Dhammapada Verses 188 - 192: A Safe Haven

Dhammapada verse(s) in Pali:

Verse 188
bahuṃ ve saraṇaṃ yanti, pabbatāni vanāni ca.
ārāmarukkhacetyāni, manussā bhayatajjitā.

Verse 189
netaṃ kho saraṇaṃ khemaṃ, netaṃ saraṇamuttamaṃ.
netaṃ saraṇamāgamma, sabbadukkhā pamuccati.

Verse 190
yo ca buddhañca dhammañca, saṅghañca saraṇaṃ gato.
cattāri ariyasaccāni, sammappaññāya passati.

Verse 191
dukkhaṃ dukkhasamuppādaṃ, dukkhassa ca atikkamaṃ.
ariyaṃ caṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ, dukkhūpasamagāminaṃ.

Verse 192
etaṃ kho saraṇaṃ khemaṃ, etaṃ saraṇamuttamaṃ.
etaṃ saraṇamāgamma, sabbadukkhā pamuccati.

English translation of verse(s):

Verse 188
Driven only by fear, do men go for refuge to many places—to hills, woods, groves, trees and shrines.

Verse 189
Such, indeed, is no safe refuge; such is not the refuge supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one released from all suffering.

Verse 190
He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths—suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Verse 191
He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths—suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Verse 192
This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

(Translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita)

A series on the Dhammapada, a set of 423 verse teachings given by the Buddha, including explanation of the Pali verse, a synopsis of the background story and application of the teaching to our practice by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu.

This Dhammapada Part I podcast includes Chapters 1-17 (Verses 1-234). Please subscribe to Dhammapada Part II for the verses in the rest of the chapters. New episodes are published in the Dhammapada Part II podcast.

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Original Pali Text: https://www.digitalpalireader.online/_dprhtml/index.html?loc=k.1.x.x.x.x.x.m

Translations from: https://suttacentral.net/dhp179-196/en/buddharakkhita#188

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