“Of paths, the eightfold is the best; of truths, the four statements; dispassion is the best of things, and the Clear-eyed One is the best of humans.”
Maggānaṭṭhaṅgiko seṭṭho, saccānaṁ caturo padā; Virāgo seṭṭho dhammānaṁ, dvipadānañca cakkhumā.
Chapter 20: The Path
Maggavagga
Verses 273–289 · 17 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Seventeen verses on the path, and the most explicitly doctrinal chapter in the book. It presents the eightfold path as the only way and lays out its factors, then insists that the path is something walked rather than admired. It includes the verses on the four noble truths and on the body as a wound that should be seen clearly.
“<em>This</em> is the path, there is no other for the purification of vision. You all must practice this, it is the way to baffle Māra.”
Eseva maggo natthañño, Dassanassa visuddhiyā; Etañhi tumhe paṭipajjatha, Mārassetaṁ pamohanaṁ.
“When you all are practicing this, you’ll make an end of suffering. I have explained the path to you for extracting the thorn with wisdom.”
Etañhi tumhe paṭipannā, dukkhassantaṁ karissatha; Akkhāto vo mayā maggo, aññāya sallakantanaṁ.
“You yourselves must do the work, the Realized Ones just show the way. Meditators practicing absorption are released from Māra’s bonds.”
Tumhehi kiccamātappaṁ, akkhātāro tathāgatā; Paṭipannā pamokkhanti, jhāyino mārabandhanā.
“All conditions are impermanent— when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.”
“Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
“All conditions are suffering— when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.”
“Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
“All things are not-self— when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.”
“Sabbe dhammā anattā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.
“They don’t get going when it’s time to start; they’re young and strong, but given to sloth. Their mind depressed in sunken thought, lazy and slothful, they can’t discern the path.”
Uṭṭhānakālamhi anuṭṭhahāno, Yuvā balī ālasiyaṁ upeto; Saṁsannasaṅkappamano kusīto, Paññāya maggaṁ alaso na vindati.
“Guarded in speech, restrained in mind, doing no unskillful bodily deed. Purify these three ways of performing deeds, and win the path known to seers.”
Vācānurakkhī manasā susaṁvuto, Kāyena ca nākusalaṁ kayirā; Ete tayo kammapathe visodhaye, Ārādhaye maggamisippaveditaṁ.
“From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends. Knowing these two paths— of progress and decline— you should conduct yourself so that wisdom grows.”
Yogā ve jāyatī bhūri, ayogā bhūrisaṅkhayo; Etaṁ dvedhāpathaṁ ñatvā, bhavāya vibhavāya ca; Tathāttānaṁ niveseyya, yathā bhūri pavaḍḍhati.
“Cut down the jungle, not just a tree; from the jungle springs fear. Having cut down jungle and snarl, be free of jungles, mendicants!”
Vanaṁ chindatha mā rukkhaṁ, vanato jāyate bhayaṁ; Chetvā vanañca vanathañca, nibbanā hotha bhikkhavo.
“So long as the vine, no matter how small, that ties a man to women is not cut, his mind remains trapped, like a calf suckling its mother.”
Yāva hi vanatho na chijjati, Aṇumattopi narassa nārisu; Paṭibaddhamanova tāva so, Vaccho khīrapakova mātari.
“Cut out affection for oneself, like plucking an autumn lotus. Foster only the path to peace, the extinguishment the Holy One taught.”
Ucchinda sinehamattano, Kumudaṁ sāradikaṁva pāṇinā; Santimaggameva brūhaya, Nibbānaṁ sugatena desitaṁ.
““Here I will stay for the rains; here for winter, here the summer”; thus the fool thinks, not realizing the danger.”
Idha vassaṁ vasissāmi, idha hemantagimhisu; Iti bālo vicinteti, antarāyaṁ na bujjhati.
“As a mighty flood sweeps away a sleeping village, death steals away a man who dotes on children and cattle, his mind caught up in them.”
Taṁ puttapasusammattaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.
“Children provide you no shelter, nor does father, nor relatives. When you’re seized by the terminator, there’s no shelter in family.”
Na santi puttā tāṇāya, na pitā nāpi bandhavā; Antakenādhipannassa, natthi ñātīsu tāṇatā.
“Knowing the reason for this, astute, and ethically restrained, one would quickly clear the path that leads to extinguishment.”
Etamatthavasaṁ ñatvā, paṇḍito sīlasaṁvuto; Nibbānagamanaṁ maggaṁ, khippameva visodhaye. Maggavaggo vīsatimo.