The Way

Of all paths, the eightfold way is best; of all truths, the four noble truths. The finest virtue is freedom from craving, and the finest of people is the one with clear sight.

Of all the paths the Eightfold Path is the best; of all the truths the Four Noble Truths are the best; of all things passionlessness is the best: of men the Seeing One (the Buddha) is the best.

This is the only path for the purifying of insight; there is no other. Follow it, and you will leave Māra, the tempter, bewildered.

This is the only path; there is none other for the purification of insight. Tread this path, and you will bewilder Mara.

Walk this path and you will bring suffering to an end. Having found how to draw out the thorn of craving, I make the way known.

Walking upon this path you will make an end of suffering. Having discovered how to pull out the thorn of lust, I make known the path.

You yourselves must make the effort; the Buddhas only point the way. Those who tread the path in deep meditation are freed from Māra's bonds.

You yourselves must strive; the Buddhas only point the way. Those meditative ones who tread the path are released from the bonds of Mara.

"Everything that's put together is fleeting; nothing assembled lasts." Whoever truly sees this grows weary of chasing what can't stay, and that weariness is the doorway to freedom.

“All conditioned things are impermanent” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

"All conditioned things are unsatisfying." Whoever sees this with wisdom turns away from suffering, and that turning away is the path to freedom.

“All conditioned things are unsatisfactory” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

"Nothing has a fixed, separate self." Whoever truly sees this grows weary of chasing pain, and that is the way to freedom.

“All things are not-self” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

The idler who won't rouse himself when the moment calls, young and strong, yet sunk in laziness, his mind full of idle thoughts, such a person never finds the path to wisdom.

The idler who does not exert himself when he should, who though young and strong is full of sloth, with a mind full of vain thoughts — such an indolent man does not find the path to wisdom.

Watch your speech, keep your mind well-restrained, and do no harm with your body. Purify these three courses of action, and you will reach the path the Great Sage made known.

Let a man be watchful of speech, well controlled in mind, and not commit evil in bodily action. Let him purify these three courses of action, and win the path made known by the Great Sage.

Wisdom springs from meditation, and without it wisdom wanes. Knowing these two roads, one toward growth, one toward decline, conduct yourself so that your wisdom increases.

Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes. Having known these two paths of progress and decline, let a man so conduct himself that his wisdom may increase.

Cut down the whole forest of craving, not just a single tree, for from that forest comes fear. Clear the forest and its underbrush, and be free of craving.

Cut down the forest (lust), but not the tree; from the forest springs fear. Having cut down the forest and the underbrush (desire), be passionless, O monks! [20]

As long as even the faintest underbrush of desire is left uncleared, the mind stays in bondage, fixed on its object like a suckling calf to its mother.

For so long as the underbrush of desire, even the most subtle, of a man towards a woman is not cut down, his mind is in bondage, like the sucking calf to its mother.

Cut off your fondness for yourself the way a hand plucks an autumn lotus. Cultivate only the path to peace, Nibbāna, as the Exalted One made known.

Cut off your affection in the manner of a man who plucks with his hand an autumn lotus. Cultivate only the path to peace, Nibbana, as made known by the Exalted One.

"Here I'll live through the rains, here through winter and summer." So the fool plans, never seeing the danger that death may come first.

“Here shall I live during the rains, here in winter and summer” — thus thinks the fool. He does not realize the danger (that death might intervene).

Just as a great flood sweeps away a sleeping village, death seizes and carries off the person whose clinging mind dotes on children and cattle.

As a great flood carries away a sleeping village, so death seizes and carries away the man with a clinging mind, doting on his children and cattle.

When death closes in, no kinsmen can shield you. There is no one to save you: not sons, not father, not relatives.

For him who is assailed by death there is no protection by kinsmen. None there are to save him — no sons, nor father, nor relatives.

Seeing this clearly, the wise person, steadied by virtue, hurries to clear the path that leads to Nibbāna.

Realizing this fact, let the wise man, restrained by morality, hasten to clear the path leading to Nibbana.