In short: Chapter 13 of the Dhammapada, The World (Lokavagga), verses 167 to 178. Seeing the world as a bubble and a mirage, and rising from heedlessness to live the teaching.
Don’t resort to lowly things, don’t abide in negligence, don’t resort to wrong views, don’t perpetuate the world.
Dhammapada 167, the chapter's first verse.
Pāli and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral. The introduction is ANEW's.
The verses in Pāli and English
| Verse | Pāli | English |
|---|---|---|
| 167 | Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, | Don’t resort to lowly things, |
| pamādena na saṁvase; | don’t abide in negligence, | |
| Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, | don’t resort to wrong views, | |
| na siyā lokavaḍḍhano. | don’t perpetuate the world. | |
| 168 | Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, | Get up, don’t be heedless, |
| dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care; | live by principle, with good conduct. | |
| Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, | For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, | |
| asmiṁ loke paramhi ca. | in this world and the next. | |
| 169 | Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, | Live by principle, with good conduct, |
| na naṁ duccaritaṁ care; | don’t conduct yourself badly. | |
| Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, | For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, | |
| asmiṁ loke paramhi ca. | in this world and the next. | |
| 170 | Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe, | Look upon the world |
| yathā passe marīcikaṁ; | as a bubble | |
| Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ, | or a mirage, | |
| maccurājā na passati. | then the King of Death won’t see you. | |
| 171 | Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ, | Come, see this world decked out |
| cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ; | like a fancy royal chariot. | |
| Yattha bālā visīdanti, | Here fools founder, | |
| natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ. | but the discerning are not chained. | |
| 172 | Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, | He who once was heedless, |
| pacchā so nappamajjati; | but turned to heedfulness, | |
| Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, | shines upon this world | |
| abbhā muttova candimā. | like the moon freed from clouds. | |
| 173 | Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ, | Someone whose bad deed |
| kusalena pidhīyati; | is supplanted by the good, | |
| Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, | shines upon this world, | |
| abbhā muttova candimā. | like the moon freed from clouds. | |
| 174 | Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko, | Blind is the world, |
| tanukettha vipassati; | few are those who clearly see. | |
| Sakuṇo jālamuttova, | Only a handful go to heaven, | |
| appo saggāya gacchati. | like a bird freed from a net. | |
| 175 | Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, | Swans fly by the sun’s path, |
| ākāse yanti iddhiyā; | psychic sages fly through space. | |
| Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, | The attentive leave the world, | |
| jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ. | having vanquished Māra with his legions. | |
| 176 | Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa, | When a personage, spurning the hereafter, |
| musāvādissa jantuno; | transgresses in just one thing— | |
| Vitiṇṇaparalokassa, | lying— | |
| natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ. | there is no evil they would not do. | |
| 177 | Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti, | The miserly don’t ascend to heaven, |
| Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ; | it takes a fool to not praise giving. | |
| Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno, | The attentive celebrate giving, | |
| Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha. | and so find happiness in the hereafter. | |
| 178 | Pathabyā ekarajjena, | The fruit of stream-entry is better |
| saggassa gamanena vā; | than being the one king of the earth, | |
| Sabbalokādhipaccena, | than going to heaven, | |
| sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ. | than lordship over all the world. |
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Questions people ask
What is chapter 13 of the Dhammapada about?
Seeing the world as a bubble and a mirage, and rising from heedlessness to live the teaching.
Which verses are in Dhammapada chapter 13?
Chapter 13, The World (Lokavagga), contains verses 167 to 178.