““They abused me, they hit me! They beat me, they robbed me!” For those who bear such a grudge, hatred is never laid to rest.”
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, ajini maṁ ahāsi me; Ye ca taṁ upanayhanti, veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati.
Buddha Quotes on Patience, from the Dhammapada
6 verses of 423 · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0) · Pali alongside
The Dhammapada addresses patience through the lens of endurance and letting go of anger. While many websites attribute long, flowery poems to the Buddha, this book offers a handful of specific verses. Verse 184 identifies patient acceptance as the highest fervor, while verse 399 describes a brahmin as someone who endures abuse, killing, and caging without anger. These verses suggest that true patience is a form of mental strength rather than passive submission.
Verses 320 and 321 compare the practitioner to an elephant struck by arrows in battle. This imagery emphasizes the need to endure the bad behavior of others. Verses 3 and 4 connect patience to the release of grudges. By refusing to dwell on being hit or robbed, a person stops the cycle of hatred. This site provides these authentic verses to help you practice with the original text of the Dhammapada.
The verses
In book order. Open any verse for the Pali, the copy button and the card maker.
““They abused me, they hit me! They beat me, they robbed me!” For those who bear no such grudge, hatred is laid to rest.”
Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ, ajini maṁ ahāsi me; Ye ca taṁ nupanayhanti, veraṁ tesūpasammati.
“Patient acceptance is the ultimate fervor. Extinguishment is the ultimate, say the Buddhas. No true renunciate injures another, nor does an ascetic hurt another.”
Khantī paramaṁ tapo titikkhā, Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ vadanti buddhā; Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī, Na samaṇo hoti paraṁ viheṭhayanto.
“Like an elephant struck with arrows in battle, I shall endure abuse, for so many folk are badly behaved.”
Ahaṁ nāgova saṅgāme, cāpato patitaṁ saraṁ; Ativākyaṁ titikkhissaṁ, dussīlo hi bahujjano.
“The well-tamed beast is the one led to the crowd; the tamed elephant’s the one the king mounts; the tamed person who endures abuse is the best of human beings.”
Dantaṁ nayanti samitiṁ, dantaṁ rājābhirūhati; Danto seṭṭho manussesu, yotivākyaṁ titikkhati.
“Abuse, killing, caging: they endure these without anger. Patience is their powerful army: that’s who I declare a brahmin.”
Akkosaṁ vadhabandhañca, aduṭṭho yo titikkhati; Khantībalaṁ balānīkaṁ, tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
Where these verses sit
Most of these verses come from chapter 1, which the book arranges as a short run on one subject rather than as isolated lines. The opening chapter works in pairs: twenty verses arranged as ten twin verses, each pair holding the same situation in two forms and repeating the same refrain. It opens with the line that sets up the whole book — intention is the leader of things — and then runs the contrast through blame and forgiveness, hatred and its ending, and the difference between a mind that is guarded and one that is not.
Questions
What is the most quoted Dhammapada verse on patience?
Verse 399 is frequently cited because it defines a practitioner by their ability to endure abuse, killing, and caging without anger. It describes patience as a person's army. Similarly, verses 320 and 321 use the metaphor of a battle elephant to show how one must endure the verbal abuse of the crowd. These verses highlight patience as a core discipline for seeking peace.
Why are there fewer patience quotes here than other sites?
The Dhammapada is a small book of 423 verses, and its material on patience is concentrated in just a few sections. Many quotes found on social media are invented or taken from later traditions. We only publish verses that exist in the original text. If the book is thin on a topic, we say so plainly to ensure the information remains accurate and honest.
Is 'patience is the highest austerity' authentic?
Yes, this is based on verse 184. The translation by Bhikkhu Sujato states that patient acceptance is the fervor that is highest. Other translations often use the word 'austerity' or 'forbearance.' The Buddha taught that this internal endurance is more important than external rituals. It serves as a foundation for reaching extinguishment, or nibbana, which the Buddhas call the goal of the practice.
How do the grudge verses relate to patience?
Verses 3 and 4 explain that hatred never ceases through more hatred. Patience involves the mental discipline to not repeat thoughts like 'they hit me' or 'they robbed me.' By letting go of these grievances, a person practices the highest form of patience. This shift in perspective stops the cycle of resentment and allows the mind to find a state of calm and clarity.
Read next
Every line on this page is a verse of the Dhammapada, numbered and unaltered. English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, released CC0 via SuttaCentral; the Pali is the Mahāsaṅgīti edition held there. See sources for the full licence trail.