§ 1. On Good, Evil, and Sin
1. Do good. Be no party to evil. Commit no sin.
2. This is the Buddhist way of life.
3. If a man should do that which is good, let him do it again and again, let him turn the desires of his heart thereto. Happy is the heaping of good.
4. Think not casually of the good, saying, "it will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. By little added to little does good grow.
5. But well done is that deed which brings one no regrets, the fruit whereof is received with delight and satisfaction.
6. Well done is the deed which, done, brings no regrets, the fruit whereof is received with delight and satisfaction.
7. If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it; the accumulation of good is delightful.
8. Even a good man sees evil days, so long as his good deed does not ripen; but when his good deed ripens, then does the good man see good things.
9. Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, "it will not come right unto me." Even by the falling of water drops a water-pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gathers it little by little.
10. Far surpassing the fragrance of sandal or incense or lotus or jasmine, is the fragrance of virtue.
11. Faint is this fragrance of incense and sandal, but the fragrance of virtue ascends to the highest place.
12. Treat not lightly of evil, saying, "it will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. By little added to little evil accumulates.
13. It is not well to do a deed which, done, brings regrets, the fruit whereof is received with tears and lamentations.
14. If a man speaks or acts evil of mind, suffering follows him, close as the wheel the hoof of the beast that draws the cart.
15. Follow not after things evil. Dwell not in negligence. Cherish not false ideas.
16. Hasten towards the excellent, suppress all evil thoughts. Whoso is backward in doing good, his mind delights in evil.
17. It is not well to do that deed which, done, brings regrets, the fruit whereof is received with tears and lamentations.
18. Even an evil-doer sees happiness, so long as his evil deed does not ripen; but when his evil deed ripens, then does the evil-doer see evil.
19. Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, "it will not come right unto me." Even by the filling of water drops a water-pot is filled; the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gathers it little by little.
20. A man should hasten towards the good, and should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.
21. If a man commits a sin, let him not do it again, let him not delight in sin; the accumulation of evil is painful.
22. Follow the law of virtue; do not follow that of sin. The virtuous rests in bliss in this world.
23. From lust is born sorrow, from lust is born fear. To him who is wholly free from lust, there is neither sorrow nor fear.
24. Hunger is the worst of diseases (component), existence the worst of distress. This knowing, in accordance with truth and fact, Nibbana becomes the highest happiness.
25. The evil done by oneself, self-begotten, self-bred, crushes the doer, as a diamond breaks even a precious stone.
26. He whose wickedness is very great brings himself down to that state where his enemy wishes him to be, as a creeper does with the tree which it surrounds.
27. Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; difficult to do, what is beneficial and good.
YOU ARE READING
THE BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA
SpiritualThe Buddha and His Dhamma, a treatise on Lord Buddha's life and Buddhism, was the last work of Indian statesman and scholar B. R. Ambedkar. The book is treated as a holy text by Indian Buddhists. It was first published in 1957 after Ambedkar's death...
