Dhammapada: The Pairs

1Intention is the leader of things;

2intention is first, they’re made by intention.

3If with corrupt intent

4you speak or act,

5suffering follows you,

6like a wheel, the ox’s foot.

1Intention is the leader of things;

2intention is first, they’re made by intention.

3If with pure intent

4you speak or act,

5happiness follows you

6like a shadow that never leaves.

1“They abused me, they hit me!

2They beat me, they robbed me!”

3For those who bear such a grudge,

4hatred is never laid to rest.

1“They abused me, they hit me!

2They beat me, they robbed me!”

3For those who bear no such grudge,

4hatred is laid to rest.

1For never is hatred

2laid to rest by hate,

3it’s laid to rest by love:

4this is an ancient teaching.

1When others do not understand,

2let us, who do understand this,

3restrain ourselves in this regard;

4for that is how conflicts are laid to rest.

1Those who contemplate the beautiful,

2their faculties unrestrained,

3immoderate in eating,

4lazy, lacking energy:

5Māra strikes them down

6like the wind, a feeble tree.

1Those who contemplate the ugly,

2their faculties well-restrained,

3eating in moderation,

4faithful and energetic:

5Māra cannot strike them down,

6like the wind, a rocky mountain.

1One who, not free of stains themselves,

2would wear the robe stained in ocher,

3bereft of self-control and truth:

4they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

1One who’s purged all their stains,

2steady in ethics,

3possessed of self-control and of truth,

4they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.

1Thinking the inessential is essential,

2seeing the essential as inessential;

3they don’t realize the essential,

4for wrong thoughts are their habitat.

1Having known the essential as essential,

2and the inessential as inessential;

3they realize the essential,

4for right thoughts are their habitat.

1Just as rain seeps into

2a poorly roofed house,

3lust seeps into

4an undeveloped mind.

1Just as rain doesn’t seep into

2a well roofed house,

3lust doesn’t seep into

4a well developed mind.

1Here they grieve, hereafter they grieve,

2an evildoer grieves in both places.

3They grieve and fret,

4seeing their own corrupt deeds.

1Here they rejoice, hereafter they rejoice,

2one who does good rejoices in both places.

3They rejoice and celebrate,

4seeing their own pure deeds.

1Here they’re tormented, <j>hereafter they’re tormented,

2an evildoer is tormented in both places.

3They’re tormented <j>thinking of bad things they’ve done;

4when gone to a bad place, <j>they’re tormented all the more.

1Here they delight, hereafter they delight,

2one who does good delights in both places.

3They delight thinking of good things they’ve done;

4when gone to a good place, they delight all the more.

1Much though they may recite scripture,

2if a negligent person does not apply them,

3then, like a cowherd who counts the cattle of others,

4they miss out on the blessings of the ascetic life.

1Little though they may recite scripture,

2if they live in line with the teaching,

3having given up greed, hate, and delusion,

4with deep understanding and heart well freed,

5not grasping to this life or the next,

6they share in the blessings of the ascetic life.