N°4: The flowers
४. पुष्पवर्गश्चतुर्त्थः
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Who will conquer this world, the world of the gods and also the world of YAMA – the world of pain and death? Who will find the Dhammapada, the clear way of perfection, like someone who finds the most beautiful among all kinds of flowers.
क इमां पृथिवीं विजेष्यते यमलोकं चेमं सदेवकम् ।
को धर्मपदं सुदेशितं कुशलः पुष्पमिव प्रचेष्यति ॥ १॥
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The wise student will conquer this world, the world of the gods and also the world of YAMA – the world of pain and death. The wise student will find the Dhammapada , the clear way of perfection, like someone who finds the most beautiful among all kinds of flowers.
शैक्षः पृथवीं विजेष्यते यमलोकं च इमं सदेवकम् ।
शैक्षो धर्मपदं सुदेशितं कुशलः पुष्पमिव प्रचेष्यति ॥ २॥
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Anyone who knows that the body is like foam on the sea, merely the shadow of a reflection; they break the sharp arrows of MARA hidden in the flowers of seductive passions; they step away from the path of death to enter their own path.
फेनोपमं कायमिमं विदित्वा मरीचिधर्मं अभिसंबुधानः ।
छित्वा मारस्य प्रपुष्पकाणि अदर्शनं मृत्युराजस्य गच्छेत् ॥ ३॥
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Anyone who picks the flowers of seductive passions is unexpectedly carried away by death, like a tsunami raging over a sleeping village and then flowing away again.
पुष्पाणि ह्येव प्रचिन्वन्तं व्यासक्तमनसं नरम् ।
सुप्तं ग्रामं महोघ इव मृत्युरादाय गच्छति ॥ ४॥
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So it is that death, the end of it all, also puts an end to someone who is always thirsty and craves the flowers of sensual passions.
पुष्पाणि ह्येव प्रचिन्वन्तं व्यासक्तमनसं नरम् ।
अतृप्तमेव कामेषु अन्तकः कुरुते वशम् ॥ ५॥
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Walk through life like a honeybee that grabs pollen from every flower, but does not disturb the beauty or delicious smell of the flower.
यथापि भ्रमरः पुष्पं वर्णगन्धं अघ्नन् ।
पलायते रसमादाय एवं ग्रामे मुनिश्चरेत् ॥ ६॥
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Whatever people have done wrong, whatever they may have neglected to do, is nothing but their own business and does not concern you. It will benefit you more to think about your own business, about the things you may or may not have done yourself.
न परेषां विलोमानि न परेषां कृताकृतम् ।
आत्मनं एव अवेक्षेत कृतान्यकृतानि च ॥ ७॥
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Some flowers seem beautiful because of their brilliant color, but as soon as you smell them they lack smell. Some words may sound nice but are useless when people only pronounce them but don’t live them.
यथापि रुचिरं पुष्पं वर्णवदगन्धकम् ।
एवं सुभाषिता वाक् सफला भवति कुर्वतः ॥ ८॥
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And some flowers have a brilliant color and smell wonderful, just like the beautiful words of someone who does what they say.
यथापि रुचिरं पुष्पं वर्णवत् सगन्धकम् ।
एवं सुभाषिता वाक् सफला भवति कुर्वतः ॥ ९॥
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From a large pile of flowers you can make beautiful wreaths. As human beings, we have many opportunities in this life to work on that.
यथापि पुष्पराशेः कुर्यात् मालागुणान् बहून् ।
एवं जातेन मर्त्त्येन कर्त्तव्यं कुशलं बहु ॥ १०॥
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The smell of flowers never goes against the wind; not of sandalwood, rhododendron or jasmine. But wind or no wind, the perfume of virtue reaches the ends of the world.
न पुष्पगन्धः प्रतिवातमेति न चन्दनं तगरमल्लिके वा ।
सताञ्च गन्धः प्रतिवातमेति सर्वा दिशः सत्पुरुषः प्रवाति ॥ ११॥
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There is the smell of sandalwood, of rhododendron, of blue lotus and jasmine, but the perfume of virtue transcends them all.
चन्दनं तगरं वापि उत्पलं अथ वार्षिकी ।
एतेषां गन्धजातानां शीलगन्धोऽनुत्तरः ॥ १२॥
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The smell of flowers does not reach far, even the smell of rhododendron or sandalwood. But the smell of good deeds reaches into heaven and it is the favorite perfume among the gods.
अल्पमात्रोऽयं गन्धो योऽयं तगरचन्दनी ।
यश्च शीलवतां गन्धो वाति देवेषु उत्तमः ॥ १३॥
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The path of people who have accumulated much virtue, who are always vigilant about their treasures and who are liberated with the light of their true selves, cannot be blocked by MARA or death.
तेषां सम्पन्नशीलानां अप्रमाद-विहारिणाम् ।
सम्यग्ज्ञानविमुक्त्तानां मारो मार्गं न विन्दति ॥ १४॥
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From a large pile of garbage on the side of the road, a lotus flower can grow and bloom. And even from that pile of garbage, the lotus flower is fully capable of giving the soul a bath of delicious joy with its pure aroma’s.
यता सङ्कारधाने उज्झिते महापथे ।
पद्म तत्र जायेत शुचिगन्धं मनोरमम् ॥ १५॥
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Similarly, among the blind, the pure light of the the wise student who follows the fully awakened, the Buddha, shines through.
एवं सङ्कारभूते अन्धभूते पृथग्जने ।
अतिरोचते प्रज्ञया सम्यक्-संबुद्ध-श्रावकः ॥ १६॥
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