Dhammapada 121

Do not dismiss wrongdoing, thinking, 'It will not come to me

Do not dismiss wrongdoing, thinking, 'It will not come to me.' With falling drops of water, even a water jar fills. A fool fills with wrongdoing, gathering it little by little.

Translated from the Pāli by Banya

In plain words

Small wrong actions are not harmless just because each seems slight. The filling jar shows how repeated drops become a substantial amount.

Key words

thokaṁ thokaṁ

little by little — Small increments matter through repetition.

The story behind the verse

The monk who failed to keep his requisites in order

In the commentary, a monk left his useful belongings lying around outdoors. Sun and rain damaged them, and other monks asked him to put the items away properly. He dismissed their concern because he regarded the fault as small, and the monks reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha summoned him and asked about his attitude, and he taught that repeated small wrongdoing accumulates, just as drops fill a water jar.

Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).

Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.