Chapter 9

Minor Collection

Sayings of the Dhamma 116–128

9. Wickedness

116 Rush to do good,

shield your mind from evil;

for when you’re slow to do good,

your thoughts delight in wickedness.

117 If you do something bad,

don’t do it again and again,

don’t set your heart on it,

for piling up evil is suffering.

118 If you do something good,

do it again and again,

set your heart on it,

for piling up goodness is joyful.

119 Even the wicked see good things,

so long as their wickedness has not ripened.

But as soon as that wickedness ripens,

then the wicked see wicked things.

120 Even the good see wicked things,

so long as their goodness has not ripened.

But as soon as that goodness ripens,

then the good see good things.

121 Think not lightly of evil,

that it won’t come back to you.

The pot is filled with water

falling drop by drop;

the fool is filled with wickedness

piled up bit by bit.

122 Think not lightly of goodness,

that it won’t come back to you.

The pot is filled with water

falling drop by drop;

the attentive one is filled with goodness

piled up bit by bit.

123 Avoid wickedness,

as a merchant with rich cargo and small escort

would avoid a dangerous road,

or one who loves life would avoid drinking poison.

124 You can carry poison in your hand

if it has no wound,

for poison does not infect without a wound;

nothing bad happens unless you do bad.

125 Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,

a pure man who has not a blemish,

the evil backfires on the fool,

like fine dust thrown upwind.

126 Some are born in a womb;

evildoers go to hell;

the virtuous go to heaven;

the undefiled are fully extinguished.

127 Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,

nor hiding in a mountain cleft;

you’ll find no place on the planet

to escape your wicked deeds.

128 Not in midair, nor mid-ocean,

nor hiding in a mountain cleft;

you’ll find no place on the planet

where you won’t be vanquished by death.