The Pairs (Yamaka Vagga)
Verse 1
Pāli Source
Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā; manasā ce paduṭṭhena bhāsati vā karoti vā; tato naṃ dukkham anveti cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ.
English Translation
Every experience is shaped by mind first — mind leads, mind matters most, and what follows is mind’s own making. Speak or act from a mind that is corrupted, and suffering follows, the way a cart-wheel follows the ox that pulls it.
Way to Enlightenment draft translation — not yet reviewed for accuracy.
Editorial Note
This opening pair of verses (1 and 2) is among the most quoted in the entire Dhammapada, often used to introduce the idea that mental state, not external circumstance, is the primary shaper of experience.
Source
Pali critical edition: O. von Hinüber & K.R. Norman (Pali Text Society, 1995), digitized by the Dhammakaya Foundation via GRETIL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
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