Atta Vagga

If one holds oneself dear, let one guard oneself well. In at least one of the three watches of the night (or stages of life), let the wise keep careful vigil.

Let one first establish oneself in what is proper and right, and only then instruct others; thus the wise person will not suffer blemish.

If one would only practice oneself what one instructs others, then being thoroughly tamed oneself, one could tame others. For oneself is truly difficult to tame.

One is indeed one's own protector; what other protector could there be? With oneself thoroughly tamed, one attains a protector that is rare to find.

The evil done by oneself, self-begotten and born of oneself, crushes the foolish person, just as a hard diamond grinds a gemstone.

He whose extreme immorality entangles him like a parasitic māluvā creeper strangling a sal tree, brings upon himself that very ruin which an enemy would wish for him.

Easy to do are deeds that are bad and harmful to oneself; but that which is truly beneficial and good, that is exceedingly difficult to do.

The foolish person who, relying on evil views, insults the teaching of the Arahants, the Noble Ones who live by the Dhamma, bears fruit only to his own destruction, like the bamboo that flowers only to die.

By oneself alone is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on oneself; no one can purify another.

Let one not neglect one's own spiritual welfare for the sake of another's, however great; clearly understanding one's own true welfare, let one be resolutely intent upon that ultimate goal.