Lokavagga

Khuddakanikāya

Minor Collection

Dhammapada

Sayings of the Dhamma 167–178

Lokavagga

13. The World

Daharabhikkhuvatthu

Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya,

Don’t resort to lowly things,

pamādena na saṁvase;

don’t abide in negligence,

Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya,

don’t resort to wrong views,

na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.

don’t perpetuate the world.

Suddhodanavatthu

Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya,

Get up, don’t be heedless,

dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care;

live by principle, with good conduct.

Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,

For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

in this world and the next.

Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ,

Live by principle, with good conduct,

na naṁ duccaritaṁ care;

don’t conduct yourself badly.

Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,

For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

in this world and the next.

Pañcasatavipassakabhikkhuvatthu

Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe,

Look upon the world

yathā passe marīcikaṁ;

as a bubble

Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,

or a mirage,

maccurājā na passati.

then the King of Death won’t see you.

Abhayarājakumāravatthu

Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ,

Come, see this world decked out

cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ;

like a fancy royal chariot.

Yattha bālā visīdanti,

Here fools founder,

natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.

but the discerning are not chained.

Sammajjanattheravatthu

Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā,

He who once was heedless,

pacchā so nappamajjati;

but turned to heedfulness,

Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,

shines upon this world

abbhā muttova candimā.

like the moon freed from clouds.

Aṅgulimālattheravatthu

Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,

Someone whose bad deed

kusalena pidhīyati;

is supplanted by the good,

Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,

shines upon this world,

abbhā muttova candimā.

like the moon freed from clouds.

Pesakāradhītāvatthu

Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko,

Blind is the world,

tanukettha vipassati;

few are those who clearly see.

Sakuṇo jālamuttova,

Only a handful go to heaven,

appo saggāya gacchati.

like a bird freed from a net.

Tiṁsabhikkhuvatthu

Haṁsādiccapathe yanti,

Swans fly by the sun’s path,

ākāse yanti iddhiyā;

psychic sages fly through space.

Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā,

The attentive leave the world,

jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.

having vanquished Māra with his legions.

Ciñcamāṇavikāvatthu

Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa,

When a personage, spurning the hereafter,

musāvādissa jantuno;

transgresses in just one thing—

Vitiṇṇaparalokassa,

lying—

natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.

there is no evil they would not do.

Asadisadānavatthu

Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti,

The miserly don’t ascend to heaven,

Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ;

it takes a fool to not praise giving.

Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno,

The attentive celebrate giving,

Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.

and so find happiness in the hereafter.

Anāthapiṇḍikaputtakālavatthu

Pathabyā ekarajjena,

The fruit of stream-entry is better

saggassa gamanena vā;

than being the one king of the earth,

Sabbalokādhipaccena,

than going to heaven,

sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.

than lordship over all the world.

Lokavaggo terasamo.