dhp.179-196 Dhammapada

He whose victory cannot be undone,
whose victory no one here approaches,
the Buddha, whose range is endless,
by what path can you lead the pathless one?

For him there is no desire, attachment,
or craving to lead him anywhere,
the Buddha, whose range is endless,
by what path can you lead the pathless one?

Those wise ones intent on meditation, who delight in the peace of renunciation,
even the gods are envious of them, the Sambuddhas, the ones who are mindful.

It is rare to acquire birth as a human, rare is the life of mortals,
it is rare to hear the True Dhamma, rare the arising of Buddhas.

The non-doing of anything wicked, undertaking of what is good,
the purification of one’s mind - this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Enduring patience is the supreme austerity,
Nibbāna is supreme say the Buddhas,
for one gone forth does not hurt another,
nor does an ascetic harass another.

Not finding fault, not hurting, restraint by the regulations,
knowing the right measure of food, living in a remote dwelling,
devotion to meditation - this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Not through a rain of coins is satisfaction found for sense desires,
the wise one knowing: “Sense pleasures have little joy, much suffering,”
does not find delight even in heavenly pleasures.
The disciple of the Perfect Sambuddha delights in craving’s destruction.

Many people shaken by fear go for refuge
to woods and mountains, to tree shrines in pleasure parks.
That is not a secure refuge, that is not the refuge supreme,
that is not the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.

Whoever has gone refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha,
and who sees with right wisdom the four noble truths:
Suffering, arising of suffering, and the overcoming of suffering,
the eightfold noble path leading to the stilling of suffering.
That is a secure refuge, that is the refuge supreme,
that is the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.

A person of good breed is rare, that one is not born everywhere,
wherever that wise one is born, that family gains happiness.

The arising of the Buddhas is good, the teaching of the True Dhamma is good,
the harmony of the Saṅgha is good, devotion to harmony is good.

For those who worship those worthy of worship, whether Buddhas or disciples,
who have overcome the impediments, crossed over grief and lamentation;
for those who worship such as these, the emancipated, the fearless,
no one is able to measure their vast merit, saying: it is as much as this.

He whose victory cannot be undone,
A conquest no one in the world can pursue:
This is the Buddha, trackless in an endless field.
By what path would you guide him?

The one who has no snare,
No craving, no thirst to carry him anywhere:
This is the Buddha, trackless in an endless field.
By what path would you guide him?

The wise, intent on meditation,
Delighting in renunciation and calm,
Wholly awakened and mindful:
Even the gods envy them.

Difficult it is to gain a human birth;
Difficult is the life of mortals;
Difficult is the chance to hear the true Dhamma;
Difficult is the arising of Buddhas.

Doing no evil,
Undertaking the good,
Purifying one’s mind:
This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

One who hurts another is no monk.
One who harms another is no renunciant.
Patience and endurance make the highest asceticism.
The Buddhas teach that Nibbāna is supreme.

Not disparaging or hurting others,
Restrained by the precepts, moderate in food,
Dwelling in solitude, pursuing high states of mind:
This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Not even by a rain of coins would people have their
fill of sense pleasures.
The wise one knows they satisfy little and cause
pain.

He does not even delight in heavenly pleasures.
The disciple of the Wholly Awakened One is
devoted to craving’s destruction.

People driven by fear seek many refuges,
Whether mountains, forests, or shrine parks.

But such a refuge is not safe, surely not supreme.
Arriving at such a refuge, one is not free from all
suffering.

But one who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the
Dhamma, and the Sangha,
Sees, with true wisdom, the Four Noble Truths:

Suffering, the origin of suffering, the overcoming of
suffering,
And the Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of
suffering.

Truly, this refuge is safe, this refuge is supreme.
Having come to this refuge, one is truly freed from
all suffering.

A remarkable man is hard to find;
He is not born everywhere.
Where such a wise one is born
His family happily flourishes.

Happy the birth of the Buddhas;
Happy the teaching of the true Dhamma;
Happy the harmony of the Sangha;
Happy the austere practice of those in harmony.

If one venerates those worthy of veneration,
Buddhas or their disciples,
Beings who have transcended proliferations
And passed beyond grief and sorrow,

Beings who are free and fear nothing—
If one venerates such beings, the merit cannot be
measured.

By what track can you trace that trackless Buddha of limitless range, whose victory nothing can undo, whom none of the vanquished defilements can ever pursue?

By what track can you trace that trackless Buddha of limitless range, in whom exists no longer, the entangling and embroiling craving that perpetuates becoming?

Those wise ones who are devoted to meditation and who delight in the calm of renunciation—such mindful ones, Supreme Buddhas, even the gods hold dear.

Hard is it to be born a man; hard is the life of mortals. Hard is it to gain the opportunity of hearing the Sublime Truth, and hard to encounter is the arising of the Buddhas.

To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one’s mind—this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Enduring patience is the highest austerity. “Nibbana is supreme,” say the Buddhas. He is not a true monk who harms another, nor a true renunciate who oppresses others.

Not despising, not harming, restraint according to the code of monastic discipline, moderation in food, dwelling in solitude, devotion to meditation—this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

There is no satisfying sensual desires, even with the rain of gold coins. For sensual pleasures give little satisfaction and much pain. Having understood this, the wise man finds no delight even in heavenly pleasures. The disciple of the Supreme Buddha delights in the destruction of craving.

Driven only by fear, do men go for refuge to many places—to hills, woods, groves, trees and shrines.

Such, indeed, is no safe refuge; such is not the refuge supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one released from all suffering.

He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths—suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.

This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

Hard to find is the thoroughbred man (the Buddha); he is not born everywhere. Where such a wise man is born, that clan thrives happily.

Blessed is the birth of the Buddhas; blessed is the enunciation of the sacred Teaching; blessed is the harmony in the Order, and blessed is the spiritual pursuit of the united truth-seeker.

He who reveres those worthy of reverence, the Buddhas and their disciples, who have transcended all obstacles and passed beyond the reach of sorrow and lamentation—he who reveres such peaceful and fearless ones, his merit none can compute by any measure.