Pairs

Phenomena are     preceded by the heart,
        ruled by the heart,
        made of the heart.
If you speak or act
with a corrupted heart,
then suffering follows you --
as the wheel of the cart,
    the track of the ox
    that pulls it.

Phenomena are     preceded by the heart,
        ruled by the heart,
        made of the heart.
If you speak or act
with a calm, bright heart,
then happiness follows you,
like a shadow
    that never leaves.

3-6:

'He         insulted me,
                hit me,
                beat me,
            robbed me'
-- for those who brood on this,
    hostility isn't stilled.

'He insulted me,
hit me,
beat me,
robbed me' --
for those who don't brood on this,
    hostility is stilled.

    Hostilities aren't stilled
    through hostility,
    regardless.
Hostilities are stilled
through non-hostility:
    this, an unending truth.

Unlike those who don't realize
that we're here on the verge
    of perishing,
those who do:
    their quarrels are stilled.

7-8*:

One who stays focused on the beautiful,
is unrestrained with the senses,
knowing no moderation in food,
apathetic, unenergetic:
    Mara overcomes him
    as the wind, a weak tree.

One who stays focused on the foul,
is restrained with regard to the senses,
knowing moderation in food,
full of conviction & energy:
    Mara does not overcome him
    as the wind, a mountain of rock.

9-10:

He who,     depraved,
            devoid
    of truthfulness
    & self-control,
puts on the ochre robe,
doesn't deserve the ochre robe.

But he who is free
                    of depravity
                endowed
                    with truthfulness
                    & self-control,
                well-established
                    in the precepts,
truly deserves the ochre robe.

11-12*:

Those who regard
non-essence as essence
and see essence as non-,
don't get to the essence,
    ranging about in wrong resolves.

But those who know
essence as essence,
and non-essence as non-,
get to the essence,
    ranging about in right resolves.

13-14:

As rain seeps into
an ill-thatched hut,
so passion,
    the undeveloped mind.

As rain doesn't seep into
a well-thatched hut,
so passion does not,
    the well-developed mind.

15-18*:

Here     he grieves
        he grieves     hereafter.
In both worlds
the wrong-doer grieves.
He grieves, he's afflicted,
seeing the corruption
    of his deeds.

Here     he rejoices
        he rejoices     hereafter.
In both worlds
the merit-maker rejoices.
He rejoices, is jubilant,
seeing the purity
    of his deeds.

Here     he's tormented
        he's tormented     hereafter.
In both worlds
the wrong-doer's tormented.
He's tormented at the thought,
    'I've done wrong.'
Having gone to a bad destination,
he's tormented
    all the more.

Here     he delights
        he delights     hereafter.
In both worlds
the merit-maker delights.
He delights at the thought,
    'I've made merit.'
Having gone to a good destination,
he delights
    all the more.

19-20:

If he recites many teachings, but
    -- heedless man --
doesn't do what they say,
like a cowherd counting the cattle of
            others,
he has no share in the contemplative life.

If he recites next to nothing
but follows the Dhamma
in line with the Dhamma;
    abandoning passion,
        aversion, delusion;
    alert,
    his mind well-released,
        not clinging
    either here or hereafter:
he has his share in the contemplative life.