dhp.157-166 Dhammapada

If one regards oneself as dear one should guard oneself right well,
during one of the three watches of the night the wise one should stay alert.

First one should establish oneself in what is suitable,
then one can advise another, the wise one should not have any defilement.

He should do himself as he would advise another to do,
being well-trained, he could surely train another, for it is said the self is difficult to train.

For the self is the friend of self, for what other friend would there be?
When the self is well-trained, one finds a friend that is hard to find.

That wickedness done by oneself, born in oneself, arising in oneself,
crushes the one who is stupid, as a diamond crushes a rock-jewel.

The one who has an exceeding lack of virtue, like a deadly creeper covering a Sal tree,
makes himself the same as his enemy wishes him to be.

Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,
but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.

Whoever reviles the worthy teaching of the Noble Ones who live by Dhamma,
that stupid one, depending on wicked views,
like the bamboo when it bears fruit, brings about his own destruction.

By oneself alone is a wicked deed done, by oneself is one defiled,
by oneself is a wicked deed left undone, by oneself is one purified,
purity and impurity come from oneself, for no one can purify another.

One should not neglect one’s own good for another’s, however great;
knowing what is good for oneself one should be intent on that good.

If one would know oneself as dear,
One would keep oneself well-protected.
The wise man should guard himself
Throughout the three watches of the night.

One should first establish oneself in what is proper.
Then only could the wise man instruct others and
remain unstained.

If one would only do oneself what one instructs
others to do!
Then, well-restrained, he would well-train others.
Truly, training oneself is most difficult.

Truly oneself is one’s own protector.
What other protector could there be?
Only by being well-trained oneself
Does one obtain the true protector, so hard to gain.

By oneself is evil done;
It proceeds from oneself, it originates from oneself.
It crushes the fool,
Like a diamond crushes a precious stone.

He who covers himself with depraved conduct,
Like a creeper covers a sala tree,
Does to himself what an enemy desires for him.

It is easy to do wrong,
So harmful to oneself.
It is indeed most difficult to do good,
So beneficial to oneself.

He who scorns the teaching of the arahants,
Those nobles who live the Dhamma,
Is the fool who relies on evil views.
Like the fruit of a bamboo, he ripens to self-
destruction.

By oneself alone is evil done, by oneself one
becomes defiled.
Evil is undone by oneself, by oneself alone can one
become cleansed.
Purity and impurity arise from oneself. No one can
purify another.

Neglect not your own welfare for another’s,
However great.
If you fully understood your own welfare,
You would pursue the true attainment.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Let one not neglect one’s own welfare for the sake of another, however great. Clearly understanding one’s own welfare, let one be intent upon the good.