Papavagga

Tipitaka » Sutta Pitaka » Khuddaka Nikaya » Dhammapada

PTS: Dhp 116-128

Source: Adapted from the original translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Papavagga: Evil
116. Be quick in doing what's admirable. Restrain your mind from what's evil. When you're slow in making merit, evil delights the mind.

117. If a person does evil, he shouldn't do it again & again, shouldn't develop a penchant for it. To accumulate evil brings pain.

118. If a person makes merit, he should do it again & again, should develop a penchant for it. To accumulate merit brings ease.

119. Even the evil meet with good fortune as long as their evil has yet to mature. But when it's matured that's when they meet with evil.

120. Even the good meet with bad fortune as long as their good has yet to mature. But when it's matured that's when they meet with good fortune.

121. Don't be heedless of evil ('It won't come to me'). A water jar fills, even with water falling in drops. With evil -- even if bit by bit, habitually -- the fool fills himself full.

122. Don't be heedless of merit ('It won't come to me'). A water jar fills, even with water falling in drops. With merit -- even if bit by bit,habitually -- the enlightened one fills himself full.

123. Like a merchant with a small but well-laden caravan -- a dangerous road, like a person who loves life -- a poison, one should avoid -- evil deeds.

124. If there's no wound on the hand, that hand can hold poison. Poison won't penetrate where there's no wound. There's no evil for those who don't do it.

125. Whoever harasses an innocent man, a man pure, without blemish: the evil comes right back to the fool like fine dust thrown against the wind.

126. Some are born in the human womb, evildoers in hell, those on the good course go to heaven, while those without effluent: totally unbound.

127. Not up in the air, nor in the middle of the sea, nor going into a cleft in the mountains -- nowhere on earth -- is a spot to be found where you could stay & escape your evil deed.

128. Not up in the air, nor in the middle of the sea, nor going into a cleft in the mountains -- nowhere on earth -- is a spot to be found where you could stay & not succumb to death.

Disclaimer
Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Buddhism Today edition © 1999

For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish, however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be clearly marked as such.