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Teachings

Striving According to the Dhamma

Dhamma-pahaṃsāna

[sn 12.22]
[handa mayaṃ dhamma-pahaṃsāna-pāṭham bhaṇāmase]
evaṃ svākkhāto bhikkhave mayā dhammo

Pāli POS Grammar English
evaṃ ind thus; in this way
svākkhāto adj masc.nom.sg well preached
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks
mayā pron 1.ins.sg by me
dhammo noun masc.nom.sg Teaching

o monks, the Teaching thus been well preached by me

uttāno vivaṭo pakāsito chinnapilotiko.

Pāli POS Grammar English
uttāno adj masc.nom.sg clear, manifest, open, evident
vivaṭo adj masc.nom.sg uncovered, open
pakāsito pp masc.nom.sg explained, manifested, made known
chinna- pp cut; destroyed, stripped
pilotiko noun masc.nom.sg a small piece of cloth, a rag a bandage, patchwork

PTS: with torn rags, or without rags

evident, uncovered, manifested, without rags

alam-eva saddhā-pabbajitena kula-puttena vīriyaṃ ārabhituṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
alam- ind enough
eva ind just, only
saddhā- adj faithful; with confidence
pabbajitena pp masc.ins.sg has gone forth
kulaputtena noun masc.ins.sg by young man of a good family.
vīriyaṃ noun nt.acc.sg energy; effort; strength
ārabhituṃ verb inf to arose, to begin, start

just this is enough to arose energy by the young man of a good family, who has gone forth from confidence.

kāmaṃ taco ca nahāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu

Pāli POS Grammar English
kāmaṃ ind adv surely; certainly, willingly
taco noun masc.nom.sg skin
ca ind and
nahāru noun masc.nom.sg a sinew; a tendon
ca ind and
aṭṭhi noun nt.nom.sg bone
ca ind and
avasissatu verb imp.3.sg let left over; may remain over

willingly let skin sinews and bones remain

sarīre upasussatu maṃsa-lohitaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
sarīre noun nt.loc.sg in the body
upasussatu verb imp.3.sg let become dry
maṃsa- noun flesh
lohitaṃ noun nt.acc.sg blood

let the flesh and blood in this body become dry

yaṃ taṃ purisa-thāmena purisa-vīriyena purisa-parakkamena pattabbaṃ na taṃ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṃ bhavissatī-ti

Pāli POS Grammar English
yaṃ pron masc.acc.sg whatever
taṃ pron masc.acc.sg that
purisa- noun man, human
thāmena noun masc.ins.sg by strength; power; vigour
purisa- noun man, human
vīriyena noun nt.ins.sg by vigour; energy; effort; strength
purisa- noun man, human
parakkamena noun masc.ins.sg by exertion; endeavour; effort
pattabbaṃ ptp masc.acc.sg what should be gained, attained or reached
na ind not
taṃ pron masc.acc.sg that
a'pāpuṇitvā verb abs having not reached; having not attained; having not arrived at.
vīriyassa noun nt.gen.sg of vigour; energy; effort; strength.
saṇṭhānaṃ noun nt.acc.sg ending, stopping, cessation, stilling
bhavissatī-ti verb fut.3.sg will be

whatever by human strength, by human effort, by human endeavour can be attained, that having not reached, will be not stilling of effort.

dukkhaṃ bhikkhave kusīto viharati

Pāli POS Grammar English
dukkhaṃ noun nt.acc.sg discomfort, suffering, pain, unease unsatisfaction, problem, trouble
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
kusīto adj masc.nom.sg lazy, slack, inactive, apathetic
viharati verb pr.3.sg lives; abides; dwells

o monks, the lazy (person) dwells in suffering

vokiṇṇo pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi

Pāli POS Grammar English
vokiṇṇo pp masc.nom.sg covered with, drenched (with); mixed up full of, soiled
pāpakehi adj masc.ins.pl by bad, wicked, worthless
akusalehi adj masc.ins.pl by unbeneficial, useless, unskilful
dhammehi noun masc.ins.pl by states of mind

