Dhammapada - Chapter 5 - Fools

Chapter 5 of Dhammapada is based on the subject of "Fools". A person who is unaware of Dhamma is considered to be a fool. It has been advised that one should not associate himself with a fool. It is better to be alone that to be associated with a fool. The chapter further says that a fool torments himself by clinging to worldly things and the enemy of a fool is none other than himself.

This chapter has 16 verses. Read on to taste it.

Verse 60

Long for the wakeful is the night,

Long the weary, a league

For fools unaware of true Dhamma,

Samsara is long.

Verse 61

If, in your course, you don't meet

your equal, your better,

then continue on your course

firmly, alone.

There is no fellowship with fools.

Verse 62

I have sons, I have wealth,

the fool torments himself.

When even he himself

doesn't belong to himself,

how then sons?

how wealth?

Verse 63

A fool with a sense of his foolishness

is - at least to that extent - wise.

But a fool who thinks himself wise

really deserves to be called fool.

Verse 64

Even if for a lifetime

the fool stays with a wise,

he knows nothing of the Dhamma - 

as the ladle,

the taste of soup.

Verse 65

Even if for a moment,

the perceptive person stays with the wise,

he immediately knows the Dhamma - 

as the tongue,

the taste of soup.

Verse 66

Fools, their wisdom weak,

are their own enemies

as they go through life,

doing evil that bears bitter fruits.

Verse 67

It's not good,

the doing of the deed

that, once it's done,

you regret,

whose result you reap crying,

your face in tears.

Verse 68

It's good,

the doing of the deed

that, once it's done,

you don't regret,

whose result you reap gratified,

happy at heart.

Verse 69

As long as evil has yet to ripen,

the fool mistakes it for honey.

But when the evil ripens,

the fool falls into pain.

Verse 70

Month after month

the fool might eat 

only a tip-of-grass measure of food,

but he won't be worth

one sixteenth of those

who fathomed the Dhamma.

Verse 71

An evil deed, when done,

doesn't - like ready milk - 

come out right away.

It follows the fool,

smoldering like a fire

hidden in the ashes.

Verse 72

Only for his ruin

does renown come to the fool.

It ravages his bright fortune

and rips his head apart.

Verse 73

He would want unwarranted status,

preeminence among monks,

authority among monasteries,

homage from lay families.

Verse 74

"Let householders and those gone forth

both think that this

was done by me alone.

May I alone determine

what's the duty and what's not:" :

the resolve of a fool

as they grow - his desire and pride.

Verse 75

The path to the material gain

goes on way,

the way to unbinding,

another.

Realizing this, the monk,

a disciple to the Awakened One,

should not relish offerings,

should cultivate seclusion

instead.

Chapter 6 will be continued in the next blog post.

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