The mind quivers and quakes, hard to guard, hard to curb. The discerning straighten it out, like a fletcher an arrow.
3. The Mind
Dhp 33-43 · Cittavagga
Like a fish pulled from the sea and cast upon the shore, this mind flounders about, trying to throw off Māra’s dominion.
Hard to hold back, flighty, alighting where it will; it’s good to tame the mind; a tamed mind leads to bliss.
So hard to see, so subtle, alighting where it will; the discerning protect the mind, a guarded mind leads to bliss.
The mind travels far, wandering alone; incorporeal, it lies hidden in the heart. Those who will restrain the mind are freed from Māra’s bonds.
Those of unsteady mind, who don’t understand the true teaching, and whose confidence wavers, do not perfect their wisdom.
One whose mind is not festering, whose heart is undamaged, who’s given up right and wrong, alert, has nothing to fear.
Knowing this body breaks like a pot, and fortifying the mind like a citadel, attack Māra with the sword of wisdom, guard your conquest, and never settle.
All too soon this body will lie upon the earth, bereft of consciousness, tossed aside like a worthless log.
A wrongly directed mind would do you more harm than a hater to the hated, or an enemy to their foe.
A rightly directed mind would do you more good than your mother or father or any other relative.
Connections
Collection & context
- DhammapadaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist ClassicGil Fronsdal (translator) · Complete collection edition
- Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader. This source combines a range of related numbered discourses.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.