“If you knew your self as beloved, you’d look after it so well. In one of the night’s three watches, an astute person would remain alert.”
Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā, rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ; Tiṇṇaṁ aññataraṁ yāmaṁ, paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.
Chapter 12: The Self
Attavagga
Verses 157–166 · 10 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Ten verses on the self, understood here as one’s own responsibility rather than a permanent essence. The chapter says the self is the refuge and the self is the thing to train, and it warns against the person who is skilled at correcting others and not at correcting themselves.
“The astute would avoid being corrupted by first grounding themselves in what is suitable, and then instructing others.”
Attānameva paṭhamaṁ, patirūpe nivesaye; Athaññamanusāseyya, na kilisseyya paṇḍito.
“If one were to treat oneself as one instructs another, the well-tamed indeed would tame: for the self, it seems, is hard to tame.”
Attānañce tathā kayirā, yathāññamanusāsati; Sudanto vata dametha, attā hi kira duddamo.
“One is indeed the lord of oneself, for who else would be one’s lord? By means of a well-tamed self, one gains a lord that’s rare indeed.”
Attā hi attano nātho, ko hi nātho paro siyā; Attanā hi sudantena, nāthaṁ labhati dullabhaṁ.
“For the evil that is done by oneself, born and produced in oneself, grinds down a simpleton, as diamond grinds a lesser gem.”
Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ, Attajaṁ attasambhavaṁ; Abhimatthati dummedhaṁ, Vajiraṁvasmamayaṁ maṇiṁ.
“One choked by immorality, as a sal tree by a creeper, does to themselves what a foe only wishes.”
Yassa accantadussilyaṁ, māluvā sālamivotthataṁ; Karoti so tathattānaṁ, yathā naṁ icchatī diso.
“It’s easy to do bad things harmful to oneself, but good things that are helpful are the hardest things to do.”
Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca; Yaṁ ve hitañca sādhuñca, taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.
“On account of wicked views— scorning the guidance of the perfected ones, the noble ones living righteously— the idiot begets their own self’s demise, like the bamboo bearing fruit.”
Yo sāsanaṁ arahataṁ, ariyānaṁ dhammajīvinaṁ; Paṭikkosati dummedho, diṭṭhiṁ nissāya pāpikaṁ; Phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva, attaghātāya phallati.
“For it is by oneself that evil’s done, one is corrupted by oneself. It’s by oneself that evil’s not done, one is purified by oneself. Purity and impurity are personal matters, no one can purify another.”
Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ, attanā saṅkilissati; Attanā akataṁ pāpaṁ, attanāva visujjhati; Suddhī asuddhi paccattaṁ, nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye.
“Never neglect what is good for yourself for the sake of another, however great. Knowing well what is good for yourself, be intent upon your heart’s goal.”
Attadatthaṁ paratthena, bahunāpi na hāpaye; Attadatthamabhiññāya, sadatthapasuto siyā. Attavaggo dvādasamo.