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14. He whose victory cannot be undone,
whose victory no one in the world can go after —
that Buddha, whose range is limitless,
the trackless one: by what track will you lead him?
He in whom there is no ensnaring,
entangling craving (taṇhā) to lead him anywhere —
that Buddha, whose range is limitless,
the trackless one: by what track will you lead him?
The wise ones who are intent on jhāna,
delighting in the peace of renunciation (nekkhamma) —
even the devas envy them,
the fully awakened ones possessed of mindfulness.
Hard to gain is the human state;
hard is the life of mortals;
hard is the hearing of the true Dhamma (saddhamma);
hard is the arising of Buddhas.¹
Not to do any evil,
to cultivate the good,²
to purify one's own mind (citta) —
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
#1 M.: buddhānamuppādo; Yu.: buddhānaṃ uppādo.
#2 M., Yu.: kusalassa upasampadā.
Patience — forbearance — is the supreme austerity (tapa);
"Nibbāna is supreme," the Buddhas declare;
for no injurer of others is one gone forth (pabbajita);
one who harms another is no ascetic (samaṇa).
Not insulting, not injuring,
and restraint under the Pātimokkha,
moderation in food,
and a secluded lodging,
and devotion to the higher mind (adhicitta) —
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
Not even by a rain of kahāpaṇa coins
is satiety found among sensual pleasures (kāma);
"Sensual pleasures give little gratification and are suffering (dukkha)" —
knowing thus, the wise one
finds no delight
even in heavenly sensual pleasures;
a disciple of the Perfectly Awakened One (sammāsambuddha)
delights in the destruction of craving.
To many a refuge (saraṇa) do they go —
to mountains and to forests,
to groves, trees, and shrines —
people threatened by fear.
That is not the secure refuge;
that is not the supreme refuge;
not by coming to that refuge
is one released from all suffering.
But whoever has gone for refuge
to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha
sees with right wisdom (sammappaññā)
the four noble truths (ariyasacca):
suffering, the origin of suffering,
and the overcoming of suffering,
and the noble eightfold path (magga)
that leads to the stilling of suffering —
this indeed is the secure refuge;
this is the supreme refuge;
by coming to this refuge
one is released from all suffering.
Hard to find is the thoroughbred among men (purisājañña);
he is not born everywhere;
wherever that wise one is born,
that family flourishes in happiness.
Happy is the arising of Buddhas;
happy is the teaching of the true Dhamma;
happy is the concord of the Saṅgha;
happy is the austerity of those in concord.
For one who venerates those worthy of veneration —
whether Buddhas or their disciples —
who have transcended proliferation (papañca),
who have crossed beyond sorrow and lamentation (soka-parideva);
for one who venerates such as these,
quenched (nibbuta), with no fear from any quarter,
the merit (puñña) cannot be reckoned
by anyone as "just this much."
The Buddhavagga, the Fourteenth.
The First Recitation Section (bhāṇavāra).
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The Verses of the Dhammapada: the Fifteenth Chapter, the Sukhavagga (Happiness).
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.