Who shall overcome this earth, the worlds of misery and this sphere of men and gods? Who shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom as an expert garland-maker would a floral design?

A striver-on-the-path shall overcome this earth, the worlds of misery and this sphere of men and gods. The striver-on-the-path shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom, as an expert garland-maker would a floral design.

Realizing that this body is like froth, penetrating its mirage-like nature, and plucking out Mara's flower-tipped arrows (of sensuality), go beyond sight of the King of Death!

As a mighty flood sweeps away the sleeping village, so does death carry away the person of distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).

The Destroyer brings under his sway the person of distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure), insatiate in sense desires.

As a bee gathers honey from the flower without injuring its colour or fragrance, even so the sage goes on alms-rounds in the village.

Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.

Like a beautiful flower full of colour but without fragrance, even so, fruitless are the fair words of one who does not practice them.

Like a beautiful flower full of colour and also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words of one who practices them.

As from a great heap of flowers many garlands can be made, even so should many good deeds be done by one born a mortal.

Not the sweet smell of flowers, not even the fragrance of sandal, tagara or jasmine blows against the wind. But the fragrance of the virtuous person pervades all directions with the fragrance of that virtue.

Of all the fragrances--sandal, tagara, blue lotus and jasmine--the fragrance of virtue is by far the sweetest.

Faint is the fragrance of tagara and sandal, but the fragrance of the virtuous is excellent, wafting even among the gods.

Mara never finds the path of the truly virtuous, who abide in vigilance and are freed by perfect knowledge.

Upon a heap of rubbish in the road-side ditch blooms a lotus, fragrant and pleasing.

Even so, on the rubbish heap of blinded mortals the disciple of the Supremely Enlightened One shines resplendent in wisdom.

From the Dhammapada a sacred text of Buddhism