The Dhammapada · Buddhist Sutras

Chapter 17: Anger

The Dhammapada · 14 verses

Chapter 17 of the Dhammapada — “Anger” — the Buddha's most widely read collection of verses, in a classic public domain translation. It opens: “Let a man leave anger, let him forsake pride, let him overcome all bondage! No sufferings befall the man who is not attached to name and…” — all 14 verses are below, free to read online.

1Let a man leave anger, let him forsake pride, let him overcome all bondage! No sufferings befall the man who is not attached to name and form, and who calls nothing his own.

2He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.

3Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth!

4Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.

5The sages who injure nobody, and who always control their body, they will go to the unchangeable place (Nirvāṇa), where, if they have gone, they will suffer no more.

6Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night, and who strive after Nirvāṇa, their passions will come to an end.

7This is an old saying, O Atula, this is not only of to-day: 'They blame him who sits silent, they blame him who speaks much, they also blame him who says little; there is no one on earth who is not blamed.'

8There never was, there never will be, nor is there now, a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised.

9But he whom those who discriminate praise continually day after day, as without blemish, wise, rich in knowledge and virtue, who would dare to blame him, like a coin made of gold from the Jambū river?

10Even the gods praise him, he is praised even by Brahman.

11Beware of bodily anger, and control thy body! Leave the sins of the body, and with thy body practise virtue!

12Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue! Leave the sins of the tongue, and practise virtue with thy tongue!

13Beware of the anger of the mind, and control thy mind! Leave the sins of the mind, and practise virtue with thy mind!

14The wise who control their body, who control their tongue, the wise who control their mind, are indeed well controlled.

14 verses · classic public domain translation

‹ Ch. 16: Pleasure Ch. 18: Impurity ›

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