Verse 21

Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless.
Heedlessness is the path to death.
The heedful die not.
The heedless are as if dead already.

Verse 20

Little though
he recites the sacred texts,
but puts the Teaching
into practice,
forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion,
with true wisdom
and emancipated mind,
clinging to nothing
of this or any other world --
he indeed partakes
of the blessings of a holy life.

Verse 19

Much though he recites
the sacred texts,
but acts not accordingly,
that heedless man
is like a cowherd
who only counts the cows of others --
he does not partake
of the blessings of the holy life.

Verse 18

The doer of good
delights here and hereafter;
he delights in both the worlds.
The thought, "Good have I done,"
delights him, and he delights
even more when gone to realms of bliss.

Verse 17

The evil-doer
suffers here and hereafter;
he suffers in both the worlds.
The thought, "Evil have I done,"
torments him, and he suffers
even more when gone to realms of woe.

Verse 16

The doer of good
rejoices here and hereafter;
he rejoices in both the worlds.
He rejoices and exults,
recollecting his own pure deeds.

Verse 15

The evil-doer
grieves here and hereafter;
he grieves in both the worlds.
He laments and is afflicted,
recollecting his own impure deeds.

Verse 14

Just as rain
does not break through
a well-thatched house,
so passion never penetrates
a well-developed mind.

Verse 13

Just as rain
breaks through
an ill-thatched house,
so passion penetrates
an undeveloped mind.

Verse 12

Those who know
the essential to be essential
and the unessential to be unessential,
dwelling in right thoughts,
do arrive at the essential.

Verse 11

Those who mistake
the unessential to be essential
and the essential to be unessential,
dwelling in wrong thoughts,
never arrive at the essential.

Verse 10

But whoever is purged of depravity,
well-established in virtues
and filled with self-control
and truthfulness,
he indeed is worthy of the yellow robe.

Verse 9

Whoever being depraved,
devoid of self-control
and truthfulness,
should don the monk's yellow robe,
he surely is not worthy of the robe.

Verse 8

Just as a storm
cannot prevail against a rocky mountain,
so Mara can never overpower
the man who lives meditating
on the impurities, who is controlled
in his senses, moderate in eating,
and filled with faith and earnest effort.

Verse 7

Just as a storm
throws down a weak tree,
so does Mara overpower the man
who lives for the pursuit of pleasures,
who is uncontrolled in his senses,
immoderate in eating,

indolent and dissipated.

Verse 6

There are those
who do not realize
that one day we all must die.
But those who do realize this

settle their quarrels.

Verse 5

Hatred is never appeased
by hatred in this world.
By non-hatred alone
is hatred appeased.
This is a law eternal

Verse 4

"He abused me,
he struck me,
he overpowered me,
he robbed me."
Those who do not harbor such thoughts
still their hatred.

Verse 3

"He abused me,
he struck me,
he overpowered me,
he robbed me."
Those who harbor such thoughts
do not still their hatred.

Verse 2

Mind precedes all mental states.

Mind is their chief;

they are all mind-wrought.

If with a pure mind

a person speaks or acts,

happiness follows him

like his never-departing shadow.

Verse 1

Mind precedes all mental states

Mind is their chief;

they are all mind-wrought.

If with an impure mind

a person speaks or acts,

suffering follows him like the wheel

that follows the foot of the ox.