“Who bestirs this earth, and the Yama realm with its gods? Who sets out the well-taught word of truth, as an expert a flower?”
Ko imaṁ pathaviṁ vicessati, Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ; Ko dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ, Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.
Chapter 4: Flowers
Pupphavagga
Verses 44–59 · 16 verses · English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
Sixteen verses that use flowers as their working image — garlands made from a heap, a blossom that falls, a fragrance that travels with the wind or does not. The chapter moves from that image to speech, to the person who gathers what is worth gathering, and to the end of the body. It also holds the verse on knowing the body as foam and a mirage.
“A trainee bestirs this earth, and the Yama realm with its gods. A trainee sets out the well-taught word of truth, as an expert a flower.”
Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati, Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ; Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ, Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.
“Knowing this body’s like foam, realizing it’s all just a mirage, and cutting off Māra’s blossoming, vanish from the King of Death.”
Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā, Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno; Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni, Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche.
“As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village, death steals away a man even as he gathers flowers, his mind caught up in them.”
Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.
“The terminator gains control of the man who has not had his fill of pleasures, even as he gathers flowers, his mind caught up in them.”
Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Atittaññeva kāmesu, antako kurute vasaṁ.
“A bee takes the nectar and moves on, doing no damage to the flower’s beauty and fragrance; and that’s how a sage should walk in the village.”
Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ, vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ; Paleti rasamādāya, evaṁ gāme munī care.
“Don’t find fault with others, with what they’ve done or left undone. You should only watch yourself, what you’ve done or left undone.”
Na paresaṁ vilomāni, na paresaṁ katākataṁ; Attanova avekkheyya, katāni akatāni ca.
“Just like a glorious flower that’s colorful but lacks fragrance; eloquent speech is fruitless for one who does not act on it.”
Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ, vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ; Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā, aphalā hoti akubbato.
“Just like a glorious flower that’s both colorful and fragrant, eloquent speech is fruitful for one who acts on it.”
Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ, Vaṇṇavantaṁ sagandhakaṁ; Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā, Saphalā hoti kubbato.
“Just as one would create many garlands from a heap of flowers, when a person has come to be born, they should do many skillful things.”
Yathāpi puppharāsimhā, kayirā mālāguṇe bahū; Evaṁ jātena maccena, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ bahuṁ.
“The fragrance of flowers doesn’t spread upwind, nor sandalwood, pinwheel, or jasmine; but the fragrance of the good spreads upwind; a true person’s virtue spreads in every direction.”
Na pupphagandho paṭivātameti, Na candanaṁ tagaramallikā vā; Satañca gandho paṭivātameti, Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.
“Among all the fragrances— sandalwood or pinwheel or lotus or jasmine— the fragrance of virtue is supreme.”
Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi, uppalaṁ atha vassikī; Etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ, sīlagandho anuttaro.
“Faint is the fragrance of sandal or pinwheel; but the fragrance of the virtuous floats to the highest gods.”
Appamatto ayaṁ gandho, yāyaṁ tagaracandanī; Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho, vāti devesu uttamo.
“For those accomplished in ethics, meditating diligently, freed through the highest knowledge, Māra cannot find their path.”
Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ, appamādavihārinaṁ; Sammadaññāvimuttānaṁ, māro maggaṁ na vindati.
“From a heap of trash discarded on the highway, a lotus might blossom, fragrant and delightful.”
Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ, ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe; Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha, sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ.
“So too, among those thought of as trash, a disciple of the perfect Buddha outshines with their wisdom the blind ordinary folk.”
Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu, andhabhūte puthujjane; Atirocati paññāya, sammāsambuddhasāvako. Pupphavaggo catuttho.