The Dhammapada

Chapter Four -- Flowers

  1. Who shall overcome this earth, the worlds
    of misery and this sphere of men and gods? Who
    shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of
    wisdom as an expert garland-maker would a floral design?


  2. A striver-on-the-path shall overcome this
    earth, the worlds of misery and this sphere of
    men and gods. The striver-on-the-path shall bring
    to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom,
    as an expert garland-maker would a floral design.


  3. Realizing that this body is like froth,
    penetrating its mirage-like nature, and plucking
    out Mara's flower-tipped arrows (of sensuality),
    go beyond sight of the King of Death!


  4. As a mighty flood sweeps away the sleeping
    village, so does death carry away the person of
    distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).


  5. The Destroyer brings under his sway the
    person of distracted mind who only plucks the
    flowers (of pleasure), insatiate in sense desires.


  6. As a bee gathers honey from the flower
    without injuring its colour or fragrance, even so
    the sage goes on alms-rounds in the village.


  7. Let none find fault with others; let none
    see the omissions and commissions of others.
    But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.


  8. Like a beautiful flower full of colour but
    without fragrance, even so, fruitless are the fair
    words of one who does not practice them.


  9. Like a beautiful flower full of colour and
    also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words
    of one who practices them.


  10. As from a great heap of flowers many
    garlands can be made, even so should many
    good deeds be done by one born a mortal.


  11. Not the sweet smell of flowers, not even
    the fragrance of sandal, tagara or jasmine blows
    against the wind. But the fragrance of the virtuous
    person pervades all directions with the fragrance
    of that virtue.


  12. Of all the fragrances--sandal, tagara,
    blue lotus and jasmine--the fragrance of virtue
    is by far the sweetest.


  13. Faint is the fragrance of tagara and sandal,
    but the fragrance of the virtuous is excellent,
    wafting even among the gods.


  14. Mara never finds the path of the truly
    virtuous, who abide in vigilance and are freed by
    perfect knowledge.


  15. Upon a heap of rubbish in the road-side
    ditch blooms a lotus, fragrant and pleasing.


  16. Even so, on the rubbish heap of blinded
    mortals the disciple of the Supremely Enlightened
    One shines resplendent in wisdom.

v.45. The Striver-on-the-Path (sekha): One who has achieved any of the first three stages of supramundane attainment: a Stream-enterer, Once-returner, or Non-returner.

v.49. The "sage in the village" is the Buddhist monk who receives food by going silently from door to door with an almsbowl, accepting whatever is offered.

v.54. Tagara: a fragrant powder obtained from a particular kind of shrub.