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Dhp 320–333 Nāgavagga: Elephants

I–like an elephant in battle,
enduring an arrow shot from a bow–
will endure a false accusation,
for the mass of people
have no     principles.


320
The tamed is the one
they take into assemblies.
The tamed is the one
the king mounts.
The tamed who endures
a false accusation
is, among human beings,
     the best.
321

Excellent are tamed mules,
     tamed thoroughbreds,
     tamed horses from Sindh.
Excellent, tamed tuskers,
great elephants.
But even more excellent
are those     self-tamed.

For not by these mounts could you go
to the land unreached,
as the tamed one goes
by taming, well-taming, himself.
322-323

The tusker, Dhanapalaka,
deep in rut, is hard to control.
Bound, he won’t eat a morsel:
the tusker misses
the elephant wood.
324

When torpid & over-fed,
a sleepy-head lolling about
like a stout hog, fattened on fodder:
a dullard enters the womb
     over &
     over again.

325
Before, this mind went wandering
     however it pleased,
     wherever it wanted,
     by whatever way that it liked.
Today I will hold it aptly in check–
as one wielding a goad, an elephant in rut.
326

Delight in heedfulness.
Watch over your own mind.
Lift yourself up
from the hard-going way,
like a tusker sunk in the mud.
327

If you gain a mature companion–
a fellow traveler, right-living, enlightened–
overcoming all dangers
     go with him, gratified,
     mindful.

If you don’t gain a mature companion–
a fellow traveler, right-living, enlightened–
go alone
like a king renouncing his kingdom,
like the elephant in the Matanga wilds,
his herd.

Going alone is better.
There’s no companionship with a fool.
     Go alone,
doing no evil, at peace,
like the elephant in the Matanga wilds.
328-330

A blessing:   friends when the need arises.
A blessing:   contentment with whatever there is.
Merit at the ending of life is a blessing.
A blessing:   the abandoning of all suffering
          & stress.

A blessing in the world:   reverence to your mother.
A blessing:   reverence to your father as well.
A blessing in the world:   reverence to a contemplative.
A blessing:   reverence for a brahman, too.

A blessing into old age is virtue.
A blessing:   conviction established.
A blessing:   discernment attained.
The non-doing of evil things is
     a blessing.
331-333


Read this translation of Dhammapada XXIII . Elephants by Bhikkhu Ṭhanissaro on DhammaTalks.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org, Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net or AccessToInsight.org. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Tiếng Việt, Català, Čeština, Español, Français, עִבְֿרִיתּ, Magyar, Italiano, 日本語, Latine, मराठी, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Nederlands, Norsk, Polski, Português, සිංහල, Slovenščina, தமிழ், or 汉语. Learn how to find your language.

SN 48.54 Padasutta: Footprints

“The footprints of all creatures that walk can fit inside an elephant’s footprint, so an elephant’s footprint is said to be the biggest of them all. In the same way, the faculty of wisdom is said to be the best of the steps that lead to awakening in terms of becoming awakened.

And what are the steps that lead to awakening? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom are steps that lead to awakening, in that they lead to becoming awakened.

The footprints of all creatures that walk can fit inside an elephant’s footprint, so an elephant’s footprint is said to be the biggest of them all. In the same way, the faculty of wisdom is said to be the best of the steps that lead to awakening in terms of becoming awakened.”


Read this translation of Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.54 Padasutta: Footprints by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bengali, Indonesian, 日本語, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Norsk, Português, ру́сский язы́к, සිංහල, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, or 汉语. Learn how to find your language.