Patna Dhammapada - 18: The Chapter about Giving

Dadanti ve yathāśraddhaṁ, yathāprasadanaṁ janā,
The people give according to faith, according to their confidence,

tattha yo dummano hoti paresaṁ pānabhojane,
herein the one who becomes depressed because of food and drink (given) to others,

na so divā ca rātto ca, samādhim adhigacchati.
does not, either by day or night, attain to (good) concentration.

Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ, yathāpasādanaṁ jano,
The people give according to faith, according to their confidence,

tattha yo maṅku bhavati paresaṁ pānabhojane,
herein the one who becomes dejected because of food and drink (given) to others,

na so divā vā rattiṁ vā, samādhiṁ adhigacchati.
does not, either by day or night, attain to (good) concentration.

Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ, mūlogghaccaṁ samūhataṁ,
For the one in whom this (depression) is cut off, destroyed at the root, dug up,

sa ve divā ca rātto ca, samādhim adhigacchati.
does, by day and night, attain to (good) concentration.

Aśśo va bhadro kaṣāya puṭṭho,
Like a good horse touched by the whip,

ātāpino saviṅgaṇo carāṇo.
living ardent and spiritually intense.

Śraddhāya sīlena ca vīriyeṇa ca,
Having faith, virtue and energy,

samādhinā Dhammavipaśśanāya ca,
concentration and insight into the Dhamma,

te khāntisoracchasamādhisaṇṭhitā,
well-established in patience, meekness and concentration,

śutassa praññāya ca sāram ajjhagū.
they have come to the essence of wisdom and learning.

Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho,
Like a good horse restrained by the whip,

ātāpino saṁvegino bhavātha.
you should be ardent and spiritually intense.

Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca,
Having faith, virtue and energy,

samādhinā Dhammavinicchayena ca.
concentration and investigation of the Dhamma.

Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā,
One who has understanding and good conduct, mindfulness,

pahassatha dukkham-idaṁ anappakaṁ.
will abandon this not insignificant suffering.

————

Dhamme ca ye ariyapavedite ratā
Those who delight in the Dhamma made known by the noble ones

anuttarā te vacasā manasā kammunā ca,
are unsurpassed in speech, mind and deed,

te santisoraccasamādhisaṇṭhitā,
well-established in peace, meekness and concentration,

sutassa paññāya ca sāram ajjhagū.
they have come to the essence of wisdom and learning.

Yo driṣṭe dhamme labhati śraddhāṁ praññāṁ anuttarāṁ,
He who acquires faith and wisdom unsurpassed in this very life,

sa ve mahaddhano loke, moham aññaṁ bahuṁ dhanaṁ.
has great wealth in the world, other wealth, though great, is useless. Understanding moha here as equal to Pāḷi mogha.

Śraddho sīlena sampanno yaśabhogasamāhito,
The faithful one who is possessed of virtue, and has wealth and fame,

yaṁ yaṁ so bhajate deśaṁ, tattha tattheva pūjiyo.
whatever district he resorts to, right there and then he is worshipped.

Śraddhā bitiyaṁ puruṣaṁ carantaṁ,
Faith is a person’s travelling companion,

na naṁ labheyā aśraddho va cāro,
he would not accept travelling without faith,

yaśo ca kittī ca tato nam eti,
from that there will be fame and renown for him,

saggañ-ca gacche śarīraṁ prahāya.
and when he abandons the body he goes to heaven.

Saddhā dutiyā purisassa hoti,
Faith is a person’s companion,

no ce assaddhiyaṁ avatiṭṭhati
if a lack of faith does not linger

yaso ca kittī ca tatvassa hoti,
from that there will be fame and renown for him,

saggañ-ca so gacchati sarīraṁ pahāya.
and when he abandons the body he goes to heaven.

Aśraddho akataññū ca sandhicchedo ca yo naro,
The person who is beyond (mere) faith, who knows that which is unmade, who has cut off (rebirth-)linking,

hatāvakāśo vāntāśo, sa ve uttimaporuṣo.
who has destroyed the occasion, who has thrown out hope and desire, is surely the person supreme.

Kiccho Buddhāna’ uppādo, kicchā Dhammassa deśanā,
It is rare the arising of Buddhas, rare the teaching of the Dhamma,

kiccho śraddhapaṭīlābho, kicchaṁ māccāna’ jīvitaṁ.
it is rare to acquire faith, rare is the life of mortals.

Anavaṭṭhitacittassa, Saddhammam avijānato,
For the one with unsettled mind, who does not know the True Dhamma,

pāriplavaprasādassa, praññā na paripūrati.
whose confidence is wavering, wisdom is unfulfilled.

Nāprasannacittena, duṣṭena kupitena vā,
° For one who has a mind lacking confidence, that is base or agitated,

śakkam ājānituṁ Dhammo, sārambhabahulena vā.
and frequently impetuous, it is not possible to understand the Dhamma.

Yo tu vinīya sārambhaṁ, aprasādaṁ ca cetaso,
He who has removed impetuosity, displeasure from his mind,

prasannacitto sumano, sa ve nyāyyā subhāṣitaṁ.
with confident mind, happy, he can understand well-spoken words.

Manuṣyapaṭilābhena, saggānāṁ gamanena ca,
Acquiring (birth as a) human, or going to the heavens,

pthivyām ekarājjena – sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.
or having sole sovereignty over the earth – better is the fruit of stream-entry.

Yassa śraddhā Tathāgate acalā supratiṣṭhitā,
He whose faith in the Realised One is well-established and unmoveable,

śīlañ-ca yassa kallāṇaṁ, ayⁱrakāntaṁ praśaṁsiyaṁ,
whose virtue is beautiful, praised by the noble ones,

Saṅghe prasādo yassa asti, ujjubhūtañ-ca daṁśanaṁ,
who has confidence in the Saṅgha, who sees uprightly,

‘adaridro’ ti tam āhu, amoghaṁ tassa jīvitaṁ.
he they say is ‘not poor’, his life is not in vain.

Yassa saddhā Tathāgate acalā supatiṭṭhitā,
He whose faith in the Realised One is well-established and unmoveable,

sīlaṁ ca yassa kalyāṇaṁ, arⁱyakantaṁ pasaṁsitaṁ,
whose virtue is beautiful, praised by the noble ones,

Saṅghe pasādo yassatthi, ujubhūtañ-ca dassanaṁ,
who has confidence in the Saṅgha, who sees uprightly,

‘adaḷiddo’ ti taṁ āhu, amoghaṁ tassa jīvitaṁ.
he they say is ‘not poor’, his life is not in vain.

Tassā śraddhañ-ca śīlaṁ ca prasādaṁ Dhammadaṁśane,
Therefore (with) faith, virtue, confidence and insight into Dhamma,

anuyuñjeya medhāvī saraṁ Buddhāna’ śāsanaṁ.
a sage should devote himself to the essence of the Buddhas’ dispensation.