Lokavagga

Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, pamādena na saṁvase; Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.

Don’t resort to lowly things, don’t abide in negligence, don’t resort to wrong views, don’t perpetuate the world.

Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care; Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Get up, don’t be heedless, live by principle, with good conduct. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.

Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, na naṁ duccaritaṁ care; Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Live by principle, with good conduct, don’t conduct yourself badly. For one of good conduct sleeps at ease, in this world and the next.

Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe, yathā passe marīcikaṁ; Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ, maccurājā na passati.

Look upon the world as a bubble or a mirage, then the King of Death won’t see you.

Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ, cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ; Yattha bālā visīdanti, natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.

Come, see this world decked out like a fancy royal chariot. Here fools founder, but the discerning are not chained.

Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, pacchā so nappamajjati; Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, abbhā muttova candimā.

He who once was heedless, but turned to heedfulness, shines upon this world like the moon freed from clouds.

Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ, kusalena pidhīyati; Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti, abbhā muttova candimā.

Someone whose bad deed is supplanted by the good, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds.

Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko, tanukettha vipassati; Sakuṇo jālamuttova, appo saggāya gacchati.

Blind is the world, few are those who clearly see. Only a handful go to heaven, like a bird freed from a net.

Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, ākāse yanti iddhiyā; Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.

Swans fly by the sun’s path, psychic sages fly through space. The attentive leave the world, having vanquished Māra with his legions.

Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa, musāvādissa jantuno; Vitiṇṇaparalokassa, natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.

When a personage, spurning the hereafter, transgresses in just one thing— lying— there is no evil they would not do.

Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti, Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ; Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno, Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.

The miserly don’t ascend to heaven, it takes a fool to not praise giving. The attentive celebrate giving, and so find happiness in the hereafter.

Pathabyā ekarajjena, saggassa gamanena vā; Sabbalokādhipaccena, sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ. Lokavaggo terasamo.

The fruit of stream-entry is better than being the one king of the earth, than going to heaven, than lordship over all the world.