Dhammapada verse 357
Chapter 24, Craving (Taṇhāvagga) · verses 334–359
“Weeds are the bane of crops, but hate is these folk’s bane. That’s why a gift to one rid of hate is so very fruitful.”
Tiṇadosāni khettāni, dosadosā ayaṁ pajā; Tasmā hi vītadosesu, dinnaṁ hoti mahapphalaṁ.
English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, via SuttaCentral)
What does Dhammapada verse 357 mean?
Verse 357 belongs to chapter 24, Craving (Taṇhāvagga), which gathers verses 334–359 on craving. It is filed under anger & peace. Read it with the verses around it: the Dhammapada arranges chapters as short runs, not as isolated lines, so verse 356 and verse 358 are part of the same passage.
Twenty-six verses on craving, and the longest sustained passage in the book. The image is thirst, then a creeper that spreads by night, then the house-builder who builds again and again until the rafters are broken. The chapter is the one most directly concerned with the mechanism by which the self renews its own difficulty.
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