Dhammapada Verses on Happiness

“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with pure intent you speak or act, happiness follows you like a shadow that never leaves.”

“Understanding this distinction when it comes to heedfulness, the astute rejoice in heedfulness, happy in the noble ones’ domain.”

“Don’t devote yourself to negligence, or delight in erotic intimacy. For if you’re diligent and meditate, you’ll attain abundant happiness.”

“Hard to hold back, flighty, alighting where it will; it’s good to tame the mind; a tamed mind leads to bliss.”

“So hard to see, so subtle, alighting where it will; the discerning protect the mind, a guarded mind leads to bliss.”

“Through joy in the teaching you sleep at ease, with clear and confident heart. An astute person always delights in the teaching proclaimed by the Noble One.”

“True persons give up everything, they don’t cajole for the things they desire. Though touched by sadness or happiness, the astute appear neither depressed nor elated.”

“Rid of dark qualities, an astute person would develop the bright. Having left home for homelessness in seclusion, where joy is hard,”

“For one in the habit of bowing, always honoring the elders, four blessings grow: lifespan, beauty, happiness, and strength.”

“If you do something good, do it again and again, set your heart on it, for piling up goodness is joyful.”

“You can carry poison in your hand if it has no wound, for poison does not infect without a wound; nothing bad happens unless you do bad.”

“Creatures love happiness, so if you harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you won’t find happiness.”

“Creatures love happiness, so if you don’t harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you will find happiness.”

“What is joy, what is laughter, when the flames are ever burning? Swathed in darkness, would you not seek a light?”

“See this fancy puppet, a body built of sores, diseased, obsessed over, in which nothing lasts at all.”

“This body is decrepit and frail, a nest of disease. This foul carcass falls apart, for life ends in death.”

“These dove-grey bones are tossed away like dried gourds in the autumn— what joy is there in such a sight?”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“But such refuge is no sanctuary, it is no supreme refuge. By going to that refuge, you’re not released from all suffering.”

“Such refuge is a sanctuary, it is the supreme refuge. By going to that refuge, you’re released from all suffering.”

“It’s hard to find a thoroughbred man: they’re not born just anywhere. A family where that attentive one is born prospers in happiness.”

“Happy, the arising of Buddhas! Happy, the teaching of Dhamma! Happy is the harmony of the Saṅgha, and the striving of the harmonious is happy.”

“Let us live so very happily, loving among the hostile. Among hostile humans, let us live with love.”

“Let us live so very happily, healthy among the ailing. Among ailing humans let us live healthily.”

“Let us live so very happily, content among the greedy. Among greedy humans, let us live content.”

“Let us live so very happily, we who have nothing. We shall feed on rapture, like the gods of sublime luminosity.”

“Victory breeds enmity; the defeated sleep badly. The peaceful sleep at ease, having left victory and defeat behind.”

“There is no fire like greed, no crime like hate, no suffering like the aggregates, no bliss beyond peace.”

“Hunger is the worst illness, conditions are the worst suffering. When one has known this as it is, extinguishment is the ultimate happiness.”

“Health is the ultimate blessing; contentment, the ultimate wealth; trust is the ultimate family; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.”

“Having drunk the nectar of seclusion and the nectar of peace— free of stress, free of evil, drink the joyous nectar of truth.”

“It’s good to see the noble ones, staying with them is always good. Were you not to see fools, you’d always be happy.”

“For one who consorts with fools grieves long. Painful is living with fools, like being stuck with your enemy. Happy is living with an attentive one, like meeting with your kin.”

“In the atmosphere there is no track, there’s no true ascetic outside here. People enjoy proliferation, the Realized Ones are free of proliferation.”

“do I experience the bliss of renunciation not frequented by ordinary people. A mendicant cannot rest confident without attaining the end of defilements.”

“You yourselves must do the work, the Realized Ones just show the way. Meditators practicing absorption are released from Māra’s bonds.”

“If by giving up material happiness one sees abundant happiness, the attentive would give up material happiness, seeing the abundant happiness.”

“Seeking their own happiness by imposing suffering on others, intimate with enmity, they’re not freed from enmity.”

“Going forth is hard, it’s hard to be happy; life at home is hard too, and painful, it’s painful to stay when you’ve nothing in common. A traveler is a prey to pain, so don’t be a traveler, don’t be prey to pain.”

“In the past my mind wandered how it wished, where it liked, as it pleased. Now I’ll carefully guide it, as a trainer with a hook guides a rutting elephant.”

“If you find an alert companion, an attentive friend to live happily together, then, overcoming all adversities, wander with them, joyful and mindful.”

“If you find no alert companion, no attentive friend to live happily together, then, like a king who flees his conquered realm, wander alone like a tusker in the wilds.”

“It’s better to wander alone, there’s no fellowship with fools. Wander alone and do no wrong, at ease like a tusker in the wilds.”

“A friend in need is a blessing; it’s a blessing to be content with whatever; good deeds are a blessing at the end of life, and giving up all suffering is a blessing.”

“A personage’s joys flow from senses and cravings. Seekers of happiness, bent on pleasure, continue to be reborn and grow old.”

“The gift of the teaching surmounts all other gifts; the taste of the teaching surmounts all other tastes; the joy of the teaching surmounts all other joys; the ending of craving surmounts all suffering.”

“Restraint of the body is good; good is restraint of speech; restraint of mind is good; everywhere, restraint is good. The mendicant restrained everywhere is released from all suffering.”

“One restrained in hand and foot, and in speech, the supreme restraint; happy inside, serene, solitary, content, I call a mendicant.”

“Delighting in the teaching, enjoying the teaching, contemplating the teaching, a mendicant who recollects the teaching doesn’t fall away from the true teaching.”

“A mendicant who meditates on love, devoted to the Buddha’s teaching, would realize the peaceful state, the blissful stilling of conditions.”

“Whenever they are mindful of the rise and fall of the aggregates, they feel rapture and joy: that is freedom from death for one who knows.”

“This is the very start of the path for a wise mendicant here: guarding the senses, contentment, and restraint in the monastic code.”

“Mix with spiritual friends, who are tireless and pure of livelihood. Share what you have with others, being skillful in your conduct. And when you’re full of joy, you’ll make an end to suffering.”

“Urge yourself on, reflect on yourself. A mendicant self-controlled and mindful will always dwell in happiness.”

“A monk full of joy trusting in the Buddha’s teaching, would realize the peaceful state, the blissful stilling of conditions.”

“Giving up desire and discontent, they’re cooled and free of attachments; a hero, master of the whole world: that’s who I declare a brahmin.”