soiled by evil unwholesome states of mind

mahantañ-ca sadatthaṃ parihāpeti

Pāli POS Grammar English
mahantañ- adj masc.acc.sg great, extensive, big, important, large
ca ind and
sadatthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg one's own benefit, personal welfare
parihāpeti verb pr.3.sg sets aside, abandons, neglects, omits

and he neglects the great personal welfare

āraddha-vīriyo ca kho bhikkhave sukhaṃ viharati

Pāli POS Grammar English
āraddhavīriyo adj masc.nom.sg with energy aroused, applying energy making an effort
ca ind but
kho ind indeed
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
sukhaṃ ind easily, comfortably, without difficulty
viharati verb pr.3.sg lives; abides; dwells;

but one with energy aroused dwells comfortably

pavivitto pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi

Pāli POS Grammar English
pavivitto adj masc.nom.sg separated, secluded, solitary, detached
pāpakehi adj masc.abl.pl from bad, wicked, worthless
akusalehi adj masc.abl.pl from unbeneficial, useless, unskilful
dhammehi noun masc.abl.pl from states of mind

separated from evil unwholesome states of mind

mahantañ-ca sadatthaṃ paripūreti

Pāli POS Grammar English
mahantañ- adj masc.acc.sg great, extensive, big, important, large
ca ind and
sadatthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg one's own benefit, personal welfare
paripūreti verb pr.3.sg is swelling, is filling up, is increasing

and increasing the great personal welfare

na bhikkhave hīnena aggassa patti hoti

Pāli POS Grammar English
na ind not
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
hīnena adj masc.ins.sg by low, inferior, deficient
aggassa adj masc.gen.sg of highest, topmost, foremost
patti noun fem.nom.sg reaching, attainment (of), getting
hoti verb pr.3.sg it is, exists, there is

monks, it is not by that which is low, there is attainment of highest

aggena ca kho bhikkhave aggassa patti hoti

Pāli POS Grammar English
aggena adj masc.ins.sg by highest, topmost, foremost, supreme
ca ind but, rather
kho ind indeed
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
aggassa adj masc.gen.sg of highest, topmost, foremost, supreme
patti noun fem.nom.sg reaching, attainment (of), getting
hoti verb pr.3.sg it is, exists, there is

but, monks, it is by the supreme that there is attainment of highest

maṇḍapeyyam-idaṃ bhikkhave brahmacariyaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
maṇḍapeyyaṃ- adj nt.nom.sg of the best quality; lit: to be drunk like cream
idaṃ pron nt.nom.sg this
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
brahmacariyaṃ noun nt.nom.sg spiritual path, holy life, celibacy

o monks! this holy life is of the best quality

satthā sammukhī-bhūto

Pāli POS Grammar English
satthā noun masc.nom.sg teacher, master, the Buddha
sammukhībhūto adj masc.nom.sg become face to face, is present

the teacher is present

tasmā'tiha bhikkhave vīriyaṃ ārabhatha

Pāli POS Grammar English
tasmātiha ind therefore here
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.pl o monks!
vīriyaṃ noun nt.acc.sg vigour; energy; effort; strength.
ārabhatha verb imp.2.pl you should begin, start, arouse oneself

therefore, o monks, here start to arouse your energy

appattassa pattiyā

Pāli POS Grammar English
appattassa pp masc.gen.sg of not attained, not reached, not gained, not found
pattiyā noun fem.dat.sg for reaching, attainment (of), getting

for the attainment of the unattained

anadhigatassa adhigamāya

Pāli POS Grammar English
anadhigatassa pp masc.gen.sg of not attained, what has not been attained
adhigamāya noun masc.dat.sg for arrival (at), attainment (of), reaching (of)

