Section 16
Chapter 16: Pleasure explained simply
The Dhammapada by Buddhist tradition
Original excerpt
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209. He who gives himself to vanity, and does not give himself to meditation, forgetting the real aim (of life) and grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation. 210. Let no man ever look for what is pleasant, or what is unpleasant. Not to…
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Chapter XVI. Pleasure
209. He who gives himself to vanity, and does not give himself to
meditation, forgetting the real aim (of life) and grasping at pleasure,
will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation.
210. Let no man ever look for what is pleasant, or what is unpleasant.
Not to see what is pleasant is pain, and it is pain to see what is
unpleasant.
211. Let, therefore, no man love anything; loss of the beloved is evil.
Those who love nothing and hate nothing, have no fetters.
212. From pleasure comes grief, from pleasure comes fear; he who is free
from pleasure knows neither grief nor fear.
213. From affection comes grief, from affection comes fear; he who is
free from affection knows neither grief nor fear.
214. From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from
lust knows neither grief nor fear.
215. From love comes grief, from love comes fear; he who is free from
love knows neither grief nor fear.
216. From greed comes grief, from greed comes fear; he who is free from
greed knows neither grief nor fear.
217. He who possesses virtue and intelligence, who is just, speaks the
truth, and does what is his own business, him the world will hold dear.
218. He in whom a desire for the Ineffable (Nirvana) has sprung up, who
is satisfied in his mind, and whose thoughts are not bewildered by love,
he is called urdhvamsrotas (carried upwards by the stream).
219. Kinsmen, friends, and lovers salute a man who has been long away,
and returns safe from afar.
220. In like manner his good works receive him who has done good, and
has gone from this world to the other;--as kinsmen receive a friend on
his return.
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Simple English explanation
Attachment to pleasure and loved things can create fear and grief. Freedom grows when clinging loosens.
1-minute summary
The chapter does not deny affection, but warns that craving and possessiveness make the heart vulnerable to fear, sorrow, and loss.
Key takeaways
- Attachment can turn love into fear.
- Pleasure becomes dangerous when it rules judgment.
- Freedom requires loosening possessiveness.
- Calm love differs from clinging.
Modern example
Constantly checking whether someone liked your message turns affection into anxiety.