Happiness
The chapter opens with four verses beginning “Let us live so very happily”: loving among the hostile, healthy among the ailing, content among the greedy, and owning nothing. It says victory breeds enmity and the defeated sleep badly, while the peaceful sleep at ease having left both behind. Health is called the greatest blessing, contentment the greatest wealth, and trust the greatest family. The final verses turn to company: living with fools is painful, like being stuck with an enemy, while living with an attentive person is like meeting kin, and one should follow a wise and virtuous person as the moon follows the stars.
A note on these verses. Verses 200 and 202–204 mention gods, “the aggregates” and “extinguishment”, the translator’s word for nibbāna, the end of suffering.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · public domain (CC0) · about 1 min · on SuttaCentral
197Let us live so very happily,loving among the hostile.Among hostile humans,let us live with love.Explained: Loving among the hostile
198Let us live so very happily,healthy among the ailing.Among ailing humanslet us live healthily.
199Let us live so very happily,content among the greedy.Among greedy humans,let us live content.
200Let us live so very happily,we who have nothing.We shall feed on rapture,like the gods of sublime luminosity.
201Victory breeds enmity;the defeated sleep badly.The peaceful sleep at ease,having left victory and defeat behind.
202There is no fire like greed,no crime like hate,no suffering like the aggregates,no bliss beyond peace.
203Hunger is the worst illness,conditions are the worst suffering.When one has known this as it is,extinguishment is the ultimate happiness.
204Health is the ultimate blessing;contentment, the ultimate wealth;trust is the ultimate family;extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.
205Having drunk the nectar of seclusionand the nectar of peace—free of stress, free of evil,drink the joyous nectar of truth.
206It’s good to see the noble ones,staying with them is always good.Were you not to see fools,you’d always be happy.
207For one who consorts with foolsgrieves long.Painful is living with fools,like being stuck with your enemy.Happy is living with an attentive one,like meeting with your kin.
208Therefore:An attentive one, wise and learned,a behemoth of virtue, true to their vows, noble:follow a true and intelligent person such as this,as the moon tracks the path of the stars.