The Chapter 15 of Dhammapada deals with happiness. To remain happy in life we should not hate anyone. People thrive for wordly pleasures. In the midst of such people, the one who doesn't make such efforts to pursue the wordly leads a happy life. A person should maintain equanimity in both victory and defeat. Only then he remains happy always. Further the verses say that lust and anger are the biggest enemies and there is no happiness beyond the supreme peace.
Health is the greatest wealth, contentment is the greatest wealth, trust is the greatest kinship and unbinding is the greatest bliss. One should associate with the noble ones and spend time with them. Associating with ignorant is worser than being with enemies.
This chapter contains 12 verses :
Verse 197:
How very happily we live,
free from hostility
among those who are hostile.
Among hostile people,
free from hostility we dwell.
How very happily we live,
free from misery
among those who are miserable.
Among miserable people,
free from misery we dwell.
How happily we live,
free from busyness
among those who are busy.
Among busy people,
free from busy people we dwell.
How very happily we live,
we who have nothing,
We feed on rapture
like the Radiant Gods.
Winning gives birth to hostility.
Losing, one lies down in pain.
The calmed he down with ease,
having set winning & losing aside.
There is no fire like passion,
no loss like anger,
no pain like the aggregates,
no ease other than peace.
Hunger: the foremost illness.
Fabrications: the foremost pain.
For one knowing this truth
as it actually is,
unbinding is the foremost ease.
Freedom from illness : the foremost good fortune.
Contentment : the foremost wealth.
Trust : the foremost kinship.
Unbinding : the foremost ease.
Drinking the nourishment, the flavor,
of seclusion and calm,
one is freed from evil, devoid of distress,
refreshed with the nourishment
of rapture in the Dhamma.
It's good to see Noble Ones.
Happy their company - always.
Through not seeing any fools
constantly, constantly
one would be happy.
For living with a fool,
one grieves a long time.
Painful is the communion with fools,
as with an enemy - always.
Happy is the communion
with the enlightened,
as with a gathering of kin.
So: the enlightened man,
discerning, learned, enduring, dutiful,
noble, intelligent, a man of integrity :
follow him - one of this sort -
as the moon, the path
of zodiac stars.
Bookmark this post: |