for the achievement of unachieved

asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya

Pāli POS Grammar English
asacchikatassa adj masc.gen.sg of not experienced for oneself
sacchikiriyāya noun masc.dat.sg for personal experience, personal realization

for the personal realization of not experienced

evaṃ no ayaṃ amhākaṃ pabbajjā avaṅkatā avaññā bhavissati saphalā saudrayā

Pāli POS Grammar English
evaṃ ind so in this way; in such a way; like this
no ind then, now, indeed
ayaṃ pron masc.nom.sg this
amhākaṃ pron 1.gen.sg our
pabbajjā noun fem.nom.sg ordination, renunciation, becoming a monastic, going forth'
avaṅkatā adj fem.nom.sg not crooked, non-dishonest
avañjhā adj fem.nom.sg not barren, not sterile
bhavissati verb fut.3.sg will be
saphalā adj fem.nom.sg fruitful, productive, efficacious
saudrayā adj fem.nom.sg advantageous, profitable, lit. with result with coming forth

indeed in such a way our renunciation will be not-dishonest, not barren, (it will be) fruitful and profitable.

yesaṃ mayaṃ paribhuñjāma cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilānappaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhāraṃ tesaṃ te kārā amhesu mahapphalā bhavissanti mahānisaṃsā'ti

Pāli POS Grammar English
yesaṃ pron masc.gen.pl of whoever, those who
mayaṃ pron 1.nom.pl we
paribhuñjāma verb pr.1.pl we eat; use; enjoy
cīvara- noun robe of a Buddhist monk
piṇḍapāta- noun alms food, alms round, lit. lump dropping
senāsana- noun housing, living place, lodging lit. bed and chair
gilāna- adj sick; unwell
paccaya- noun support, requisite
bhesajja- noun medicament, medicine
parikkhāraṃ noun nt.acc.sg requisite; accessory; equipment; utensil
tesaṃ pron masc.gen.pl of theṃ
te pron masc.nom.pl those
kārā noun masc.nom.pl actions, deeds, services
amhesu pron masc.loc.sg in us
mahapphalā adj masc.nom.pl rich in result, great result
bhavissanti pt fut.3.pl will be
mahānisaṃsā adj masc.nom.pl rich in profit; merit; good result

of those, whose robes, alms-food, lodging, supports for the sick and medicinal requisites we use, those actions to us will bring them grate result and grate merit

evaṃ hi vo bhikkhave sikkhitabbaṃ. attatthaṃ vā hi bhikkhave sampassamānena alam-eva appamādena sampādetuṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
evaṃ ind thus, this, like this, just as, such
hi ind indeed, certainly, truly, definitely
vo pron 2.ins.pl by you all
bhikkhave noun voc.pl o monks!
sikkhitabbaṃ ptp nt.nom.sg should be learned, should be practised should be trained

like this indeed, o monks, should be practised by you all.

Pāli POS Grammar English
attatthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg one's own welfare, personal benefit personal profit
ind or
hi ind indeed, certainly, truly, definitely
bhikkhave noun voc.pl o monks!
sampassamānena prp masc.ins.sg with seeing, considering
alam- ind enough
eva ind only, just, so, even
appamādena noun masc.ins.sg with carefulness, caution, vigilance diligence, conscientiousness, heedfulness
sampādetuṃ verb inf to presse on, cause to accomplish, strive to achieve, trie to accomplish one's purpose

indeed or considering personal benefit, it is just enough to strive with heedfulness.

paratthaṃ vā hi bhikkhave sampassamānena alam-eva appamādena sampādetuṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
paratthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg benefit of others

indeed or considering benefit of others, it is just enough to strive with heedfulness.

ubhaya'tthaṃ vā hi bhikkhave sampassamānena alam-eva appamādena sampādetun'ti

Pāli POS Grammar English
ubhaya- pron both, referring to two things
atthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg benefit, profit, good, welfare, goal

indeed or considering benefit of both, it is just enough to strive with heedfulness.

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