feared robber who killed travellers and wore a garland of their fingers.
The Buddha walked calmly toward him. Though Angulimala ran with all his strength, he could not catch up.
He shouted, 'Stop, monk!' The Buddha replied, 'I have stopped, Angulimala; you stop too,' meaning he had stopped harming beings.
Moved, Angulimala threw away his weapons, became a monk and in time attained liberation.
Speaking of him, the Buddha uttered verse 173: one whose wrong is covered by good lights up the world like the moon.
Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya,pamādena na saṁvase;Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya,na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.
हीनं धम्मं न सेवेय्य,पमादेन न संवसे ।मिच्छादिट्ठिं न सेवेय्य,न सिया लोकवड्ढनो ॥
Don’t resort to lowly things, don’t abide in negligence, don’t resort to wrong views, don’t perpetuate the world.
Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya,dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care;Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
उत्तिट्ठे नप्पमज्जेय्य,धम्मं सुचरितं चरे ।धम्मचारी सुखं सेति,अस्मिं लोके परम्हि च ॥
Get up, don’t be heedless, live by principle, with good conduct. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.
Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ,na naṁ duccaritaṁ care;Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
धम्मं चरे सुचरितं,न नं दुच्चरितं चरे ।धम्मचारी सुखं सेति,अस्मिं लोके परम्हि च ॥
Live by principle, with good conduct, don’t conduct yourself badly. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.
Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe,yathā passe marīcikaṁ;Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,maccurājā na passati.
यथा पुब्बुळकं पस्से,यथा पस्से मरीचिकं ।एवं लोकं अवेक्खन्तं,मच्चुराजा न पस्सति ॥
Look upon the world as a bubble or a mirage, then the King of Death won’t see you.
Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ,cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ;Yattha bālā visīdanti,natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.
एथ पस्सथिमं लोकं,चित्तं राजरथूपमं ।यत्थ बाला विसीदन्ति,नत्थि सङ्गो विजानतं ॥
Come, see this world decked out like a fancy royal chariot. Here fools founder, but the discerning are not chained.
Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā,pacchā so nappamajjati;Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,abbhā muttova candimā.
यो च पुब्बे पमज्जित्वा,पच्छा सो नप्पमज्जति ।सोमं लोकं पभासेति,अब्भा मुत्तोव चन्दिमा ॥
He who once was heedless, but turned to heedfulness, shines upon this world like the moon freed from clouds.
Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,kusalena pidhīyati;Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,abbhā muttova candimā.
यस्स पापं कतं कम्मं,कुसलेन पिधीयति ।सोमं लोकं पभासेति,अब्भा मुत्तोव चन्दिमा ॥
Someone whose bad deed is supplanted by the good, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds.
Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko,tanukettha vipassati;Sakuṇo jālamuttova,appo saggāya gacchati.
अन्धभूतो अयं लोको,तनुकेत्थ विपस्सति ।सकुणो जालमुत्तोव,अप्पो सग्गाय गच्छति ॥
Blind is the world, few are those who clearly see. Only a handful go to heaven, like a bird freed from a net.
Haṁsādiccapathe yanti,ākāse yanti iddhiyā;Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā,jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.
हंसादिच्चपथे यन्ति,आकासे यन्ति इद्धिया ।नीयन्ति धीरा लोकम्हा,जेत्वा मारं सवाहिनिं ॥
Swans fly by the sun’s path, psychic sages fly through space. The attentive leave the world, having vanquished Māra with his legions.
Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa,musāvādissa jantuno;Vitiṇṇaparalokassa,natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.
एकं धम्मं अतीतस्स,मुसावादिस्स जन्तुनो ।वितिण्णपरलोकस्स,नत्थि पापं अकारियं ॥
When a personage, spurning the hereafter, transgresses in just one thing, lying, there is no evil they would not do.
Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti,Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ;Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno,Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.
न वे कदरिया देवलोकं वजन्ति,बाला हवे नप्पसंसन्ति दानं ।धीरो च दानं अनुमोदमानो,तेनेव सो होति सुखी परत्थ ॥
The miserly don’t ascend to heaven, it takes a fool to not praise giving. The attentive celebrate giving, and so find happiness in the hereafter.
Pathabyā ekarajjena,saggassa gamanena vā;Sabbalokādhipaccena,sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.Lokavaggo terasamo.
पथब्या एकरज्जेन,सग्गस्स गमनेन वा ।सब्बलोकाधिपच्चेन,सोतापत्तिफलं वरं ॥लोकवग्गो तेरसमो ॥
The fruit of stream-entry is better than being the one king of the earth, than going to heaven, than lordship over all the world.
According to verse 168, how does one who lives by the Dhamma sleep?
Verse 170 asks us to look on the world as what?
In verse 172, one who was heedless but became heedful shines like what?
The commentary links verse 173 to which person?
Verse 176 warns that one who breaks which single principle will do any wrong?
According to verse 178, what is better than sole rule over the earth?
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Pali (Mahāsaṅgīti edition) and English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0) from SuttaCentral. Hindi and Marathi meanings, summaries and stories: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by a Buddhist scholar.
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