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Dhammapada 235–255

Malavagga

18. Stains · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Paṇḍupalāsova dānisi,
Yamapurisāpi ca te upaṭṭhitā;
Uyyogamukhe ca tiṭṭhasi,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.

Today you’re like a withered leaf, Yama’s men await you. You stand at the departure gates, yet you have no supplies for the road.

So karohi dīpamattano,
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Dibbaṁ ariyabhūmiṁ upehisi.

Make an island of yourself! Swiftly strive, learn to be wise! Purged of stains, flawless, you’ll go to the heavenly realm of the noble ones.

Upanītavayo ca dānisi,
Sampayātosi yamassa santikaṁ;
Vāso te natthi antarā,
Pātheyyampi ca te na vijjati.

You’ve journeyed the stages of life, and now you set out to meet Yama. Along the way there’s nowhere to stay, yet you have no supplies for the road.

So karohi dīpamattano,
Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava;
Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.

Make an island of yourself! Swiftly strive, learn to be wise! Purged of stains, flawless, you’ll not come again to rebirth and old age.

Anupubbena medhāvī,
thokaṁ thokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe;
Kammāro rajatasseva,
niddhame malamattano.

A smart person would purge their own stains gradually, bit by bit, moment by moment, like a smith smelting silver.

Ayasāva malaṁ samuṭṭhitaṁ,
Tatuṭṭhāya tameva khādati;
Evaṁ atidhonacārinaṁ,
Sāni kammāni nayanti duggatiṁ.

It is the rust born on the iron that eats away the place it arose. And so it is their own deeds that lead the overly-ascetic to a bad place.

Asajjhāyamalā mantā,
anuṭṭhānamalā gharā;
Malaṁ vaṇṇassa kosajjaṁ,
pamādo rakkhato malaṁ.

Not rehearsing is the stain of hymns. The stain of houses is neglect. Laziness is the stain of beauty. A guard’s stain is negligence.

Malitthiyā duccaritaṁ,
maccheraṁ dadato malaṁ;
Malā ve pāpakā dhammā,
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Misconduct is a woman’s stain. A giver’s stain is stinginess. Bad qualities are a stain in this world and the next.

Tato malā malataraṁ,
avijjā paramaṁ malaṁ;
Etaṁ malaṁ pahantvāna,
nimmalā hotha bhikkhavo.

But a worse stain than these is ignorance, the worst stain of all. Having given up that stain, be without stains, mendicants!

Sujīvaṁ ahirikena,
kākasūrena dhaṁsinā;
Pakkhandinā pagabbhena,
saṅkiliṭṭhena jīvitaṁ.

Life is easy for the shameless. With all the rude courage of a crow, they live pushy, rude, and corrupt.

Hirīmatā ca dujjīvaṁ,
niccaṁ sucigavesinā;
Alīnenāppagabbhena,
suddhājīvena passatā.

Life is hard for the conscientious, always seeking purity, neither clinging nor rude, pure of livelihood and discerning.

Yo pāṇamatipāteti,
musāvādañca bhāsati;
Loke adinnamādiyati,
paradārañca gacchati.

Take anyone in this world who kills living creatures, speaks falsely, steals, commits adultery,

Surāmerayapānañca,
yo naro anuyuñjati;
Idheva meso lokasmiṁ,
mūlaṁ khaṇati attano.

and indulges in drinking beer and wine. Right here they dig up the root of their own self.

Evaṁ bho purisa jānāhi,
pāpadhammā asaññatā;
Mā taṁ lobho adhammo ca,
ciraṁ dukkhāya randhayuṁ.

Know this, my man: they are unrestrained and wicked. Don’t let that greed and unrighteousness inflict pain on you for long.

Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ,
yathāpasādanaṁ jano;
Tattha yo ca maṅku bhavati,
paresaṁ pānabhojane;
Na so divā vā rattiṁ vā,
samādhimadhigacchati.

The people give according to their faith, according to their confidence. If you get upset over that, over others’ food and drink, you’ll not, by day or by night, become immersed in samādhi.

Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ,
mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ;
Sa ve divā vā rattiṁ vā,
samādhimadhigacchati.

Those who have cut that out, dug it up at the root, eradicated it, they will, by day or by night, become immersed in samādhi.

Natthi rāgasamo aggi,
natthi dosasamo gaho;
Natthi mohasamaṁ jālaṁ,
natthi taṇhāsamā nadī.

There is no fire like greed, no crime like hate, no net like delusion, no river like craving.

Sudassaṁ vajjamaññesaṁ,
attano pana duddasaṁ;
Paresaṁ hi so vajjāni,
opunāti yathā bhusaṁ;
Attano pana chādeti,
kaliṁva kitavā saṭho.

It’s easy to see the faults of others, hard to see one’s own. For the faults of others are tossed high like hay, while one’s own are hidden, as a cheat hides a bad hand.

Paravajjānupassissa,
niccaṁ ujjhānasaññino;
Āsavā tassa vaḍḍhanti,
ārā so āsavakkhayā.

When you look for the flaws of others, always finding fault, your defilements only grow, you’re far from ending defilements.

Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
Papañcābhiratā pajā,
nippapañcā tathāgatā.

In the atmosphere there is no track, there’s no true ascetic outside here. People enjoy proliferation, the Realized Ones are free of proliferation.

Ākāseva padaṁ natthi,
samaṇo natthi bāhire;
Saṅkhārā sassatā natthi,
natthi buddhānamiñjitaṁ.
Malavaggo aṭṭhārasamo.

In the atmosphere there is no track, there’s no true ascetic outside here. No conditions last forever, the Awakened Ones are not shaken.

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