When a person venerates the worthy—
the Buddha or his disciple,
who have transcended proliferation,
and have left behind grief and lamentation,
quenched, fearing nothing from any quarter—
the merit of one venerating such as these,
cannot be calculated by anyone,
saying it is just this much.
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 197–208
15. Happiness
Let us live so very happily,
loving among the hostile.
Among hostile humans,
let us live with love.
Let us live so very happily,
healthy among the ailing.
Among ailing humans
let us live healthily.
Let us live so very happily,
content among the greedy.
Among greedy humans,
let us live content.
Let us live so very happily,
we who have nothing.
We shall feed on rapture,
like the gods of streaming radiance.
Victory breeds enmity;
the defeated sleep badly.
The peaceful sleep at ease,
having left victory and defeat behind.
There is no fire like greed,
no crime like hate,
no suffering like the aggregates,
no bliss beyond peace.
Hunger is the worst illness,
conditions are the worst suffering.
For one who truly knows this,
extinguishment is the ultimate happiness.
Health is the ultimate blessing;
contentment, the ultimate wealth;
trust is the ultimate family;
extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.
Having drunk the nectar of seclusion
and the nectar of peace—
free of stress, free of evil,
drink the joyous nectar of truth.
It’s good to see the noble ones,
staying with them is always good.
Were you not to see fools,
you’d always be happy.
For one who consorts with fools
grieves long.
Painful is living with fools,
like being stuck with your enemy.
Happy is living with an attentive one,
like meeting with your kin.
Therefore:
An attentive one, wise and learned,
a behemoth of virtue, true to their vows, noble:
follow a true and intelligent person such as this,
as the moon tracks the path of the stars.
Minor Collection
Sayings of the Dhamma 209–220
16. The Beloved
Applying yourself where you ought not,
neglecting what you should be doing,
forgetting your goal, you cling to what you hold dear,
jealous of those devoted to their heart’s goal.
Don’t ever get too close
to those you like or dislike.
For not seeing the liked is suffering,
and so is seeing the disliked.
Therefore don’t hold anything dear,
for it’s bad to lose those you love.
No ties are found in they who
hold nothing loved or loathed.
Sorrow springs from what we hold dear,
fear springs from what we hold dear;
one free from holding anything dear
has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Sorrow springs from attachment,
fear springs from attachment;
one free from attachment
has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Sorrow springs from relishing,
fear springs from relishing;
one free from relishing
has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Sorrow springs from desire,
fear springs from desire;
one free from desire
has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Sorrow springs from craving,
fear springs from craving;
one free from craving
has no sorrow, let alone fear.
One accomplished in virtue and vision,
firmly principled, and truthful,
doing oneself what ought be done: