“Don’t resort to lowly things, don’t abide in negligence, don’t resort to wrong views, don’t perpetuate the world.”
Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, pamādena na saṁvase; Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.
Chapter 13: The World
Lokavagga
Verses 167–178 · 12 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Twelve verses on the world and on not following it. The chapter contrasts the person who sees the world as a bubble or a mirage with the crowd that does not, and it holds the line that the world is blind and only a few see clearly.
“Get up, don’t be heedless, live by principle, with good conduct. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.”
Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care; Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
“Live by principle, with good conduct, don’t conduct yourself badly. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.”
Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, na naṁ duccaritaṁ care; Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
“Look upon the world as a bubble or a mirage, then the King of Death won’t see you.”
Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe, yathā passe marīcikaṁ; Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ, maccurājā na passati.
“Come, see this world decked out like a fancy royal chariot. Here fools founder, but the discerning are not chained.”
Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ, cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ; Yattha bālā visīdanti, natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.
“He who once was heedless, but turned to heedfulness, shines upon this world like the moon freed from clouds.”
Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, pacchā so nappamajjati; Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, abbhā muttova candimā.
“Someone whose bad deed is supplanted by the good, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds.”
Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ, kusalena pidhīyati; Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, abbhā muttova candimā.
“Blind is the world, few are those who clearly see. Only a handful go to heaven, like a bird freed from a net.”
Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko, tanukettha vipassati; Sakuṇo jālamuttova, appo saggāya gacchati.
“Swans fly by the sun’s path, psychic sages fly through space. The attentive leave the world, having vanquished Māra with his legions.”
Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, ākāse yanti iddhiyā; Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.
“When a personage, spurning the hereafter, transgresses in just one thing— lying— there is no evil they would not do.”
Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa, musāvādissa jantuno; Vitiṇṇaparalokassa, natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.
“The miserly don’t ascend to heaven, it takes a fool to not praise giving. The attentive celebrate giving, and so find happiness in the hereafter.”
Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti, Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ; Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno, Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.
“The fruit of stream-entry is better than being the one king of the earth, than going to heaven, than lordship over all the world.”
Pathabyā ekarajjena, saggassa gamanena vā; Sabbalokādhipaccena, sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ. Lokavaggo terasamo.