Dhammapada 17: Anger
(Kodhavaggo)
Translated by Ven Nàrada
P1 P2 E1 221. One should give up anger. One should abandon pride. One should overcome all fetters. Ills never befall him who clings not to mind and body and is passionless.
P1 P2 E1 222. Whoso checks his uprisen anger as though it were a rolling chariot, him I call a true charioteer. Other charioteers are mere rein-holders.
P1 P2 E1 223. Conquer anger by love. Conquer evil by good. Conquer the stingy by giving. Conquer the liar by truth.
P1 P2 E1 224. One should utter the truth. One should not be angry. One should give even from a scanty store to him who asks. Along these three paths one may go to the presence of the gods.
P1 P2 E1 225. Those sages who are harmless, and are ever restrained in body, 1 go to the deathless state (Nibbàna), whither gone they never grieve.
P1 P2 E1 226. The defilements 2 of those who are ever vigilant, who discipline themselves day and night, who are wholly intent on Nibbàna, are destroyed.
P1 P2 E1 227. This, O Atula, 3 is an old saying; it is not one of today only: they blame those who sit silent, they blame those who speak too much. Those speaking little too they blame. There is no one who is not blamed in this world.
P1 P2 E1 228. There never was, there never will be, nor does there exist now, a person who is wholly blamed or wholly praised.
P1 P2 E1 229. Examining day by day, the wise praise him who is of flawless life, intelligent, endowed with knowledge and virtue.
P1 P2 E1 230. Who deigns to blame him who is like a piece of refined gold? Even the gods praise him; by Brahma too he is praised.
P1 P2 E1 231. One should guard against misdeeds (caused by) the body, and one should be restrained in body. Giving up evil conduct in body, one should be of good bodily conduct.
P1 P2 E1 232. One should guard against misdeeds (caused by) speech, and one should be restrained in speech. Giving up evil conduct in speech, one should be of good conduct in speech.
P1 P2 E1 233. One should guard against misdeeds (caused by) the mind, and one should be restrained in mind. Giving up evil conduct in mind, one should be of good conduct in mind.
P1 P2 E1 234. The wise are restrained in deed; in speech, too, they are restrained. The wise, restrained in mind, are indeed those who are perfectly restrained.
End Notes
1 Speech and thoughts are also herein implied.
2 There are four kinds of defilements or corruptions (âsavas), namely: sensual pleasures (kàma), becoming (bhava), false views (diññhi), and ignorance (avijjà). The first àsava is attachment to Sense Sphere, the second is attachment to the Realms of Form and the Formless Realms.
3 Atula is the name of a person.