The Dhammapada Chapter 1-4 Relaxing Reading With Music

An emotional but relaxing reading of the first four chapters of the Buddhas Dhammapada, from one of the first and original translations in English. Silas reads through the first four chapters to allow you to contemplate them with emotional music in the background whether you are using this to study, enjoy, learn, or relax.

Music provided copyright free by Scott Buckley Song Name Hiraeth

Transcript

All that we are is the result of what we have thought.

It is founded on our thoughts.

It is made up of our thoughts.

If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought,

Pain follows him,

As the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought.

It is founded on our thoughts.

It is made up of our thoughts.

If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought,

Happiness follows him,

Like a shadow that never leaves him.

He abused me.

He beat me.

He defeated me.

He robbed me.

And those who harbor such thoughts,

Hatred will never cease.

He abused me.

He beat me.

He defeated me.

He robbed me.

And those who do not harbor such thoughts,

Hatred will cease.

For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time.

Hatred ceases by love.

This is an old rule.

The world does not know that we must all come to an end here.

But those who know it,

Their quarrels cease at once.

He who lives looking for pleasures only,

His senses uncontrolled,

Immoderate in his food,

Idle and weak.

Morrow will certainly overthrow him,

As the winds throw down a tree.

He who lives without looking for pleasures,

His senses well controlled,

Moderate in food,

Faithful and strong.

Him,

Marrow will certainly not overthrow,

Any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain.

He who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed himself of sin,

Who disregards temperance and truth,

Is unworthy of monkhood.

But he who has cleansed himself is well grounded in all virtues,

And regards also temperance and truth,

Is indeed worthy of awakening.

They who know truth in truth,

And untruth in truth,

Arrive at truth,

And follow true desires.

As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house,

Passion will break through an unreflecting mind.

As rain does not break through a well-thatched house,

Passion will not break through a well-reflected mind.

Passion will not break through a well-reflected mind.

The evil-doer mourns in this world,

And he mourns in the next,

He mourns in both.

He mourns and suffers when he sees the evil of his own work.

The virtuous man delights in this world,

And he delights in the next,

He delights in both.

He delights and rejoices when he sees the purity of his own work.

The evil-doer suffers in this world,

And he suffers in the next,

He suffers in both.

He suffers when he thinks of the evil he has done,

He suffers more when going on the evil path.

The virtuous is happy in this world,

And is happy in the next,

Is happy in both.

He is happy when he thinks of the good he has done.

He is still more happy when he is going on the good path.

The thoughtless man,

Even if he can recite a large portion of the Dharma,

But is not a doer of it,

Has no share in the monkhood,

But is like a cow herd counting the cows of others,

The follower of the law and the Dharma,

Even if he can recite only a small portion of it,

But,

Having forsaken passion and hatred and foolishness,

Possesses true knowledge and serenity of mind.

He,

Caring for nothing in this world,

Or that to come,

Has indeed a share in the Dharma.

Earnestness is the path of Nirvana,

Thoughtlessness the path of death.

Those who are in earnest do not die,

Those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.

Those who are advanced in earnestness,

Those who are advanced in earnestness,

Having understood this clearly,

Delight in earnestness and rejoice in the knowledge of the Dharma.

These wise people,

Meditative,

Steady,

Always possessed of strong powers,

Attain to Nirvana,

The highest happiness.

If an earnest person has roused himself,

If he is not forgetful,

If his deeds are pure,

If he acts with consideration,

If he restrains himself and lives according to the Dharma,

Then his virtue will increase.

By rousing himself,

By earnestness,

By practice and control.

The wise may make for themselves an island which no flood can overwhelm.

Fools follow after vanity,

People of evil wisdom.

The wise keeps earnest and keeps it close as his best jewel.

Follow not after vanity,

Nor after the enjoyment of love and lust.

Those who are earnest and meditative obtain ample joy.

