Dhammapada verse 175
Chapter 13, The World (Lokavagga) · verses 167–178
“Swans fly by the sun’s path, psychic sages fly through space. The attentive leave the world, having vanquished Māra with his legions.”
Haṁsādiccapathe yanti, ākāse yanti iddhiyā; Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 175 mean?
Verse 175 belongs to chapter 13, The World (Lokavagga), which gathers verses 167–178 on the world, and not following it. It is filed under the path, the buddha & teachers. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 174 and verse 176 are part of the same passage.
Twelve verses on the world and on not following it. The chapter contrasts the person who sees the world as a bubble or a mirage with the crowd that does not, and it holds the line that the world is blind and only a few see clearly.
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