When a person, wishing for a certain outcome, applies themselves where they ought not; not achieving what they worked for, they say: “That’s a sign of my bad luck.”
When a misfortune is extracted and beaten, to surrender it in part would be like losing at dice; but to surrender it all you’d have to be blind, not seeing the even and the uneven.
You should only say what you would do; you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do. The wise will recognize one who talks without doing.
Just like a glorious flower that’s colorful but lacks fragrance; well-spoken speech is fruitless for one who does not act on it.
Just like a glorious flower that’s both colorful and fragrant, well-spoken speech is fruitful for one who acts on it.
Subhūta
Thag 5.2 · Subhūtattheragāthā
Connections
Collection & context
- TheragāthāThe 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
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato and Jessica Walton · 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.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.