When the learned man drives away vanity by earnestness,

He,

They,

The wise,

Climbing the terraced heights of wisdom,

Look down,

Serene.

They look upon a toiling crowd,

They look upon a toiling crowd caught up in some sorrow,

As one that stands on a mountain looks down upon them.

Earnest among the thoughtless,

Awake among the sleepers,

The wise advances like a racer,

Leaving behind the rest.

By earnestness did Indra rise to the lordship of the gods.

People praise earnestness,

Thoughtlessness is always blamed.

A monk who delights in earnestness,

Who looks with fear on thoughtlessness,

Moves like fire,

Burning all of their fetters,

Small or large.

A monk who delights in reflection,

Who looks with fear on thoughtlessness,

Cannot fall away,

And is close to awakening.

As a fletcher makes straight his arrow,

A wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought,

Which is difficult to guard,

Difficult to hold back.

As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on dry ground,

Our thoughts strimble all over in order to escape the dominion of Mara.

It is good to tame the mind,

Which is difficult to hold in and flighty,

Rushing wherever it wants.

A tamed mind brings happiness.

Let the wise man guard his thoughts,

For they are difficult to perceive,

Very artful,

And they rush wherever they list.

Thoughts well guarded bring happiness.

Those who bridle their mind,

Which travels far,

Moves about alone,

Is without a body,

And hides in the chamber of the heart,

Will be free from the bonds of samsara.

If a person's thoughts are unsteady,

If they do not know the true Dharma,

If their peace of mind is troubled,

Then their knowledge will never be perfected.

But if a person's thoughts are not dissipated,

If his mind is not perplexed,

If they have ceased to think of good or evil,

Then there is no fear for him while they are watchful.

Knowing that this body is fragile,

And making this thought firm like a fortress,

One should attack the mind,

And make it a weapon of knowledge and compassion.

One should watch them be conquered,

And should never rest.

Before long,

Alas,

This body will lie on the earth,

Despised,

Without understanding,

Like a useless log.

Whatever a hater may do to a hater,

Or an enemy to an enemy,

A wrongly directed mind will do us greater mischief.

Not a mother,

Not a father will do so much,

Nor any other relative.

A well-directed mind will do us the greatest of services,

Shall overcome this earth,

And the world of Yama,

And the world of the gods,

And the world of the gods,

And the world of the gods,

Who shall find out the plainly shown path of virtue,

As a clever man finds out the right flower.

The disciple will overcome the earth,

And the world of Yama,

And the world of the gods.

The disciple will find out the plainly shown path of virtue,

As a clever man finds out the right flower.

He who knows that this body is like froth,

And has learned that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage,

Will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mara,

And never see the Lord of Death.

Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers,

And whose mind is distracted,

As a flood carries off a sleeping village.

Death subdues a man,

Who is gathering flowers,

And whose mind is distracted,

Before he is satiated in his pleasures.

As the bee collects nectar,

And departs without injuring the flower,

Or its color,

Or scent,

So let a sage dwell in his village.

Not the perversities of others,

Not their sins of commission or omniscient,

But his own misdeeds and negligence,

Should take a sage by notice.

Like a beautiful flower,

Full of color and full of scent,

Are the fine and fruitful words of him who acts accordingly.

As many kinds of wreaths can be made from a heap of flowers,

So many good things may be achieved by a mortal man.

So many good things may be achieved by a mortal,

When once he is born.

The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind,

Nor that of sandalwood,

Nor of the tagara,

Nor other flowers,

But the odor of good people travels even against the wind.

A good person pervades every place.

Of the people who possess these virtues,

Who live without thoughtlessness,

And who are emancipated through true knowledge and practice,

Mara refines the way.

As on a heap of rubbish cast upon the highway,

The lily will grow full of sweet perfume and delight.

Thus,

The disciple of the Buddha shines forth by their knowledge among those who are like rubbish,

Among those who may walk in darkness.

Reviews

The narration was perfect. Thank you for this beautiful piece to add to my Silas Day folder!