1. Who shall overcome this earth, this realm of Yama (death) and this sphere of men and gods? Who shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom as an expert garland-maker would his floral design?
2. A striver-on-the-path shall overcome this earth, this realm of Yama (🪦) 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 his floral design.
3. 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!
4. As a mighty flood sweeps away 🌊 the sleeping 💤 village, so death 💀 carries away the person of distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure 💰👠).
5. The Destroyer brings under his sway 🔻 the person of distracted 😶‍🌫️ mind who, insatiate in sense desires, only plucks the flowers (of pleasure 🏦💋).,
6. As a bee 🐝 gathers honey 🍯 from the flower 🌺 without injuring its colors or fragrance 👃, even so the sage goes on his alms-round 🥣 in the village.
7. Let none 0️⃣ find fault with others 👥; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one’s own acts 🫵 done and undone.
8. Like a beautiful flower full of color but without fragrance, even so, fruitless ❌ are the fair words 🗣️ of one who does not practice them.
9. Like a beautiful flower full of color and also fragrant, even so, fruitful 💚 are the fair words 🗣️of one who practices them.
10. 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.
11. Not the sweet smell of flowers, but even the fragrance of sandal, tagara, or jasmine blows against the wind 💨.
12. Of all fragrances - sandal, tagara, blue lotus and jasmine - the fragrance 👃 of virtue 🕊️ is the sweetest 🍯.
13. Faint 🤏 is the fragrance of tagara and sandal, but excellent 👍 is the fragrance of the virtuous 💮, wafting amongst the gods.
14. Mara 👹 never finds the path of the truly virtuous 💭, who abide in heedfulness 🧠 and freed by perfect knowledge 📕.
15. Upon a heap of rubbish 🗑️ in the road-side ditch blooms a lotus 🪷, fragrant and pleasing 🤗.
16. Even so, on the rubbish 🗑️ of blinded mortals 👓 the disciple of Supremely Enlightened One shines 🔆 resplendent 🎨 in wisdom.

The Dhammapada (CH04 Flowers): 44-52

The Dhammapada (CH04 Flowers): 52-59