dhp.306-319 Dhammapada

One who claims what is not so goes to hell;
So also one having done something who says, “I did
not do this.” Both do base deeds, and both are equal after death
in the other world.

Many in saffron robes are unrestrained with evil
character.
By evil deeds these wicked ones are reborn in hell.

Better to eat an iron ball, hot like a fire’s point,
Than if one, immoral and unrestrained,
Would eat the country’s alms food.

The negligent man, who pursues the wife of
another,
Encounters four conditions: accumulation of
demerit,
An unpleasant bed, reproach, and finally hell.

So, a man ought not resort to another’s wife,
Accumulating demerit, a bad destination, and the
king’s harsh punishment.
Little is the delight of a fearful man with a fearful
woman.

Just as wrongly grasped kusa grass cuts the hand,
So the renunciant life, wrongly handled, pulls toward
hell.

A lax action, an impure observance,
A dubious holy life:
This is hardly fruitful.

Do what ought to be done,
Undertake it firmly.
The lax religious life simply scatters more dust.

An evil deed is better not done.
Such a deed torments one later.
A good deed is better done,
Which, when done, does not cause regret.

Just as a border city is protected inside and out,
So you ought to guard yourself.
Let not a moment escape.
They who let the moment pass grieve
When consigned to hell.

Ashamed of what is not shameful,
And not ashamed of what is shameful;
Those undertaking wrong view
Go to a miserable destination.

Being afraid of what is not frightful,
And being unafraid of the frightful,
Those undertaking wrong view
Go to a miserable destination.

Imagining fault in the faultless,
And perceiving no fault in the sinful,
Those undertaking wrong view
Go to a miserable existence.

Having known fault as fault
And faultless as faultless,
Those undertaking right view
Go to a favorable destination.

The one who speaks falsely goes to the underworld,
and he who says: ‘I did not do’ what he has done,
both of these are just the same when they have gone
to the hereafter, they are humans who did base deeds.

Many wearing the monastic robe around their necks are wicked, unrestrained,
the wicked through their wicked deeds re-arisein the underworld.

It’s better to have eaten a glowing iron ball, like a flame of fire,
than that the monastic who is unrestrained and unvirtuous should enjoy the country’s almsfood.

There are four states the man who is heedless,
the man who consorts with other man’s wives, undergoes:
he gains demerit, an uncomfortable bed,
blame as third, and rebirth in the underworld as fourth.

Gaining demerit and a bad destiny,
and only the small delight of a scared man with a scared woman,
and kings who apply heavy punishment,
a man therefore should not consort with another’s wife.

As jagged grass, wrongly grasped, cuts into the hand,
so does the ascetic life, wrongly grasped, drag one down to the underworld.

Whatever lax deed there is and that vow which is defiled,
know that a holy life that is doubtful does not have great fruit for that one.

If he would do what should be done, he should be firm in his effort,
for the wanderer who is lax spreads a lot of impurity.

Better undone is a wrong-doing, a wrong-doing one later regrets,
better done is what is well-done, which, when done, one does not regret.

As a border town is guarded on the inside and the outside,
so one should watch over oneself, and you should not let the moment pass,
for when the chance has passed they grieve when consigned to the underworld.

They are ashamed of what is not shameful, not ashamed of what is shameful,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Seeing fear in what is not fearful, not seeing fear in what is fearful,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Finding blame in what is blameless, not seeing blame in what is blameable,
undertaking wrong views, beings go to a bad destiny.

Knowing blame in what is blameable, and no blame in what is blameless,
undertaking right views, beings go to a good destiny.

The liar goes to the state of woe; also he who, having done (wrong), says, “I did not do it.” Men of base actions both, on departing they share the same destiny in the other world.

There are many evil characters and uncontrolled men wearing the saffron robe. These wicked men will be born in states of woe because of their evil deeds.

It would be better to swallow a red-hot iron ball, blazing like fire, than as an immoral and uncontrolled monk to eat the alms of the people.

Four misfortunes befall the reckless man who consorts with another’s wife: acquisition of demerit, disturbed sleep, ill-repute, and (rebirth in) states of woe.

Such a man acquires demerit and an unhappy birth in the future. Brief is the pleasure of the frightened man and woman, and the king imposes heavy punishment. Hence, let no man consort with another’s wife.

Just as kusa grass wrongly handled cuts the hand, even so, a recluse’s life wrongly lived drags one to states of woe.

Any loose act, any corrupt observance, any life of questionable celibacy—none of these bear much fruit.

If anything is to be done, let one do it with sustained vigor. A lax monastic life stirs up the dust of passions all the more.

An evil deed is better left undone, for such a deed torments one afterwards. But a good deed is better done, doing which one repents not later.

Just as a border city is closely guarded both within and without, even so, guard yourself. Do not let slip this opportunity (for spiritual growth). For those who let slip this opportunity grieve indeed when consigned to hell.

Those who are ashamed of what they should not be ashamed of, and are not ashamed of what they should be ashamed of—upholding false views, they go to states of woe.

Those who see something to fear where there is nothing to fear, and see nothing to fear where there is something to fear—upholding false views, they go to states of woe.

Those who imagine evil where there is none, and do not see evil where it is—upholding false views, they go to states of woe.

Those who discern the wrong as wrong and the right as right—upholding right views, they go to realms of bliss.