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Dhammapada · 9 of 26

CHAPTER IX. Evil

116.If a man would hasten towards the good, he should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.

117.If a man commits a sin, let him not do it again; let him not delight in sin: pain is the outcome of evil.

118.If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good.

119.Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil deed has not ripened; but when his evil deed has ripened, then does the evil-doer see evil.

120.Even a good man sees evil days, as long as his good deed has not ripened; but when his good deed has ripened, then does the good man see happy days.

121.Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, It will not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gather it little by little.

122.Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, It will not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gather it little by little.

123.Let a man avoid evil deeds, as a merchant, if he has few companions and carries much wealth, avoids a dangerous road; as a man who loves life avoids poison.

124.He who has no wound on his hand, may touch poison with his hand; poison does not affect one who has no wound; nor is there evil for one who does not commit evil.

125.If a man offend a harmless, pure, and innocent person, the evil falls back upon that fool, like light dust thrown up against the wind.

126.Some people are born again; evil-doers go to hell; righteous people go to heaven; those who are free from all worldly desires attain Nirvâna.

127.Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, not if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where death could not overcome (the mortal).

128.Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, not if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where death could not overcome (the mortal).

Asked of Guide

Why does the chapter repeat that small drops fill a pot for both good and evil?

The chapter uses the image of falling water-drops to show how moral outcomes accumulate: “Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled.” Small, repeated choices—kind acts or harmful ones—eventually determine whether a life yields happiness or pain. The Dhammapada treats character as the sum of habit, so steady attention to thought and deed matters more than single dramatic gestures.

This teaching connects with the Sutta Nipata’s emphasis on steady restraint and the Jain focus on incremental purification found in the Jaina Sutras: both traditions stress that perseverance in small practices produces large moral consequences. The verses around 116–125 pair that image with concrete warnings—avoid evil as you would poison—so the point stays practical, not abstract.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.

Echoes elsewhere

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