Patna Dhamma Verses
Patna Dhammapadaṁ
Khāntivarggaḥ
14: The Chapter about Patience
239. Khāntī paramaṁ tapo titikkhā,
Nibbāṇaṁ paramaṁ vadanti Buddhā,
na hi pravrajito paropaghātī,
śamaṇo hoti pare vihesayāno.
239. 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.
240. Ahiṁsakā ye munayo,
niccaṁ kāyena saṁvtā,
te yānti accutaṁ ṭṭhāṇaṁ
yattha gantā na śocati.
240. Those sages without violence,
constantly restrained in body,
go to the deathless Nibbāna,
having gone there they do not grieve.
241. Suprabuddhaṁ prabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesāṁ divā ca rātto ca ahiṁsāya rato mano.
241. Gotama’s disciples always awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night have a mind that delights in non-violence.
242. Suprabuddhaṁ prabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesāṁ divā ca rātto ca bhāvanāya rato mano.
242. Gotama’s disciples always awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night have a mind that delights in cultivation.
243. Suprabuddhaṁ prabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesāṁ divā ca rātto ca niccaṁ kāyagatā satī.
243. Gotama’s disciples always awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night constantly have mindfulness of the body.
244. Ye jhānaprasutā dhīrā,
nekkhammo ’paśame ratā,
devā pi tesaṁ prihayanti,
Sambuddhānāṁ satīmatāṁ.
244. 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.
245. Aranne yadi vā ggrāme,
ninne vā yadi vā thale,
yattha arahanto viharanti,
taṁ bhomaṁ rāmaṇīyakaṁ.
245. Whether in the wilds or village, whether on low or on high ground,
wherever the Arahats live, that ground is surely delightful.
246. Ekaṁ pi ce prāṇam aduṣṭacitto,
mettāyate, kuśalī tena hoti,
sabbe ca prāṇe manasānukampī,
prabhūtam ayiro prakaroti puññaṁ.
246. If, for even one living being, one with an uncorrupt mind,
has loving-kindness, there is wholesomeness in that,
but the one with compassion in mind for all living beings,
that noble one makes abundant merit.
247. Ye sattaśaṇḍāṁ paṭhaviṁ vijettā,
rājariṣayo yajamānānupariyagu,
aśśamedhaṁ puruṣamedhaṁ,
sammaprāsaṁ vāyupeyaṁ nirāggaḍaṁ –
mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa,
kalāṁ pi te nānubhavanti soḍaśiṁ,
candaprabhāṁ tāragaṇā va sabbe.
247. Those who conquered the earth, crowded with beings,
those royal seers who went round sacrificing:
the horse sacrifice, the man sacrifice,
the stick-casting, the soma An unidentified drink used in Vedic ritual. offering, the unobstructed –
compared to the one who develops his mind with loving-kindness,
they do not partake of even a sixteenth part,
just as the whole host of stars
do not partake of the radiance of the moon.
248. Yo ’tha metteṇa cittena
sabbe prāṇe ’nukampati,
mettaṁ se sabbabhūtesu,
veraṁ tassa na kenaci.
248. Then he who with a mind of loving-kindness
has compassion for all living beings,
having loving-kindness towards all beings,
he has no one who is hated.
249. Yassa sabbe ahorātte ahiṁsāya rato mano,
mettaṁ se sabbabhūtesu,
veraṁ tassa na kenaci.
249. For he who every day and night delights in a mind of non-violence,
having loving-kindness towards all beings,
he has no one who is hated.
250. Yassa sabbe ahorātte
bhāvanāya rato mano,
mettaṁ se sabbabhūtesu,
veraṁ tassa na kenaci.
250. For he who every day and night
has a mind that delights in cultivation,
having loving-kindness towards all beings,
he has no one who is hated.
251. Yassa sabbe ahorātte
niccaṁ kāyagatā satī,
mettaṁ se sabbabhūtesu,
veraṁ tassa na kenaci.
251. For he who every day and night
constantly has mindfulness of the body,
having loving-kindness towards all beings,
he has no one who is hated.
252. Yo na hanti na ghāteti,
na jināti na jāpaye,
mettaṁ se sabbabhūtesu,
veraṁ tassa na kenaci.
252. He who neither kills, nor has killed,
conquers, nor has conquered,
having loving-kindness towards all beings,
he has no one who is hated.
253. Na hi vereṇa verāṇi śāmantīha kadācanaṁ,
avereṇa tu śāmanti,
esa dhammo sanātano.
253. For not by hatred do hatreds cease at any time in this place,
they only cease with non-hatred,
this truth is surely eternal.
254. Pare ca na vijānanti vayam ettha jayāmatha,
ye ca tattha vijānanti,
tato śāmmanti medhakā.
254. The others do not understand that we should be successful here,
but for those here who do understand,
through that, their dissensions do cease.
255. Susukhaṁ vata jīvāmo,
veriṇesu averiṇo,
veriṇesu manuṣyesu
viharāma averiṇo.
255. Let us live truly happily, without hatred,
amongst those who have hatred,
amongst humans who have hatred let us live without hatred.
256. Susukhaṁ vata jīvāmo,
ussukesu anussukā,
ussukesu manuṣyesu
viharāma anussukā,
256. Let us live truly happily, without longing,
amongst those who are longing,
amongst humans who are longing let us live without longing.
257. Susukhaṁ vata jīvāmo,
yesaṁ no nāsti kiñcanaṁ,
sakiñcanesu manuṣyesu
viharāma akiñcanā.
257. We live truly happily enough having no possessions ourselves,
amongst those with possessions let us live having no possessions.
258. Yathā bubbudakaṁ paśśe,
yathā paśśe marīcikaṁ,
evaṁ lokaṁ avecchānam
Maccurājā na paśśati.
258. One should see it as a bubble,
one should see it as a mirage,
looking on the world in this way
the King of Death does not see one.
259. Parijinnam idaṁ rūpaṁ,
roganīḍaṁ prabhaṅguraṁ,
bhijjīhiti pūtisandeho,
maraṇāttaṁ hi jīvitaṁ.
259. This body is worn out, a nest of disease, perishing,
the putrid body comes to destruction, for life ends in death. Reading -
260. Jihmaṁ ca driṣṭā dukhitaṁ ca vyādhitaṁ
pretañ-ca driṣṭā, na cirassa mānavo,
saṁvego tīppe ?vipulo? ajāyatha,
acchecchi dhīro ghibandhanāni.
260. Having seen an old man, one afflicted and sick,
having seen one deceased, after not long for the student,
anxiety, sharp and extensive, arose,
and the wise one cut the household bonds.
Khāntivarggaḥ
The Chapter about Patience