Minor Collection

Sayings of the Dhamma 306–319

22. Hell

dhp306:1 A liar goes to hell,

dhp306:2 as does one who denies what they did.

dhp306:3 Both are equal in the hereafter,

dhp306:4 those men of base deeds.

dhp307:1 Many who wear a scrap of ocher cloth

dhp307:2 are unrestrained and wicked.

dhp307:3 Being wicked, they are cast into hell

dhp307:4 due to their bad deeds.

dhp308:1 It’d be better for the immoral and unrestrained

dhp308:2 to eat an iron ball,

dhp308:3 scorching, like a burning flame,

dhp308:4 than to eat the nation’s alms.

dhp309:1 Four things befall a heedless man

dhp309:2 who sleeps with another’s wife:

dhp309:3 wickedness, poor sleep,

dhp309:4 ill-repute, and falling into hell.

dhp310:1 He accrues wickedness and ends in a bad place,

dhp310:2 all so a frightened couple <j>may snatch a moment’s pleasure,

dhp310:3 for which rulers impose a heavy punishment.

dhp310:4 That’s why a man should not <j>sleep with another’s wife.

dhp311:1 When kusa grass is wrongly grasped

dhp311:2 it only cuts the hand.

dhp311:3 So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,

dhp311:4 drags you to hell.

dhp312:1 Any lax act,

dhp312:2 any corrupt observance,

dhp312:3 or suspicious spiritual life,

dhp312:4 is not very fruitful.

dhp313:1 If one is to do what should be done,

dhp313:2 one should staunchly strive.

dhp313:3 For the life gone forth when laxly led

dhp313:4 just stirs up dust all the more.

dhp314:1 A bad deed is better left undone,

dhp314:2 for it will plague you later on.

dhp314:3 A good deed is better done,

dhp314:4 one that does not plague you.

dhp315:1 As a frontier city

dhp315:2 is guarded inside and out,

dhp315:3 so you should ward yourselves—

dhp315:4 don’t let the moment pass you by.

dhp315:5 For if you miss your moment

dhp315:6 you’ll grieve when sent to hell.

dhp316:1 Unashamed of what is shameful,

dhp316:2 ashamed of what is not shameful;

dhp316:3 beings who uphold wrong view

dhp316:4 go to a bad place.

dhp317:1 Seeing danger where there is none,

dhp317:2 and blind to the actual danger,

dhp317:3 beings who uphold wrong view

dhp317:4 go to a bad place.

dhp318:1 Seeing fault where there is none,

dhp318:2 and blind to the actual fault,

dhp318:3 beings who uphold wrong view

dhp318:4 go to a bad place.

dhp319:1 Knowing a fault as a fault

dhp319:2 and the faultless as faultless,

dhp319:3 beings who uphold right view

dhp319:4 go to a good place.