Verses in the Little Chapter (A Righteous Life) on ethical conduct, devotion, and the supreme value of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha.

SNP 2.6 A Righteous Life

Dhammacariyaṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
Etadāhu vasuttamaṁ;
Pabbajitopi ce hoti,
Agārā anagāriyaṁ.

So ce mukharajātiko,
vihesābhirato mago;
Jīvitaṁ tassa pāpiyo,
rajaṁ vaḍḍheti attano.

Kalahābhirato bhikkhu,
Mohadhammena āvuto;
Akkhātampi na jānāti,
Dhammaṁ buddhena desitaṁ.

Vihesaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,
avijjāya purakkhato;
Saṅkilesaṁ na jānāti,
maggaṁ nirayagāminaṁ.

Vinipātaṁ samāpanno,
gabbhā gabbhaṁ tamā tamaṁ;
Sa ve tādisako bhikkhu,
pecca dukkhaṁ nigacchati.

Gūthakūpo yathā assa,
sampuṇṇo gaṇavassiko;
Yo ca evarūpo assa,
dubbisodho hi sāṅgaṇo.

Yaṁ evarūpaṁ jānātha,
bhikkhavo gehanissitaṁ;
Pāpicchaṁ pāpasaṅkappaṁ,
pāpaācāragocaraṁ.

Sabbe samaggā hutvāna,
abhinibbajjiyātha naṁ;
Kāraṇḍavaṁ niddhamatha,
kasambuṁ apakassatha.

Tato palāpe vāhetha,
Assamaṇe samaṇamānine;
Niddhamitvāna pāpicche,
Pāpaācāragocare.

Suddhā suddhehi saṁvāsaṁ,
Kappayavho patissatā;
Tato samaggā nipakā,
Dukkhassantaṁ karissathāti.

Dhammacariyasuttaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Dhammacariyaṁ brahmacariyaṁ,

A righteous life, a spiritual life,

Etadāhu vasuttamaṁ;

they call this the supreme treasure.

Pabbajitopi ce hoti,

But if someone goes forth

Agārā anagāriyaṁ.

from the lay life to homelessness

So ce mukharajātiko,

who is of scurrilous character,

vihesābhirato mago;

a beast and a bully,

Jīvitaṁ tassa pāpiyo,

their life gets worse,

rajaṁ vaḍḍheti attano.

as poison grows inside them.

Kalahābhirato bhikkhu,

A mendicant who loves to quarrel,

Mohadhammena āvuto;

wrapped in delusion,

Akkhātampi na jānāti,

doesn’t even know what’s been explained

Dhammaṁ buddhena desitaṁ.

in the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.

Vihesaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,

Harassing those who are evolved,

avijjāya purakkhato;

governed by ignorance,

Saṅkilesaṁ na jānāti,

they don’t know that corruption

maggaṁ nirayagāminaṁ.

is the path that leads to hell.

Vinipātaṁ samāpanno,

Entering the underworld,

gabbhā gabbhaṁ tamā tamaṁ;

passing from womb to womb, from darkness to darkness,

Sa ve tādisako bhikkhu,

such a mendicant

pecca dukkhaṁ nigacchati.

falls into suffering after death.

Gūthakūpo yathā assa,

One such as that is

sampuṇṇo gaṇavassiko;

like a sewer

Yo ca evarūpo assa,

brimful with years of filth

dubbisodho hi sāṅgaṇo.

for it’s hard to clean one full of grime.

Yaṁ evarūpaṁ jānātha,

Mendicants, knowing that someone is like this,

bhikkhavo gehanissitaṁ;

attached to the domestic life,

Pāpicchaṁ pāpasaṅkappaṁ,

of corrupt wishes and wicked intent,

pāpaācāragocaraṁ.

of bad behavior and alms-resort,

Sabbe samaggā hutvāna,

then having gathered in harmony,

abhinibbajjiyātha naṁ;

you should expel them.

Kāraṇḍavaṁ niddhamatha,

Throw out the trash!

kasambuṁ apakassatha.

Get rid of the rubbish!

Tato palāpe vāhetha,

And sweep away the scraps—

Assamaṇe samaṇamānine;

they’re not ascetics, they just think they are.

Niddhamitvāna pāpicche,

When you’ve thrown out those of corrupt wishes,

Pāpaācāragocare.

of bad behavior and alms-resort,

Suddhā suddhehi saṁvāsaṁ,

dwell in communion, ever mindful,

Kappayavho patissatā;

the pure with the pure.

Tato samaggā nipakā,

Then in harmony, alert,

Dukkhassantaṁ karissathāti.

you’ll make an end of suffering.

Dhammacariyasuttaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

Qualities:

Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Ignorance

Ignorance

A fundamental blindness to the true nature of reality. It is not merely a lack of information, but an active misperception that views the transient as permanent and the unsatisfactory as a source of happiness, thereby fueling the cycle of suffering.

Also known as: illusion of knowing, fundamental unawareness of the true nature of reality, misunderstanding of how things have come to be, not knowing the four noble truths
Pāli: avijjā
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Spiritual life

Spiritual life

A life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures

Also known as: abstinence, celibacy, chastity, holy life, sexual restraint
Pāli: brahmacariya
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026