dhp.320-333 Dhammapada

Like an elephant in battle endures an arrow shot from bow
so will I endure abuse, for many people are unvirtuous.

They lead one trained into a crowd, a king mounts one who has been trained,
amongst humans one trained is best, the one who can endure abuse.

Noble are the well-trained horses, the well-bred horses from Sindh,
and the great tusker elephants, and even more noble than that is the one who has trained himself.

Not by these vehicles can one go to the place beyond destinations,
as one through training himself well, being trained by the training, goes.

The tusker named Dhanapālaka
musty in rut, difficult to restrain,
bound, he doesn’t eat even a morsel,
the tusker remembers the elephant forest.

When one is torpid and overeats,
sleepy and rolling on the bed,
like a great pig fed on fodder,
that fool comes to the womb again.

Formerly this wandering mind wandered
through desire, pleasure and happiness,
but today I will control it wisely,
like one with goad an elephant in rut.

You should delight in heedfulness, you should always protect your mind,
you should raise yourself from this pit like the tusker sunk in the mud.

If you should find a prudent friend
or companion, one who lives well, a wise one,
overcoming all your troubles
you should live with that one, glad and mindful.

If you do not find a prudent friend
or companion, one who lives well, a wise one,
like a king who abandons his conquered kingdom
one should live alone like a solitary elephant in the forest.

It is better to live alone, there can be no friendship with a fool,
one should live alone and not do anything bad,
unconcerned like a solitary elephant in the forest.

Friends are good whenever need arises,
being content with everything is good,
at the break-up of life merit is good,
the abandoning of all suffering is good.

Respecting one’s mother is good in the world, also respecting one’s father is good,
respecting ascetics is good in the world, also respecting true brahmins is good.

Virtuous conduct till old age is good, the establishing of faith is good,
the acquisition of wisdom is good, doing nothing wicked is good.

As an elephant in battle endures arrows shot from
bows,
So shall I endure insult.
Truly, the masses are immoral.

It is the tamed one they lead into the crowd.
It is the tamed one that the king mounts.
Among humans, best is the tamed one
Who endures insult.

Excellent are tamed mules,
Thoroughbred horses of Sindh, and great elephants,
tuskers.
More excellent than these is the one who tames
himself.

For not by these mounts could one go to the
unreached region,
As one tamed goes well-tamed.

A tusker named Dhanapālaka,
Bound, difficult to restrain, and rutting,
Does not eat even a morsel;
He longs for the elephant grove.

The sluggish and gluttonous,
The sleeper, who lies rolling around,
Being dull like a great boar nourished on fodder,
Undergoes rebirth again and again.

Formerly, this mind went wandering as it wished,
According to its desire and pleasure.
Today, I will restrain it thoroughly,
As an elephant driver subdues a rutting elephant.

Be devoted to vigilance;
Guard your mind.
Raise yourself from the bad path,
Like a tusker sunk in mud.

If you should find an intelligent companion,
A fellow-traveler who is wise and virtuous,
You should journey together, joyful and mindful,
Overcoming all dangers.

If you should not find an intelligent companion,
A fellow-traveler who is wise and virtuous,
Then journey alone,
Like a king who has abandoned a conquered
kingdom,
Like the elephant in the Mātaṅga forest.

It is better to travel alone; there is no
companionship with a fool.
Go alone, wanting little, and doing no wrong,
Like the elephant in the Mātaṅga forest.

Happy are friends when need arises.
Happy is contentment in whatever is.
Happy is a meritorious deed at the end of life.
Happy is the abandonment of suffering altogether.

Happy in this world is reverence toward one’s
mother,
And reverence for one’s father as well.
Happy in this world is reverence toward a
renunciant.
Happy is respect for the brahmin.

Happy is virtue through old age.
Happy is a firmly established faith.
Happy is the attainment of wisdom.
Happy is doing no wrong.

As an elephant in the battlefield withstands arrows shot from bows all around, even so shall I endure abuse. There are many, indeed, who lack virtue.

A tamed elephant is led into a crowd, and the king mounts a tamed elephant. Best among men is the subdued one who endures abuse.

Excellent are well-trained mules, thoroughbred Sindhu horses and noble tusker elephants. But better still is the man who has subdued himself.

Not by these mounts, however, would one go to the Untrodden Land (Nibbana), as one who is self-tamed goes by his own tamed and well-controlled mind.

Musty during rut, the tusker named Dhanapalaka is uncontrollable. Held in captivity, the tusker does not touch a morsel, but only longingly calls to mind the elephant forest.

When a man is sluggish and gluttonous, sleeping and rolling around in bed like a fat domestic pig, that sluggard undergoes rebirth again and again.

Formerly this mind wandered about as it liked, where it wished and according to its pleasure, but now I shall thoroughly master it with wisdom as a mahout controls with his ankus an elephant in rut.

Delight in heedfulness! Guard well your thoughts! Draw yourself out of this bog of evil, even as an elephant draws himself out of the mud.

If for company you find a wise and prudent friend who leads a good life, you should, overcoming all impediments, keep his company joyously and mindfully.

If for company you cannot find a wise and prudent friend who leads a good life, then, like a king who leaves behind a conquered kingdom, or like a lone elephant in the elephant forest, you should go your way alone.

Better it is to live alone; there is no fellowship with a fool. Live alone and do no evil; be carefree like an elephant in the elephant forest.

Good are friends when need arises; good is contentment with just what one has; good is merit when life is at an end, and good is the abandoning of all suffering (through Arahantship).

In this world, good it is to serve one’s mother, good it is to serve one’s father, good it is to serve the monks, and good it is to serve the holy men.

Good is virtue until life’s end, good is faith that is steadfast, good is the acquisition of wisdom, and good is the avoidance of evil.