The Pairs

Chapter One -- The Pairs

1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind
   is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If
   with an impure mind one speaks or acts,
   suffering follows one like the wheel that follows
   the foot of the ox.
   
2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind
   is their chief; they are all mind wrought. If
   with a pure mind one speaks or acts, happiness
   follows one like one's never-departing shadow.
   
3. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered
   me, he robbed me"--those who harbour such
   thoughts do not still their hatred.
   
4. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered
   me, he robbed me"--those who do not harbour
   such thoughts still their hatred.
   
5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this
   world; by non-hatred alone is hatred appeased.
   This is an Eternal Law.
   
6. There are those who do not realize that one
   day we all must die, but those who realize this
   settle their quarrels.
   
7. Just as a storm throws down a weak tree,
   so does Mara overpower the person who lives for
   the pursuit of pleasures, who is uncontrolled in one's
   senses, immoderate in eating, indolent and dissipated.
   
8. Just as a storm cannot throw down a rocky
   mountain, so Mara can never overpower the person
   who lives meditating on the impurities, who is
   controlled in one's senses, moderate in eating, and
   filled with faith and earnest effort.
   
9. Whoever being depraved, devoid of self-control
   and truthfulness, should don the monk's yellow
   robe, that person surely is not worthy of the robe.
   
10. But whoever is purged of depravity, well
    established in virtues and filled with self-control
    and truthfulness, that person indeed is worthy of the robe.
    
11. Those who mistake the unessential to
    be essential and the essential to be unessential
    dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential.
    
12. Those who know the essential to be
    essential and the unessential to be unessential,
    dwelling in right thoughts, arrive at the essential.
    
13. Just as the rain breaks through an ill-
    thatched house, even so passion penetrates an
    undeveloped mind.
    
14. Just as rain does not break through a
    well-thatched house, even so passion never
    penetrates a well-developed mind.
    
15. Evil-doers grieves here and hereafter;
    they grieve in both worlds. They lament and are
    afflicted, recollecting their own impure deeds.
    
16. Doers of good rejoice here and hereafter;
    they rejoice in both worlds. They rejoice
    and exult, recollecting their own pure deeds.
    
17. Evil-doers suffer here and hereafter;
    they suffer in both worlds. The thought, "Evil
    have I done," torments them, and they suffer even
    more when gone to realms of woe.
    
18. Doers of good delight here and hereafter;
    they delight in both worlds. The thought,
    "Good have I done," delights them, and they delight
    even more when gone to realms of bliss.
    
19. Much though one recites the sacred texts,
    but acts not accordingly, that heedless person is
    like a cowherd who only counts the cows of
    others--one does not partake of the blessings
    of a holy life.
    
20. Little though one recites the sacred texts,
    but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking
    lust, hatred and delusion, with true wisdom and
    emancipated mind, clinging to nothing in this or
    any other world--one, indeed, partakes of the
    blessings of a holy life.