The ninth chapter of Dhammapada focuses on the evils of doing evil and the merits of doing merit. It says - Any act which is virtuous, which is meritorious should be done quickly without a delay because if one were to perform meritorious action hesitantly, his mind would start taking delight in the evil. Sometimes a person may do evil but he should be careful enough not to do it again and again. Accumulation of evil is painful whereas accumulation of merit brings happiness. Evil seems sweet until it ripens.
Some tend to believe that evil can be taken lightly. Their attitude to wrong-doing is that they can get away with anything whatsoever. But evil accumulates little by little-very much like a water pot being filled drop by drop. Little by little the evil accumulates until he is filled by it.
The underlying message of this chapter is that one should always perform good deeds and keep away from evil activities.
There are 13 verses in this Chapter:
Be quick in doing what's admirable.
Restrain your mind from what is evil.
When you are slow in making merit,
evil delights the mind.
If a person does evil,
he shouldn't do it again and again,
shouldn't develop a penchant for it.
To accumulate evil brings pain.
If a person makes merit,
he should do it again and again,
should develop a penchant for it.
To accumulate merit brings ease.
Even the evil meet with good fortune
as long as their evil has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet with evil.
Even the good meet with bad fortune
as long as their good has yet to mature.
But when it's matured
that's when they meet with good fortune.
Don't be heedless of evil
(It won't come to me).
A water jar fills,
even with water falling in drops.
With evil, even if bit by bit,
habitually - the fool fills himself full.
Don't be heedless of evil
(It won't come to me).
A water jar fills,
even with water falling in drops.
With merit, even if bit by bit,
habitually - the enlightened one fills himself full.
Verse 123
Like a merchant with a small
but well laden caravan - a dangerous road,
like a person who loves life - a poison,
one should avoid - evil deeds.
If there's no wound on the hand,
that hand can hold poison.
Poison would penetrate
where there's no wound.
There's no evil for those
who don't do it.
Whoever harasses an innocent man,
a man pure, without blemish:
the evil comes right back to the fool
like fine dust thrown against the wind.
Some are born in the human womb,
evildoers in hell,
those on the good course go to heaven,
while those without effluent: totally unbound.
Not up in the air,
nor in the middle of the sea,
nor going into a cleft in the mountains
-nowhere on earth-
is a spot to be found
where you could stay and escape
your evil deed.
Not up in the air,
nor in the middle of the sea,
nor going into a cleft in the mountains
-nowhere on earth-
is a spot to be found
where you could stay and not
succumb to death.
Chapter 10 will be continued in the next blog post.
The Dhammapada
The Way of the Buddha: The Illustrated Dhammapada (Gift Book)
Dhammapada: Essential Teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha (Tibetan Translation Series)
WISDOM OF THE BUDDHA: The Unabridged Dhammapada
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