Dhammapada 12. The Chapter about the Self

Attānañ-ce piyaṁ jaññā rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ,
If one regards oneself as dear one should guard oneself right well,

tiṇṇam-aññataraṁ yāmaṁ paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito. [157]
during one of the three watches (of the night) the wise one should stay alert. The commentary takes yāma as meaning one of the three periods (of life): youth, adulthood and old age; but the Buddha often recommended that one watch of the night should be spent in meditation, and this is the meaning I follow here.

Attānam-eva paṭhamaṁ patirūpe nivesaye,
First one should establish oneself in what is suitable,

athaññam-anusāseyya, na kilisseyya paṇḍito. [158]
then one can advise another, the wise one should not have (any) defilement.

Attānañ-ce tathā kayⁱrā yathaññam-anusāsati,
He should do himself as he would advise another (to do),

sudanto vata dametha, attā hi kira duddamo. [159]
being well-trained, he could surely train (another), for it is said the self is difficult to train.

Attā hi attano nātho, ko hi nātho paro siyā?
For the self is the friend of self, for what other friend would there be?

Attanā va sudantena nāthaṁ labhati dullabhaṁ. [160]
When the self is well-trained, one finds a friend that is hard to find.

Attanā va kataṁ pāpaṁ, attajaṁ attasambhavaṁ,
That wickedness done by oneself, born in oneself, arising in oneself,

abhimatthati dummedhaṁ vajⁱraṁ vasmamayaṁ maṇiṁ. [161]
crushes the one who is stupid, as a diamond (crushes) a rock-jewel. It seems odd to compare wickedness to a diamond and the self to a rock-jewel (presumably meaning a fake jewel), and the simile is not convincing. It is presumably the ease with which a diamond crushes a fake jewel which is being highlighted.

Yassa accantadussīlyaṁ, māluvā Sālam-ivotataṁ,
The one who has an exceeding lack of virtue, like a deadly creeper covering a Sal tree,

karoti so tathattānaṁ yathā naṁ icchatī diso. [162]
makes himself the same as his enemy wishes him to be.

Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca,
Easily done are things not good, and unbeneficial for oneself,

yaṁ ve hitañ-ca sādhuñ-ca taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ. [163]
but that which is beneficial and good is supremely hard to do.

Yo sāsanaṁ arahataṁ Arⁱyānaṁ Dhammajīvinaṁ
* Whoever reviles the worthy teaching of the Noble Ones who live by Dhamma,

paṭikkosati dummedho diṭṭhiṁ nissāya pāpikaṁ,
that stupid one, depending on wicked views,

phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva attaghaññāya phallati. [164]
like the bamboo when it bears fruit, brings about his own destruction. The bamboo flowers only after a very great length of time (often 60+ years or more), and then dies.

Attanā va kataṁ pāpaṁ, attanā saṅkilissati,
By oneself alone is a wicked deed done, by oneself is one defiled,

attanā akataṁ pāpaṁ, attanā va visujjhati,
by oneself is a wicked deed left undone, by oneself is one purified,

suddhī asuddhī paccattaṁ, nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye. [165]
purity and impurity come from oneself, (for) no one can purify another.

Atta-d-atthaṁ paratthena bahunā pi na hāpaye;
One should not neglect one’s own good for another’s, however great;

atta-d-attham-abhiññāya sa-d-atthapasuto siyā. [166]
knowing what is good for oneself one should be intent on that good.

Related Verses from the Dhammapada

Na paresaṁ vilomāni, na paresaṁ katākataṁ
Not the wrongs of others, or what others have done or have not done

attano va avekkheyya, katāni akatāni ca. [50]
one should consider, but what has been done and not done by oneself.

Carañ-ce nādhigaccheyya seyyaṁ sadisam-attano,
If while roaming one cannot find one better or the same as oneself,

ekacarⁱyaṁ daḷhaṁ kayⁱrā: natthi bāle sahāyatā. [61]
one should resolve to go alone: there is no friendship with fools.

“Puttā matthi, dhanam-matthi,” iti bālo vihaññati,
“Sons are mine, riches are mine,” so the fool suffers vexation,

attā hi attano natthi, kuto puttā, kuto dhanaṁ? [62]
when even self is not his own, how then sons, how then riches?

Caranti bālā dummedhā amitteneva attanā,
Stupid fools live having themselves as their own foes,

karontā pāpakaṁ kammaṁ, yaṁ hoti kaṭukapphalaṁ. [66]
committing wicked deeds, which produce bitter fruit.

Udakaṁ hi nayanti nettikā,
Course-makers lead water,

usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ,
fletchers straighten arrows,

dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā,
carpenters straighten wood,

attānaṁ damayanti paṇḍitā. [80]
the wise master themselves.

Na attahetu na parassa hetu,
Not for one’s own sake and not for another’s sake,

na puttam-icche na dhanaṁ na raṭṭhaṁ –
not desiring a child, riches, or a kingdom –

na iccheyya adhammena samiddhim-attano;
he should not desire his success through corruption;

sa sīlavā paññavā dhammiko siyā. [84]
he should be both virtuous and wise and righteous.

Tatrābhiratim-iccheyya, hitvā kāme akiñcano,
One should desire to delight in that place, having given up sense pleasures, and having no possessions,

parⁱyodapeyya attānaṁ cittaklesehi paṇḍito. [88]
the wise one should purify the self of defilements of mind.

