Selections from The Dhammapada – Chapters 24–26, Part 1 of 2

Dhammapada is an anthology of verses spoken by the Buddha (vegan) on various occasions in response to a certain unique situation.

CHAPTER 24 THIRST

“The thirst of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper [plant]; he runs from life to life, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest.

Whomsoever this fierce thirst overcomes, full of poison, in this world, his sufferings increase like the abounding Bîrana [beard] grass.

He who overcomes this fierce thirst, difficult to be conquered in this world, suffering falls off from him like water drops from a lotus leaf.”

“The channels run everywhere; the creeper (of passion) stands sprouting; if you see the creeper springing up, cut its root by means of knowledge.

A creature's pleasures are extravagant and luxurious; sunk in lust and looking for pleasure, men undergo (again and again) birth and decay.

Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; held in fetters and bonds, they undergo pain for a long time, again and again.

Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; let, therefore, the mendicant drive out thirst by striving after passionlessness for himself.

He who having got rid of the forest (of lust) gives himself over to forest-life [to lust], and who, when removed from the forest [of lust], runs to the forest [to lust], look at that man! Though free, he runs into bondage.”

“Give up what is before, give up what is behind, give up what is in the middle, when thou go to the other shore of existence; if thy mind is altogether free, thou will not again enter into birth and decay.

If a man is tossed about by doubts, full of strong passions, and yearning only for what is delightful, his thirst will grow more and more, and he will indeed make his fetters strong.

If a man delights in quieting doubts and, always reflecting, dwells on what is not delightful [such as] (the impurity of the body), he certainly will remove, nay, he will cut the fetter of Mâra.

He who has reached realization, who does not tremble, who is without thirst and without sin, he has broken all the thorns of life: this will be his last body.

He who is without thirst and without affection, who understands the words and their interpretation, who knows the order of letters (those which are before and which are after), he has received his last body, he is called the great sage, the great man.

‘I have conquered all, I know all, in all conditions of life I am free from taint; I have left all, and through the destruction of thirst I am free; having learnt myself, whom shall I teach?’”