Minor Collection

Sayings of the Dhamma 1–20

1. Pairs

dhp1:1 Intention is the leader of things;

dhp1:2 intention is first, they’re made by intention.

dhp1:3 If with corrupt intent

dhp1:4 you speak or act,

dhp1:5 suffering follows you,

dhp1:6 like a wheel, the ox’s foot.

dhp2:1 Intention is the leader of things;

dhp2:2 intention is first, they’re made by intention.

dhp2:3 If with pure intent

dhp2:4 you speak or act,

dhp2:5 happiness follows you

dhp2:6 like a shadow that never leaves.

dhp3:1 “They abused me, they hit me!

dhp3:2 They beat me, they robbed me!”

dhp3:3 For those who bear such a grudge,

dhp3:4 hatred is never laid to rest.

dhp4:1 “They abused me, they hit me!

dhp4:2 They beat me, they robbed me!”

dhp4:3 For those who bear no such grudge,

dhp4:4 hatred is laid to rest.

dhp5:1 For never is hatred

dhp5:2 laid to rest by hate,

dhp5:3 it’s laid to rest by love:

dhp5:4 this is an ancient teaching.

dhp6:1 When others do not understand,

dhp6:2 let us, who do understand this,

dhp6:3 restrain ourselves in this regard;

dhp6:4 for that is how conflicts are laid to rest.

dhp7:1 Those who contemplate the beautiful,

dhp7:2 their faculties unrestrained,

dhp7:3 immoderate in eating,

dhp7:4 lazy, lacking energy:

dhp7:5 Satan strikes them down

dhp7:6 like the wind, a feeble tree.

dhp8:1 Those who contemplate the ugly,

dhp8:2 their faculties well-restrained,

dhp8:3 eating in moderation,

dhp8:4 faithful and energetic:

dhp8:5 Satan cannot strike them down,

dhp8:6 like the wind, a rocky mountain.

dhp9:1 One who, not free of stains themselves,

dhp9:2 would wear the robe stained in ocher,

dhp9:3 bereft of self-control and truth:

dhp9:4 they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

dhp10:1 One who’s purged all their stains,

dhp10:2 steady in ethics,

dhp10:3 possessed of self-control and of truth,

dhp10:4 they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.

dhp11:1 Thinking the inessential is essential,

dhp11:2 seeing the essential as inessential;

dhp11:3 they don’t realize the essential,

dhp11:4 for wrong thoughts are their habitat.

dhp12:1 Having known the essential as essential,

dhp12:2 and the inessential as inessential;

dhp12:3 they realize the essential,

dhp12:4 for right thoughts are their habitat.

dhp13:1 Just as rain seeps into

dhp13:2 a poorly roofed house,

dhp13:3 lust seeps into

dhp13:4 an undeveloped mind.

dhp14:1 Just as rain doesn’t seep into

dhp14:2 a well roofed house,

dhp14:3 lust doesn’t seep into

dhp14:4 a well developed mind.

dhp15:1 Here they grieve, hereafter they grieve,

dhp15:2 an evildoer grieves in both places.

dhp15:3 They grieve and fret,

dhp15:4 seeing their own corrupt deeds.

dhp16:1 Here they rejoice, hereafter they rejoice,

dhp16:2 one who does good rejoices in both places.

dhp16:3 They rejoice and celebrate,

dhp16:4 seeing their own pure deeds.

dhp17:1 Here they’re tormented, <j>hereafter they’re tormented,

dhp17:2 an evildoer is tormented in both places.

dhp17:3 They’re tormented <j>thinking of bad things they’ve done;

dhp17:4 when gone to a bad place, <j>they’re tormented all the more.

dhp18:1 Here they delight, hereafter they delight,

dhp18:2 one who does good delights in both places.

dhp18:3 They delight thinking of good things they’ve done;

dhp18:4 when gone to a good place, they delight all the more.

dhp19:1 Much though they may recite scripture,

dhp19:2 if a negligent person does not apply them,

dhp19:3 then, like a cowherd who counts the cattle of others,

dhp19:4 they miss out on the blessings of the ascetic life.

dhp20:1 Little though they may recite scripture,

dhp20:2 if they live in line with the teaching,

dhp20:3 having given up greed, hate, and delusion,

dhp20:4 with deep understanding and heart well freed,

dhp20:5 not grasping to this life or the next,

dhp20:6 they share in the blessings of the ascetic life.