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 made of mind.
If with an |upset::angry, irritable, offended; lit. corrupted [paduṭṭha]| mind
one speaks or acts,
|suffering::discontentment, discomfort, stress [dukkhamanveti]| follows them
like the wheel 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 made of mind.
If with a |settled::confident, bright, pure or pleased [pasanna]| mind,
one speaks or acts,
|happiness::contentment, ease, pleasant abiding [sukha]| 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 hostility.
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 |by non-hostility::without animosity, with friendliness, with kindness, with goodwill [avera]| is it 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.
Whoever lives perceiving the |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.
Whoever lives |perceiving the 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 |energy aroused::with initiative [āraddhavīriya]|;
Māra does not overpower that one,
like the wind does not overpower a rocky mountain.
9
Anikkasāvo kāsāvaṁ,
yo vatthaṁ paridahissati;
Apeto damasaccena,
na so kāsāvamarahati.
One who is impure,
yet wears the |ochre::organic brown, color of a bhikhu’s robe [kāsāva]| robe,
lacking self-restraint and honesty,
is 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]|;
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,
do not attain the essential,
and resort to |wrong intention::wrong notion, wrong idea [micchāsaṅkappa]|.
12
Sārañca sārato ñatvā,
asārañca asārato;
Te sāraṁ adhigacchanti,
sammāsaṅkappagocarā.
And those who know the essential as essential,
and the essenceless as essenceless,
attain the essential,
and resort to |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 roofed 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-roofed 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 one |sorrows::grieves [socati]|, after death one sorrows,
the wrongdoer sorrows in both places.
They sorrow, they are |troubled::afflicted, worried [vihaññati]|,
having seen the impurity of their own actions.
16
Idha modati pecca modati,
Katapuñño ubhayattha modati;
So modati so pamodati,
Disvā kammavisuddhimattano.
Here one |rejoices::is glad, is pleased [modati]|, after death one rejoices,
the doer of good deeds rejoices in both places.
They rejoice, they are |delighted::very happy, joyful [pamodati]|,
having seen the purity of their own actions.
17
Idha tappati pecca tappati,
Pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati;
“Pāpaṁ me katan”ti tappati,
Bhiyyo tappati duggatiṁ gato.
Here one |regrets::suffers remorse, burns [tappati]|, after death one regrets,
the wrongdoer regrets in both places.
They regret, thinking, “Wrong has been done by me,”
and regret 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 one |delights::enjoys [nandati]|, after death one delights,
the doer of good delights in both places.
They delight, thinking, “Merit has been done by me,”
and delight 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; lit. 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 in accordance with 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.