Dhammapada 20
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 273–289
20. The Path
273 Of paths, the eightfold is the best;
of truths, the four statements;
dispassion is the best of things,
and the Clear-eyed One is the best of humans.
274 This is the path, there is no other
for the purification of vision.
You all must practice this,
it is the way to baffle Māra.
275 When you all are practicing this,
you’ll make an end of suffering.
I have explained the path to you
for extracting the thorn with wisdom.
276 You yourselves must do the work,
the Realized Ones just show the way.
Meditators practicing absorption
are released from Māra’s bonds.
277 All conditions are impermanent—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
278 All conditions are suffering—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
279 All things are not-self—
when this is seen with wisdom,
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.
280 They don’t get going when it’s time to start;
they’re young and strong, but given to sloth.
Their mind depressed in sunken thought,
lazy and slothful, they can’t discern the path.
281 Guarded in speech, restrained in mind,
doing no unskillful bodily deed.
Purify these three ways of performing deeds,
and win the path known to seers.
282 From meditation springs wisdom,
without meditation, wisdom ends.
Knowing these two paths—
of progress and decline—
you should conduct yourself
so that wisdom grows.
283 Cut down the jungle, not just a tree;
from the jungle springs fear.
Having cut down jungle and snarl,
be free of jungles, mendicants!
284 So long as the vine, no matter how small,
that ties a man to women is not cut,
his mind remains trapped,
like a calf suckling its mother.
285 Cut out affection for oneself,
like plucking an autumn lotus.
Foster only the path to peace,
the extinguishment the Holy One taught.
286 “Here I will stay for the rains;
here for winter, here the summer”;
thus the fool thinks,
not realizing the danger.
287 As a mighty flood sweeps away a sleeping village,
death steals away a man
who dotes on children and cattle,
his mind caught up in them.
288 Children provide you no shelter,
nor does father, nor relatives.
When you’re seized by the terminator,
there’s no shelter in family.
289 Knowing the reason for this,
astute, and ethically restrained,
one would quickly clear the path
that leads to extinguishment.