Attavagga

Khuddakanikāya

Minor Collection

Dhammapada

Sayings of the Dhamma 157–166

Attavagga

12. The Self

Bodhirājakumāravatthu

Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā,

If you knew your self as beloved,

rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ;

you’d look after it so well.

Tiṇṇaṁ aññataraṁ yāmaṁ,

In one of the night’s three watches,

paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.

an astute person would remain alert.

Upanandasakyaputtattheravatthu

Attānameva paṭhamaṁ,

The astute would avoid being corrupted

patirūpe nivesaye;

by first grounding themselves

Athaññamanusāseyya,

in what is suitable,

na kilisseyya paṇḍito.

and then instructing others.

Padhānikatissattheravatthu

Attānañce tathā kayirā,

If one were to treat oneself

yathāññamanusāsati;

as one instructs another,

Sudanto vata dametha,

the well-tamed indeed would tame:

attā hi kira duddamo.

for the self, it seems, is hard to tame.

Kumārakassapamātuttherivatthu

Attā hi attano nātho,

One is indeed the lord of oneself,

ko hi nātho paro siyā;

for who else would be one’s lord?

Attanā hi sudantena,

By means of a well-tamed self,

nāthaṁ labhati dullabhaṁ.

one gains a lord that’s rare indeed.

Mahākālaupāsakavatthu

Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ,

For the evil that is done by oneself,

Attajaṁ attasambhavaṁ;

born and produced in oneself,

Abhimatthati dummedhaṁ,

grinds down a simpleton,

Vajiraṁvasmamayaṁ maṇiṁ.

as diamond grinds a lesser gem.

Devadattavatthu

Yassa accantadussilyaṁ,

One choked by immorality,

māluvā sālamivotthataṁ;

as a sal tree by a creeper,

Karoti so tathattānaṁ,

does to themselves

yathā naṁ icchatī diso.

what a foe only wishes.

Saṅghabhedaparisakkanavatthu

Sukarāni asādhūni,

It’s easy to do bad things

attano ahitāni ca;

harmful to oneself,

Yaṁ ve hitañca sādhuñca,

but good things that are helpful

taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.

are the hardest things to do.

Kālattheravatthu

Yo sāsanaṁ arahataṁ,

On account of wicked views—

ariyānaṁ dhammajīvinaṁ;

scorning the guidance

Paṭikkosati dummedho,

of the perfected ones,

diṭṭhiṁ nissāya pāpikaṁ;

the noble ones living righteously—

Phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva,

the idiot begets their own self’s demise,

attaghātāya phallati.

like the bamboo bearing fruit.

Cūḷakālaupāsakavatthu

Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ,

For it is by oneself that evil’s done,

attanā saṅkilissati;

one is corrupted by oneself.

Attanā akataṁ pāpaṁ,

It’s by oneself that evil’s not done,

attanāva visujjhati;

one is purified by oneself.

Suddhī asuddhi paccattaṁ,

Purity and impurity are personal matters,

nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye.

no one can purify another.

Attadatthattheravatthu

Attadatthaṁ paratthena,

Never neglect what is good for yourself

bahunāpi na hāpaye;

for the sake of another, however great.

Attadatthamabhiññāya,

Knowing well what is good for yourself,

sadatthapasuto siyā.

be intent upon your heart’s goal.

Attavaggo dvādasamo.