CONTENTMENT · DHAMMAPADA 206

The Happiness of Enough

The sight of the elect (Arya) is good, to live with them is always happiness; if a man does not see fools, he will be truly happy.

Dhammapada 206 · Chapter 15, Happiness · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “The sight of the elect (Arya) is good, to live with them is always happiness.” In its chapter, this image points toward forms of happiness rooted in simplicity. 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

Name three ordinary things that are sufficient right now.