1
Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā;
Manasā ce paduṭṭhena,
bhāsati vā karoti vā;
Tato naṁ dukkhamanveti,
cakkaṁva vahato padaṁ.
Mind precedes all |things::phenomena, mental qualities [dhammā]|,
Mind is their chief, they are mentally produced;
If with an |upset::angry, irritable or offended [paduṭṭha]| mind,
one speaks or acts;
|Suffering::discontentment, discomfort, stress [dukkhamanveti]| follows them,
like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
2
Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā,
manoseṭṭhā manomayā;
Manasā ce pasannena,
bhāsati vā karoti vā;
Tato naṁ sukhamanveti,
chāyāva anapāyinī.
Mind precedes all things,
mind is their chief; they are mentally produced;
If with a |settled::confident, bright, pure or pleased [pasanna]| mind,
one speaks or acts;
|Contentment::happiness, ease [sukhamanveti]| follows them,
like a never-departing shadow.
3
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,
ajini maṁ ahāsi me;
Ye ca taṁ upanayhanti,
veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati.
He insulted me, he struck me,
he overpowered me, he robbed me;
Those who hold onto |resentment::grudge [upanayhati]|,
do not still their |hostility::hatred, ill will, animosity, enmity [vera]|.
4
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,
ajini maṁ ahāsi me;
Ye ca taṁ nupanayhanti,
veraṁ tesūpasammati.
He insulted me, he struck me,
he overpowered me, he robbed me;
Those who let go of resentment,
still their hatred.
5
Na hi verena verāni,
sammantīdha kudācanaṁ;
Averena ca sammanti,
esa dhammo sanantano.
Hostility is never |settled::calmed, appeased [sammati]| by hostility,
in this world at any time;
Only |without hatred::without animosity, with friendliness, with kindness, with goodwill [avera]| is hostility settled,
this is an eternal principle.
6
Pare ca na vijānanti,
mayamettha yamāmase;
Ye ca tattha vijānanti,
tato sammanti medhagā.
Others do not |comprehend::understand, recognize [vijānāti]|,
that we all must die;
But those who do comprehend this,
their |conflicts::arguments, disputes, differences [medhagā]| are settled.
7
Subhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ;
Bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṁ,
kusītaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ;
Taṁ ve pasahati māro,
vāto rukkhaṁva dubbalaṁ.
Living perceiving as |attractive::beautiful [subha]|,
|unrestrained::uncontrolled [asaṃvuta]| in the senses;
Not knowing moderation in eating,
|lazy::procrastinating, inactive person, indolent [kusīta]| and |weak in effort::low in energy, lacking in endurance [hīnavīriya]|;
|Māra::embodiment of all forces that keeps beings trapped in the cycle of rebirth [māra]| overpowers that one,
like the wind overpowers a weak tree.
8
Asubhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
Indriyesu susaṁvutaṁ;
Bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṁ,
Saddhaṁ āraddhavīriyaṁ;
Taṁ ve nappasahati māro,
Vāto selaṁva pabbataṁ.
Living |perceiving as unattractive::seeing the disagreeable, considering the drawbacks to beautiful [asubhānupassī]|,
well-restrained in the senses;
Knowing moderation in eating,
with |faith::confidence, conviction, trust [saddha]| and |with energy aroused::with initiative [āraddhavīriya]|;
Māra does not overpower that one,
like the wind does not overpower a mountain rock.
9
Anikkasāvo kāsāvaṁ,
yo vatthaṁ paridahissati;
Apeto damasaccena,
na so kāsāvamarahati.
If one is impure,
and wears the bhikkhu’s |ochre::organic brown, color of a bhikhu’s robe [kāsāva]| robe;
Lacking self-restraint and honesty,
they are not worthy of the robe.
10
Yo ca vantakasāvassa,
sīlesu susamāhito;
Upeto damasaccena,
sa ve kāsāvamarahati.
