ETHICS · DHAMMAPADA 248

A Life You Need Not Regret

O man, know this, that the unrestrained are in a bad state; take care that greediness and vice do not bring thee to grief for a long time!

Dhammapada 248 · Chapter 18, Impurity · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “O man, know this, that the unrestrained are in a bad state.” In its chapter, this image points toward cleaning up conduct and intention. The water imagery emphasizes accumulation: a mind and a life are shaped by many small conditions, not one dramatic moment. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.

Practice prompt

Notice one small action that points your life in a direction.