Dhamma-gārav’ādi Gāthā
Verses on Respect for the Dhamma, etc.
Ye ca atītā sambuddhā
Ye ca buddhā anāgatā
Yo c’etarahi sambuddho
Bahunnaṁ soka-nāsano.
Buddhas of the past, Buddhas yet to come, and he who is the Buddha now—grief-dispellers for many (beings)—
Sabbe saddhamma-garuno
Vihariṁsu vihāti ca
Athāpi viharissanti
Esā buddhāna dhammatā.
all have dwelled, are dwelling, and will dwell revering the True Dhamma: That is the nature of Buddhas.
Tasmā hi atta-kāmena
Mahattam-abhikaṅkhatā
Saddhammo garu-kātabbo
Saraṁ buddhāna sāsanaṁ.
Therefore, through love of yourself, desiring greatness, you should revere the True Dhamma, remembering the Buddhas’ message,
Duddadaṁ dadamānānaṁ
Dukkaraṁ kamma-kubbataṁ
Asanto nānukubbanti
Sataṁ dhammo duranvayo.
Tasmā satañ-ca asatañ-ca
Nānā hoti ito gati
Asanto nirayaṁ yanti
Santo sagga-parāyanā.
Those giving what is hard to give, the doers of action hard to do:
The untrue don’t follow them, the Dhamma of those true ones that’s hard to follow.
Thus for the true and untrue, the destination coming from that is different:
The untrue go to hell; the true, to heaven.
Na hi dhammo adhammo ca
Ubho sama-vipākino.
Adhammo nirayaṁ neti
Dhammo pāpeti suggatiṁ.
For Dhamma and non- don’t bear equal results.
Non-Dhamma leads you to hell; Dhamma, to a good destination.
Dhammo have rakkhati dhamma-cāriṁ.
Dhammo suciṇṇo sukham-āvahāti.
Es’ānisaṁso dhamme suciṇṇe:
Na duggatiṁ gacchati dhamma-cārī.
The Dhamma protects those who live by the Dhamma.
The Dhamma well-practiced brings bliss.
This—the reward when the Dhamma’s well-practiced:
one who lives by the Dhamma doesn’t go to a bad destination.
Na puppha-gandho paṭivātam-eti
Na candanaṁ tagara-mallikā vā.
Satañ-ca gandho paṭivātam-eti
Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.
No flower’s scent goes against the wind—not sandalwood, jasmine, tagara.
But the scent of the good does go against the wind. The person of integrity wafts a scent in every direction.
Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi
Uppalaṁ atha vassikī
Etesaṁ gandha-jātānaṁ
Sīla-gandho anuttaro.
Sandalwood, tagara, lotus, & jasmine: among these scents, the scent of virtue is unsurpassed.
Appa-matto ayaṁ gandho
Yvāyaṁ tagara-candani
Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho
Vāti devesu uttamo.
Next to nothing, this scent—sandalwood, tagara—while the scent of virtuous conduct wafts to the devas, supreme.
Tesaṁ sampanna-sīlānaṁ
Appamāda-vihārinaṁ
Sammadaññā vimuttānaṁ
Māro maggaṁ na vindati.
Those consummate in virtue, dwelling in heedfulness, released through right knowing: Māra can’t follow their tracks.
Yathā saṅkāra-dhānasmiṁ
Ujjhitasmiṁ mahā-pathe
Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha
Suci-gandhaṁ manoramaṁ:
As in a pile of rubbish cast by the side of a highway a lotus might grow, clean-smelling, pleasing the heart,
Evaṁ saṅkāra-bhūtesu
Andha-bhūte puthujjane
Atirocati paññāya
Sammā-sambuddha-sāvako.
so in the midst of the rubbish-like, people run-of-the-mill & blind, there dazzles with discernment the disciple of the Rightly Self-Awakened One.
