In short: Chapter 4 of the Dhammapada, Flowers (Pupphavagga), verses 44 to 59. Gathering goodness like a bee gathers nectar, and the fragrance of virtue that travels even against the wind.
Who bestirs this earth, and the Yama realm with its gods? Who sets out the well-taught word of truth, as an expert a flower?
Dhammapada 44, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Ko imaṁ pathaviṁ vicessati, | Who bestirs this earth, |
| Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ; | and the Yama realm with its gods? | |
| Ko dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ, | Who sets out the well-taught word of truth, | |
| Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati. | as an expert a flower? | |
| 45 | Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati, | A trainee bestirs this earth, |
| Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ; | and the Yama realm with its gods. | |
| Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ, | A trainee sets out the well-taught word of truth, | |
| Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati. | as an expert a flower. | |
| 46 | Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā, | Knowing this body’s like foam, |
| Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno; | realizing it’s all just a mirage, | |
| Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni, | and cutting off Māra’s blossoming, | |
| Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche. | vanish from the King of Death. | |
| 47 | Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, | As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village, |
| byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; | death steals away a man | |
| Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, | even as he gathers flowers, | |
| maccu ādāya gacchati. | his mind caught up in them. | |
| 48 | Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, | The terminator gains control of the man |
| byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; | who has not had his fill of pleasures, | |
| Atittaññeva kāmesu, | even as he gathers flowers, | |
| antako kurute vasaṁ. | his mind caught up in them. | |
| 49 | Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ, | A bee takes the nectar |
| vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ; | and moves on, doing no damage | |
| Paleti rasamādāya, | to the flower’s beauty and fragrance; | |
| evaṁ gāme munī care. | and that’s how a sage should walk in the village. | |
| 50 | Na paresaṁ vilomāni, | Don’t find fault with others, |
| na paresaṁ katākataṁ; | with what they’ve done or left undone. | |
| Attanova avekkheyya, | You should only watch yourself, | |
| katāni akatāni ca. | what you’ve done or left undone. | |
| 51 | Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ, | Just like a glorious flower |
| vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ; | that’s colorful but lacks fragrance; | |
| Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā, | eloquent speech is fruitless | |
| aphalā hoti akubbato. | for one who does not act on it. | |
| 52 | Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ, | Just like a glorious flower |
| Vaṇṇavantaṁ sagandhakaṁ; | that’s both colorful and fragrant, | |
| Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā, | eloquent speech is fruitful | |
| Saphalā hoti kubbato. | for one who acts on it. | |
| 53 | Yathāpi puppharāsimhā, | Just as one would create many garlands |
| kayirā mālāguṇe bahū; | from a heap of flowers, | |
| Evaṁ jātena maccena, | when a person has come to be born, | |
| kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ bahuṁ. | they should do many skillful things. | |
| 54 | Na pupphagandho paṭivātameti, | The fragrance of flowers doesn’t spread upwind, |
| Na candanaṁ tagaramallikā vā; | nor sandalwood, pinwheel, or jasmine; | |
| Satañca gandho paṭivātameti, | but the fragrance of the good spreads upwind; | |
| Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati. | a true person’s virtue spreads in every direction. | |
| 55 | Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi, | Among all the fragrances— |
| uppalaṁ atha vassikī; | sandalwood or pinwheel | |
| Etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ, | or lotus or jasmine— | |
| sīlagandho anuttaro. | the fragrance of virtue is supreme. | |
| 56 | Appamatto ayaṁ gandho, | Faint is the fragrance |
| yāyaṁ tagaracandanī; | of sandal or pinwheel; | |
| Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho, | but the fragrance of the virtuous | |
| vāti devesu uttamo. | floats to the highest gods. | |
| 57 | Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ, | For those accomplished in ethics, |
| appamādavihārinaṁ; | meditating diligently, | |
| Sammadaññāvimuttānaṁ, | freed through the highest knowledge, | |
| māro maggaṁ na vindati. | Māra cannot find their path. | |
| 58 | Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ, | From a heap of trash |
| ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe; | discarded on the highway, | |
| Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha, | a lotus might blossom, | |
| sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ. | fragrant and delightful. | |
| 59 | Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu, | So too, among those thought of as trash, |
| andhabhūte puthujjane; | a disciple of the perfect Buddha | |
| Atirocati paññāya, | outshines with their wisdom | |
| sammāsambuddhasāvako. | the blind ordinary folk. |
← Chapter 3: The Mind · Chapter 5: The Fool →
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Questions people ask
What is chapter 4 of the Dhammapada about?
Gathering goodness like a bee gathers nectar, and the fragrance of virtue that travels even against the wind.
Which verses are in Dhammapada chapter 4?
Chapter 4, Flowers (Pupphavagga), contains verses 44 to 59.