Dhammapada verses 320–333 highlight self-discipline, wisdom, and perseverance through the imagery of elephants. They highlight inner mastery over strength, the value of solitude over company of immature persons, and the importance of taming one’s mind. Honoring parents, cultivating virtue, and letting go of suffering lead to true ease.

Dhammapada verses 360–382 depict the ideal bhikkhu as one who restrains the senses, body, speech, and mind, leading to freedom from suffering. Emphasis is placed on mindfulness, inner joy, collectedness, and self-reliance. Through discipline and reflection, the bhikkhu advances towards the peace of Nibbāna, shining like the moon freed from clouds.

The Buddha describes the three kinds of misconduct - by body, speech and mind.

The three unwholesome thoughts are blinding, produce lack of clarity, cause ignorance, obstruct wisdom, and are troublesome and not conducive to Nibbāna. The three wholesome thoughts give sight, produce clarity and create insight, grow wisdom, and are trouble-free and conducive to Nibbāna.

The Buddha uses the simile of a person carried downstream by a lovely and alluring river current to illustrate the painful results of craving and indulgence in the internal sense bases.

The Buddha illustrates that his true inheritance is the Dhamma, not material possessions. Venerable Sāriputta clarifies the practice of seclusion by listing numerous harmful qualities to abandon and the Middle Way that leads to abandoning of them, to clear vision, wisdom, tranquility, to full awakening.

Venerable Sāriputta explains the four kinds of persons based on their understanding of blemishes and blemish-free qualities. He uses the simile of a bronze bowl to illustrate the importance of understanding one's blemishes and blemish-free qualities.

The Buddha uses the simile of a defiled cloth to explain how the mind can be similarly defiled by various impurities, and how it can be purified by abandoning them. The Blessed One also addresses a brahmin in verses who believes in purification by bathing in river.

The Buddha distinguishes peaceful abidings in the here and now from the way of effacement leading upwards to complete quenching. Effacement is shown as the gradual chipping away of defilements through restraint, cultivation of the noble eightfold path, and diligent training, culminating in the complete freedom of Nibbāna.

A lay disciple asks the Buddha why greed, aversion, and illusion still occupy and remain in his mind. The Buddha explains the importance of cultivating discernment of the gratification, drawback, and escape in the case of sensual pleasures along with cultivating the joy and happiness apart from sensual pleasures. He then recounts a conversation with the Nigaṇṭhas on this topic.

The young deity Māgha asks the Buddha in a verse on what to cut off to sleep with ease and grieve no more. The Buddha advises to cut off anger.

When a brahmin woman expresses faith in the Buddha, her husband, a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan, goes to dispute the doctrine of the Buddha. The Buddha teaches the brahmin the importance of cutting off anger.

The Buddha contrasts the misdirected and well-directed mind, and explains the importance of directing the mind.

The Buddha explains eight kinds of giving, including giving out of fear, giving to maintain a good reputation, and giving to purify the mind.