dhp.334-359 Dhammapada

For a human who lives life heedlessly
craving increases like a clinging creeper,
he rushes from one place to another
like a monkey desiring fruit in the forest.

That one who is overcome by these low cravings and attachments in the world,
for him griefs increase like grass that has had heavy rain.

Whoever overcomes this low craving in the world, which is difficult to get past,
griefs fall from him like a drop of water from a lotus.

This I say to you: “Good luck to as many as have assembled here”,
dig up the root of craving, like one seeking the root digs up grass,
do not let Māra push you down again like a stream pushes down the reed.

Just as when the root remains firm and untroubled
though the tree was cut down, it grows again,
so when the tendency to craving is not rooted out
this suffering appears again and again.

He in whom the thirty-six streams flow pleasantly and strong,
the one with wrong view, is carried away by his passionate intentions.

Streams are flowing everywhere, the creepers remain where they grow,
seeing this, cut the creeper’s root that has arisen with wisdom.

There are flowing streams of affection and
mental happinesses for a person,
pleasure-dependent they seek happiness,
those people undergo both birth and old age.

People surrounded by craving
crawl round like a hare in a trap,
attached and clinging to fetters
they come back again and again to suffering for a long time.

People surrounded by craving
crawl round like a hare in a trap,
therefore he should remove craving –
the monk who longs for dispassion for himself.

The one who is free from desires, who is intent on the forest,
though free from the forest, runs back to the forest,
come here and look at that person,
though free, he runs back to bondage.

That bondage is not so strong say the wise,
that is made of iron or wood or reeds,
impassioned and excited they seek out
jewels and earrings and children and wives –
that bondage is strong say the wise,
dragging down the lax, hard to get free from,
having cut this down they wander about
seeking nothing, abandoning the happiness in pleasure.

Those who are impassioned by passion follow the stream
like a spider a web made by itself,
having cut this away the wise proceed,
seeking nothing, abandoning all suffering.

Be free of the past, be free of the future,
be free of the present, after crossing over all existence,
with mind liberated in every way,
you will not return to birth and old age.

For a person crushed by thoughts
and pierced by passion, contemplating the attractive,
craving increases much more,
this surely makes the bond more firm.

Whoever has delight in the calming of thoughts,
who always mindfully cultivates what is unattractive,
will surely abolish this craving,
he will cut off the bond of Māra.

Having gone to the end, without trembling, without craving, without impurity,
cutting off the darts of existence, this one is his final body.

Without craving, without attachment, skilled in words and their explanation,
knowing how syllables are arranged, which come before and which after,
the one in his final body is said to be a great person, one of great wisdom.

All-Conquering, All-Wise am I,
undefiled regarding all things,
having given up everything, liberated through craving’s destruction,
when having deep knowledge myself, who should I point to as Teacher?

The gift of the Dhamma surpasses all other gifts,
the taste of the Dhamma surpasses all other tastes,
the love of the Dhamma surpasses all other loves,
destruction of craving overcomes all suffering.

Riches destroy the stupid one who does not seek the way beyond,
through his craving for riches the stupid one destroys others and himself.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by passion,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without passion.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by hatred,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without hatred.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by delusion,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without delusion.

Fields are ruined by grassy weeds, these people are ruined by desire,
therefore there is great fruit for that given to those without desire.

The craving of the careless one grows like a creeper.
The craver jumps from existence to existence,
Like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest.

One who is conquered by this miserable craving,
This clinging in the world:
His sorrows grow like bīraṇa grass after rain.

But one who conquers this miserable craving,
So difficult to overcome in the world:
His sorrows fall away, like drops of water from a
lotus.

I say to you: Good fortune to all assembled here!
Uproot the root of craving,
As one would who desires the fragrant root of the
bīraṇa grass.
Let not Māra crush you, as a torrent crushes a reed,
Again and again and again.

Just as a tree cut down will grow again
When the root remains healthy and strong,
So this suffering arises again and again
When dormant craving is not destroyed.

The wrong-viewed person,
The one in whom the thirty-six streams of craving
flow mightily,
Is carried away by these currents,
These thoughts dependent on passion.

Streams flow everywhere.
The creeper, having sprung up, establishes itself.
Seeing that the creeper has emerged,
Use wisdom to cut it off at the root.

Delights, flowing along and filled with lust, arise in
people.
Surely, those intent on enjoyment, seeking pleasure,
Undergo birth and old age.

Encircled by craving,
People run around like ensnared hares.
Bound by the fetters of attachment.
They undergo long suffering again and again.

Encircled by craving,
People run around like ensnared hares.
Therefore, one who desires dispassion
Should dispel craving.

Who, for the sake of being free from the forest (of
craving), Is resolved upon the forest (of solitude), And then runs back to the forest (of craving); Come and see one freed who runs back into
bondage!

The fetter made of iron, of wood, or of babbaja grass,
Is not so strong, say the wise.
But infatuation with jewels and ornaments,
Or longing for sons and wives,

That is a strong bond, say the wise,
Loose, yet difficult to be freed from.
When the bond is cut, they go about,
Free from longing,
Having abandoned sensual pleasure.

Those excited by passion fall into the current,
As a spider caught in its self-made web.
Having cut off this passion, the wise set forth,
Free from longing,
Having abandoned all suffering.

Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the
present.
Gone to the other shore of existence,
With mind everywhere emancipated,
You will not again come to birth and old age.

