1. If one holds oneself dear, one should diligently watch oneself. Let the wise man keep vigil during any of the three watches of the night.

2. One should first establish oneself in what is proper; then only should one instruct others. Thus the wise man will not be reproached.

3. One should do what one teaches others to do; if one would train others, one should be well controlled oneself. Difficult, indeed, is self-control.

4. One truly is the protector of oneself; who else could the protector be? With oneself fully controlled, one gains a mastery that is hard to gain.

5. The evil a witless man does by himself, born of himself and produced by himself, grinds him as a diamond grinds a hard gem.

6. Just as a single creeper strangles the tree on which it grows, even so, a man who is exceedingly depraved harms himself as only an enemy might wish.

7. Easy to do are things that are bad and harmful to oneself. But exceedingly difficult to do are things that are good and beneficial.

8. Whoever, on account of perverted views, scorns the Teaching of the Perfected Ones, the Noble and Righteous Ones — that fool, like the bamboo, produces fruits only for self destruction. [14]

9. By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one made pure. Purity and impurity depend on oneself; no one can purify another. Continue reading →

1. When this world is ever ablaze, why this laughter, why this jubilation? Shrouded in darkness, will you not see the light?

2. Behold this body — a painted image, a mass of heaped up sores, infirm, full of hankering — of which nothing is lasting or stable!

3. Fully worn out is this body, a nest of disease, and fragile. This foul mass breaks up, for death is the end of life.

4. These dove-colored bones are like gourds that lie scattered about in autumn. Having seen them, how can one seek delight?

5. This city (body) is built of bones, plastered with flesh and blood; within are decay and death, pride and jealousy.

6. Even gorgeous royal chariots wear out, and indeed this body too wears out. But the Dhamma of the Good does not age; thus the Good make it known to the good.

7. The man of little learning grows old like a bull. He grows only in bulk, but, his wisdom does not grow.

8. Through many a birth in samsara have I wandered in vain, seeking the builder of this house (of life). Repeated birth is indeed suffering! Continue reading →

1. All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.

2. All tremble at violence; life is dear to all. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.

3. One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.

4. One who, while himself seeking happiness, does not oppress with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will find happiness hereafter.

5. Speak not harshly to anyone, for those thus spoken to might retort. Indeed, angry speech hurts, and retaliation may overtake you.

6. If, like a broken gong, you silence yourself, you have approached Nibbana, for vindictiveness is no longer in you.

7. Just as a cowherd drives the cattle to pasture with a staff, so do old age and death drive the life force of beings (from existence to existence).

8. When the fool commits evil deeds, he does not realize (their evil nature). The witless man is tormented by his own deeds, like one burnt by fire.

9. He who inflicts violence on those who are unarmed, and offends those who are inoffensive, will soon come upon one of these ten states:

138-140 Sharp pain, or disaster, bodily injury, serious illness, or derangement of mind, trouble from the government, or grave charges, loss of relatives, or loss of wealth, or houses destroyed by ravaging fire; upon dissolution of the body that ignorant man is born in hell. Continue reading →