Yo sahassaṁ sahassena saṅgāme mānuse jine,
One may conquer a thousand men a thousand times in a battle,

ekañ-ca jeyya attānaṁ, sa ve saṅgāmajuttamo. [103]
but having conquered one’s own self, one would surely be supreme in battle.

Attā have jitaṁ seyyo yā cāyaṁ itarā pajā,
Conquest over self is better than that over other people,

attadantassa posassa, niccaṁ saññatacārino, [104]
for the person who conquers himself, who lives constantly well-restrained,

neva devo na gandhabbo, na Māro saha Brahmunā,
neither gods, nor gandhabbas, nor Māra together with Brahmās,

jitaṁ apajitaṁ kayⁱrā tathārūpassa jantuno. [105]
can turn conquest into defeat for a person who is like this.

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbe bhāyanti maccuno,
Everyone trembles at the stick, everyone is in fear of death,

attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye. [129]
comparing oneself (with others), one should not hurt or have (them) hurt.

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbesaṁ jīvitaṁ piyaṁ,
Everyone trembles at the stick, for all of them life is dear,

attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye. [130]
comparing oneself (with others), one should not hurt or have (them) hurt.

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati,
One who harms with a stick beings who desire happiness,

attano sukham-esāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ. [131]
while seeking happiness for himself, won’t find happiness after death.

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati,
One who harms not with a stick beings who desire happiness,

attano sukham-esāno, pecca so labhate sukhaṁ. [132]
while seeking happiness for himself, will find happiness after death.

Udakaṁ hi nayanti nettikā,
Course-makers lead water,

usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ,
fletchers straighten arrows,

dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā,
carpenters straighten wood,

attānaṁ damayanti subbatā. [145]
the mild master themselves.

So karohi dīpam-attano,
One should make an island for oneself,

khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava,
soon the wise one should endeavour,

niddhantamalo, anaṅgaṇo,
removing the stain, blemishless,

dibbaṁ ariyabhūmim-ehisi. [236]
you will go to the divine and noble realm.

So karohi dīpam-attano,
One should make an island for oneself,

khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava,
soon the wise one should endeavour,

niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo,
removing the stain, blemishless,

na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi. [238]
you will not come to birth and old age again.

Anupubbena medhāvī, thokathokaṁ khaṇe khaṇe,
The sage gradually, little by little, moment by moment,

kammāro rajatasseva, niddhame malam-attano. [239]
should remove the stain from himself, like a smith (removes the stain) from silver.

Sabbe dhammā anattā ti, yadā paññāya passati,
All components (of mind and body) are without self, when one sees this with wisdom,

atha nibbindatī dukkhe – esa maggo visuddhiyā. [279]
then one grows tired of suffering – this is the path to purity.

Ucchinda sineham-attano,
Cut off (any) affection for one’s self,

kumudaṁ sāradikaṁ va pāṇinā,
like an autumn lotus (plucked) with the hand,

santimaggam-eva brūhaya
develop fully the path to peace and

Nibbānaṁ Sugatena desitaṁ. [285]
Nibbāna taught by the Happy One.

Paradukkhūpadānena attano sukham-icchati,
One who desires happiness for oneself by causing suffering for another,

verasaṁsaggasaṁsaṭṭho, verā so na parimuccati. [291]
being associated thus with hatred, is not fully released from that hatred.

Nagaraṁ yathā paccantaṁ guttaṁ santarabāhiraṁ,
As a border town is guarded on the inside and the outside,

evaṁ gopetha attānaṁ, khaṇo vo mā upaccagā,
so one should watch over oneself, and you should not let the moment pass,

khaṇātītā hi socanti nirayamhi samappitā. [315]
for when the chance has passed they grieve when consigned to the underworld.

Varam-assatarā dantā, ājānīyā ca Sindhavā,
Noble are the well-trained horses, the well-bred horses from Sindh,

kuñjarā ca mahānāgā, attadanto tato varaṁ. [322]
and the great tusker elephants, (and even) more noble than that is the one who has trained himself.

Na hi etehi yānehi gaccheyya agataṁ disaṁ,
Not by these vehicles can one go to the place beyond destinations,

yathattanā sudantena, danto dantena gacchati. [323]
as one through training himself well, being trained by the training, goes.

Attanā codayattānaṁ, paṭimāsettam-attanā,
By oneself one should censure self, by oneself one should be controlled,

so attagutto satimā sukhaṁ bhikkhu vihāhisi. [379]
he who guards himself, mindful, will live happily, monastic.

Attā hi attano nātho, attā hi attano gati,
Self is the protector of self, self is the refuge of self,

tasmā saṁyamayattānaṁ assaṁ bhadraṁ va vāṇijo. [380]
therefore one should restrain oneself, as a merchant his noble horse.

Bāhitapāpo ti brāhmaṇo,
Warding off wickedness one is called a brahmin,

samacarⁱyā samaṇo ti vuccati,
one living austerely is said to be an ascetic,

pabbājayam-attano malaṁ
* because of driving forth (all) stain from oneself

tasmā pabbajito ti vuccati. [388]
one is said to be one who has gone forth.