For the one with disturbed thoughts and intense
passion,
Who is focused on pleasant things,
Craving only grows stronger.
Indeed, craving fortifies the fetter.

For the one devoted to calming thoughts, always
mindful,
Who meditates on what is foul:
That one will make an end and cut off Māra’s bond.

One who has attained perfection,
Who is pure, without craving or fear:
This one has destroyed the arrows of becoming;
His present body, the last.

One who is without craving, free of grasping,
Skilled in the scriptures, who would know their
arrangement;
Such a one is truly called great person;
Such a one possesses great wisdom;
Such a one is living his final life.

I know all; I overcome all.
Free of stain in all conditions,
Abandoning everything,
Emancipated by the dissolution of craving,
I have understood everything on my own.

The gift of Dhamma overwhelms all gifts.
The taste of Dhamma overwhelms all tastes.
The delight of Dhamma overwhelms all delights.
The dissolution of craving overwhelms all suffering.

Wealth wounds those lacking wisdom,
Not those seeking the other shore.
Craving wealth, those who lack wisdom
Destroy others, even as themselves.

Fields are ruined by weeds;
Humanity is ruined by passions.
But indeed what is given to those whose passions are
gone
Bears great fruit.

Fields are ruined by weeds;
Humanity is ruined by ill will.
But indeed what is given to those whose ill will is
gone
Bears great fruit.

Fields are ruined by weeds;
Humanity is ruined by delusion.
But indeed what is given to those whose delusion is
gone
Bears great fruit.

Fields are ruined by weeds;
Humanity is ruined by longing.
Truly, what is given to those whose longing is gone
Bears great fruit.

The craving of one given to heedless living grows like a creeper. Like the monkey seeking fruits in the forest, he leaps from life to life (tasting the fruit of his kamma).

Whoever is overcome by this wretched and sticky craving, his sorrows grow like grass after the rains.

But whoever overcomes this wretched craving, so difficult to overcome, from him sorrows fall away like water from a lotus leaf.

This I say to you: Good luck to all assembled here! Dig up the root of craving, like one in search of the fragrant root of the birana grass. Let not Mara crush you again and again, as a flood crushes a reed.

Just as a tree, though cut down, sprouts up again if its roots remain uncut and firm, even so, until the craving that lies dormant is rooted out, suffering springs up again and again.

The misguided man in whom the thirty-six currents of craving strongly rush toward pleasurable objects, is swept away by the flood of his passionate thoughts.

Everywhere these currents flow, and the creeper (of craving) sprouts and grows. Seeing that the creeper has sprung up, cut off its root with wisdom.

Flowing in (from all objects) and watered by craving, feelings of pleasure arise in beings. Bent on pleasures and seeking enjoyment, these men fall prey to birth and decay.

Beset by craving, people run about like an entrapped hare. Held fast by mental fetters, they come to suffering again and again for a long time.

Beset by craving, people run about like an entrapped hare. Therefore, one who yearns to be passion-free should destroy his own craving.

There is one who, turning away from desire (for household life) takes to the life of the forest (i.e. Of a monk). But after being freed from the household, he runs back to it. Behold that man! Though freed, he runs back to that very bondage!

That is not a strong fetter, the wise say, which is made of iron, wood or hemp. But the infatuation and longing for jewels and ornaments, children and wives—that, they say, is a far stronger fetter, which pulls one downward and, though seemingly loose, is hard to remove. This, too, the wise cut off. Giving up sensual pleasure, and without any longing, they renounce the world.

Those who are lust-infatuated fall back into the swirling current (of samsara) like a spider on its self-spun web. This, too, the wise cut off. Without any longing, they abandon all suffering and renounce the world.

Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present, and cross over to the farther shore of existence. With mind wholly liberated, you shall come no more to birth and death.

For a person tormented by evil thoughts, who is passion-dominated and given to the pursuit of pleasure, his craving steadily grows. He makes the fetter strong, indeed.

He who delights in subduing evil thoughts, who meditates on the impurities and is ever mindful—it is he who will make an end of craving and rend asunder Mara’s fetter.

He who has reached the goal, is fearless, free from craving, passionless, and has plucked out the thorns of existence—for him this is the last body.

He who is free from craving and attachment, is perfect in uncovering the true meaning of the Teaching, and knows the arrangement of the sacred texts in correct sequence—he, indeed, is the bearer of his final body. He is truly called the profoundly wise one, the great man.

A victor am I over all, all have I known. Yet unattached am I to all that is conquered and known. Abandoning all, I am freed through the destruction of craving. Having thus directly comprehended all by myself, whom shall I call my teacher?

The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts; the taste of the Dhamma excels all tastes; the delight in Dhamma excels all delights. The Craving-Freed vanquishes all suffering.

Riches ruin only the foolish, not those in quest of the Beyond. By craving for riches the witless man ruins himself as well as others.

Weeds are the bane of fields, lust is the bane of mankind. Therefore, what is offered to those free of lust yields abundant fruit.

Weeds are the bane of fields, hatred is the bane of mankind. Therefore, what is offered to those free of hatred yields abundant fruit.

Weeds are the bane of fields, delusion is the bane of mankind. Therefore, what is offered to those free of delusion yields abundant fruit.

Weeds are the bane of fields, desire is the bane of mankind. Therefore, what is offered to those free of desire yields abundant fruit.