One who has discarded impurity,
|who is virtuous::has regard for ethical conduct| and |well composed::completely calm, totally settled, attentive, completely collected [susamāhita]| [in mind];
Endowed with self-restraint and honesty,
is indeed worthy of the robe.
11
Asāre sāramatino,
sāre cāsāradassino;
Te sāraṁ nādhigacchanti,
micchāsaṅkappagocarā.
Those who perceive essence in the |essenceless::without essence, without substance [asāra]|,
and see the |essential::fundamental, substantial [sāra]| as having no essence;
They do not attain the essential,
being in the domain of |wrong intentions::with wrong notions, wrong ideas [micchāsaṅkappā]|.
12
Sārañca sārato ñatvā,
asārañca asārato;
Te sāraṁ adhigacchanti,
sammāsaṅkappagocarā.
And those who know the essential as essential,
and the essenceless as essenceless;
They attain the essence,
being in the domain of |right intention::intention of renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness; the resolve to let go of craving, ill will, and cruelty, cultivating thoughts that lead to peace and liberation [sammāsaṅkappa]|.
13
Yathā agāraṁ ducchannaṁ,
vuṭṭhī samativijjhati;
Evaṁ abhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
rāgo samativijjhati.
Just as a poorly covered house,
is penetrated by rain;
So is an |undeveloped::not cultivated [abhāvita]| mind,
penetrated by |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|.
14
Yathā agāraṁ suchannaṁ,
vuṭṭhī na samativijjhati;
Evaṁ subhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
rāgo na samativijjhati.
Just as a well-covered house,
is not penetrated by rain;
So is a |well cultivated::fully developed [subhāvita]| mind,
not penetrated by passion.
15
Idha socati pecca socati,
Pāpakārī ubhayattha socati;
So socati so vihaññati,
Disvā kammakiliṭṭhamattano.
Here he |sorrows::grieves [socati]|, after death he sorrows,
the evil-doer sorrows in both cases;
He sorrows, he is |troubled::afflicted, worried [vihaññati]|,
having seen the impurity of his own actions.
16
Idha modati pecca modati,
Katapuñño ubhayattha modati;
So modati so pamodati,
Disvā kammavisuddhimattano.
Here he is |pleased::glad [modati]|, after death he is pleased,
the doer of good deeds is pleased in both cases;
He is pleased, he is |delighted::very happy, joyful [pamodati]|,
having seen the purity of his own actions.
17
Idha tappati pecca tappati,
Pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati;
“Pāpaṁ me katan”ti tappati,
Bhiyyo tappati duggatiṁ gato.
Here he |regrets::suffers remorse, burns [tappati]|, after death he regrets,
the evildoer regrets in both cases;
Regrets thinking, “Evil has been done by me“,
and regrets even more after reaching a |bad destination::state of misery [duggati]|.
18
Idha nandati pecca nandati,
Katapuñño ubhayattha nandati;
“Puññaṁ me katan”ti nandati,
Bhiyyo nandati suggatiṁ gato.
Here he is |happy::delighted [nandati]|, after death he is happy,
the doer of good is happy in both cases;
He is happy thinking, “Merit has been done by me”,
and he is happy even more after reaching a |good destination::state of happiness [suggati]|.
19
Bahumpi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno,
Na takkaro hoti naro pamatto;
Gopova gāvo gaṇayaṁ paresaṁ,
Na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
Even if a person speaks many eloquent words,
if they do not act accordingly, being |negligent::inattentive, careless, intoxicated [pamatta]|;
Like a cowherd counting others’ cows,
they do not partake in the true ascetic life.
20
Appampi ce saṁhita bhāsamāno,
Dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī;
Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ,
Sammappajāno suvimuttacitto;
Anupādiyāno idha vā huraṁ vā,
Sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
Even if a person speaks few eloquent words,
If they act according to the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|;
Abandoning passion, |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, and |delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|,
|clearly comprehending::fully understanding [sammappajāna]| with a well-liberated mind;
|Not clinging to::not taking as mine, not grasping onto, not taking possession of [anupādiyāna]| here or hereafter,
They partake in the true ascetic life.