Dhammapada 270
You are not noble by harming living beings
You are not noble by harming living beings. Through harmlessness toward all living beings, you are called noble.
Translated from the Pāli by Banya
Pāli
Na tena ariyo hoti,
yena pāṇāni hiṁsati;
Ahiṁsā sabbapāṇānaṁ,
“ariyo”ti pavuccati.
In plain words
Nobility is measured here by not harming living beings. The verse makes conduct toward all beings the criterion, rather than a name or rank.
Key words
- ahiṁsā
- harmlessness — Extends to all living beings in this verse.
The story behind the verse
The story of the fisherman Ariya (Ariyabālisikavatthu)
A fisherman meets the Buddha and gives his name as Ariya, a word meaning noble. His work involves killing fish. The Buddha turns the name into a question about conduct. He says that nobility is shown by not harming living beings.
Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).
To reflect on
What might nobility mean in a very ordinary action today?
Try it today
Choose the harmless option in one small interaction with a living being.
Practise it with
Compassion (karuṇā)
Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.