SELF-KNOWLEDGE · DHAMMAPADA 18
Turning Inward Honestly
The virtuous man is happy in this world, and he is happy in the next; he is happy in both. He is happy when he thinks of the good he has done; he is still more happy when going on the good path.
Dhammapada 18 · Chapter 1, The Twin-Verses · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “The virtuous man is happy in this world, and he is happy in the next.” In its chapter, this image points toward intention and the way thought conditions action. Read goodness here as a trainable direction—choices that reduce harm and leave less residue of regret. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Where could honest self-observation replace self-criticism today?