CONTENTMENT · DHAMMAPADA 201

Joy That Does Not Depend

Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy.

Dhammapada 201 · Chapter 15, Happiness · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy.” In its chapter, this image points toward forms of happiness rooted in simplicity. The practical question is whether replaying injury protects you or keeps the injury active. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.

Practice prompt

What does enough feel like in the body?