Flower
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16 Verses | Page 1 / 1
(John Richards version)


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(Ⅰ)
(Ⅱ)
(Ⅴ)


4. 44  
Who will master this world and the world of Death with its devas? Who will gather well taught aphorisms (dhammapadas), like an connoisseur picking a flower?
- Who shall gain victory over this earth together with the domain of Yama (ruler of the Underworld) with its gods? Who shall find the well-proclaimed Dhammapada (path of truth), even as the expert gardener selects the choicest flower? (Ⅰ)
- ko imaM pathaviM vichessati yama-lokaM cha imaM sadevakaM
ko dhamma-padaM sudesitaM kusalo puppham iva pachessati.
(Ⅴ)
4. 45  
A disciple will master this world and the world of Death with its devas. A disciple will gather well taught aphorisms (dhammapadas), like a connoisseur picking a flower.
- The disciple will gain victory over the earth and the realm of Yama together with its gods. The true disciple will indeed find the well-proclaimed Dhammapada, even as the expert gardener selects the choicest flower. (Ⅰ)
- sekho pathaviM vichessati yama-lokaM cha imaM sadevakaM
sekho dhamma-padaM sudesitaM kusalo puppham iva pachessati.
(Ⅴ)
4. 46  
Seeing the foam-like nature of the body, and awakening to its mirage-like quality, one can escape the sight of the King of Death, snapping Mara's flowery bonds.
- Recognizing this corporeal body to be evanescent as foam, comprehending this worldly nature as a mirage, and having broken the flower-arrows of Cupid (Mara), the true aspirant will go beyond the realm of the Evil One. (Ⅰ)
- pheN'uupamaM kaayam imaM viditvaa mariichi-dhammaM abhisambudhaano
chhetvaana maarassa papupphakaani adassanaM machchu-raajassa gachchhe.
(Ⅴ)
4. 47  
Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
- The hedonist who seeks only the blossoms of sensual delights, who indulges only in such pleasures, him the Evil One carries off, as a flood carries off the inhabitants of a sleeping village. (Ⅰ)
- pupphaani h'eva pachinantaM byaasatta-manasaM naraM
suttaM gaamaM mah'ogho va machchu aadaaya gachchhati.
(Ⅴ)
4. 48  
Death, the end-maker, will exercise his will on a man busy picking flowers with a besotted mind, before he has even found satisfaction.
- The hedonist who seeks only the blossoms of sensual delights, whose mind is agitated, him the Evil One (Mara) brings under his sway even before his carnal desires are satiated. (Ⅰ)
- pupphaani h'eva pachinantaM byaasatta-manasaM naraM
atittaññ eva kaamesu antako kurute vasaM.
(Ⅴ)
4. 49  
A holy man should behave in the village like a bee which takes its food from a flower without hurting its appearance or its scent.
- As the bee takes away the nectar, and departs from the flower without harming its color or fragrance, so let a sage move about in the village. (Ⅰ)
- yathaa pi bhamaro pupphaM vaNNa-gandhaM ahethayaM
paleti rasam aadaaya evaM gaame munii chare.
(Ⅴ)
4. 50  
It is no the shortcomings of others, nor what others have done or not done that one should think about, but what one has done or not done oneself.
- Let the aspirant observe not the perversities of others, nor what others have and have not done; rather should he consider what he has done and what he has yet to do. (Ⅰ)
- na paresaM vilomaani na paresaM kat'aakataM
attano va avekkheyya kataani akataani cha.
(Ⅴ)
4. 51  
Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at but without scent, fine words are fruitless in a man who does not act in accordance with them.
- Like unto a lovely flower which is exquisite in color, yet lacking in fragrance, even so prove futile the well-spoken words of the man who acts not up to them. (Ⅰ)
- yathaa pi ruchiraM pupphaM vaNNa-vantaM agandhakaM
evaM subhaasitaa vaachaa aphalaa hoti akubbato.
(Ⅴ)
4. 52  
Like a fine flower, beautiful to look at and scented too, fine words bear fruit in a man who acts well in accordance with them.
- Like unto a lovely flower of charming color and sweet fragrance, even so prove fruitful the words of him who acts according to them. (Ⅰ)
- yathaa pi ruchiraM pupphaM vaNNa-vantaM sagandhakaM
evaM subhaasitaa vaachaa saphalaa hoti sakubbato.
(Ⅴ)
4. 53  
Just as one can make a lot of garlands from a heap of flowers, so man, subject to birth and death as he is, should make himself a lot of good karma.
- As many a garland can be strung from a mass of flowers, so should mortal man born in this world perform many wholesome deeds. (Ⅰ)
- yathaa pi puppha-raasimhaa kaayiraa maalaa-guNe bahuu
evaM jaatena machchena kattabbaM kusalaM bahuM.
(Ⅴ)
4. 54  
The scent of flowers cannot travel against the wind, and nor can that of sandalwood or jasmine, but the fragrance of the good does travel against the wind, and a good man perfumes the four quarters of the earth.
- The fragrance of flowers does not travel against the wind, be it that of sandalwood, tagara, or jasmine. But the fragrance of the virtuous man travels even against the wind. The virtuous man pervades all directions with his purity. (Ⅰ)
- na puppha-gandho paTivaatam eti na chandanaM tagara-mallikaa vaa
sataM cha gandho paTivaatam eti sabbaa disaa sappuriso pavaayati.
(Ⅴ)
4. 55  
Sandalwood, tagara, lotus, jasmine - the fragrance of virtue is unrivalled by such kinds of perfume.
- Among all the fragrant scents, like sandalwood, tagara, the water lily and the wild jasmine, the fragrance of moral purity is foremost and unique. (Ⅰ)
- chandanaM tagaraM vaa pi uppalaM atha vassikii
etesaM gandha-jaataanaM siila-gandho anuttaro.
(Ⅴ)
4. 56  
The perfume of tagara and sandalwood is of little enough power, while the supreme fragrance, that of the virtuous, reaches even up to the devas.
- That scent of sandalwood, tagara plant (and other fragrant things) is of little account; whereas the aroma of the virtuous expands in a greater sphere, even up to the gods. (Ⅰ)
- appa-matto ayaM gandho y'aayaM tagara-chandanii
yo cha siila-vataM gandho vaati devesu attamo.
(Ⅴ)
4. 57  
Perfect of virtue, always acting with recollection, and liberated by final realisation - Mara does not know the path such people travel.
- Mara (the Evil One) cannot approach the path of the virtuous, the vigilant, and those who are emancipated through wisdom. (Ⅰ)
- tesaM sampanna-siilaanaM appamaada-vihaarinaM
sammad-aññaa vimuttaanaM maaro maggaM na vindati.
(Ⅴ)
4. 58  
As upon a heap of rubbish, thrown on the highway, a lily grows and blooms, fragrant and elegant,
- Like a beautiful, fragrant lotus, springing up on a pile of rubbish thrown out on the highway, (Ⅰ)
- yathaa sankaara-dhaanasmiM ujjhitasmiM mahaa-pathe
padumaM tattha jaayetha suchi-gandhaM mano-ramaM.
(Ⅴ)
4. 59  
so a disciple of the Enlightened One stands out among rubbish-like and blinded ordinary people by virtue of his wisdom.
- So among the ignorant multitudes does the disciple of the Fully Enlightened One shine in resplendent wisdom. (Ⅰ)
- evaM sankaara-bhuutesu andha-bhuute puthu-jjane
atirochati paññaaya sammaa-sambuddha-saavako.
(Ⅴ)


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