Chapter 10
Violence
120
All tremble at violence;
all fear death.
Putting oneself in the place of another,
one should not kill
nor cause another to kill.
130
All tremble at violence;
life is dear to all.
Putting oneself in the place of another,
one should not kill
nor cause another to kill.
131
One who,
while himself seeking happiness,
oppresses with violence
other being who also desire happiness,
will not attain happiness hereafter.
132
One who,
while himself seeking happiness,
does not oppress with violence
other beings who also desire happiness,
will find happiness hereafter.
133
Speak not harshly to anyone,
for those thus spoken to might retort.
Indeed, angry speech hurts,
and retaliation may overtake you.
134
If, like a broken gong,
you silence yourself,
you have approached Nibbana,
for vindictiveness is no more in you.
135
Just as a cowherd,
drives the cattle to pasture with a staff,
so do old age and death
drive the life force of beings
(from existence to existence).
136
When the fool commits evil deeds,
he does not realize (their evil nature).
The witless man is tormented
by his own deeds,
like one burnt by fire.
137
He who inflicts violence
on those who are unarmed,
and offends those who are inoffensive,
will soon come upon
one of these ten states:
138-140
Sharp pain, or disaster, bodily injury,
serious illness, or derangement of mind,
trouble from the government,
or grave charges, loss of relatives,
or loss of wealth,
or houses destroyed by ravaging fire,
upon dissolution of the body
the ignorant man is born in hell.
141
Neither going about naked,
nor matted locks,
nor filth,
nor fasting,
nor lying on the ground,
nor smearing oneself
with ashes and dust,
nor sitting on the heels (in penance)
can purify a mortal
who has not overcome doubt.
142
Even though he be well-attired,
yet if he is poised, calm, controlled
and established in holy life,
having set aside violence
towards all beings -- he, truly,
is a holy man,
a renunciate, a monk.
143
Only rarely is there a man
in this world who,
restrained by modesty,
avoids reproach,
as a thoroughbred horse
avoids the whip.
144
Like a thoroughbred horse
touched by the whip,
by strenuous,
be filled with spiritual yearning.
By faith and moral purity,
by effort and meditation,
by investigation of the truth,
by being rich in knowledge and virtue,
and by being mindful,
destroy this unlimited suffering.
145
Irrigators regulate the waters,
fletchers straighten arrow shafts,
carpenters shape wood,
and the good control themselves.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Dhammapada
Chapter 9
Evil
116
Hasten to do good;
restrain your mind from evil.
He who is slow in doing good,
his mind delights in evil.
117
Should a person commit evil,
let him not do it again and again.
Let him not find pleasure therein,
for painful is the accumulation of evil.
118
Should a person do good,
let him do it again and again.
Let him find pleasure therein,
for blissful is the accumulation of good.
119
It may be well with the evil-doer
as long as the evil ripens not.
But when it does ripen,
then the evil-doer sees
(the painful results of) his evil deeds.
120
It may be ill with the doer of good
as long as the good ripens not.
But when it does ripen,
then the doer of good sees
(the plesant results of) his good deeds.
121
Think not lightly of evil, saying,
"It will not come to me."
Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
Likewise, the fool,
gathering it little by little,
fills himself with evil.
122
Think not lightly of good, saying,
"It will not come to me."
Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
Likewise, the wise man,
gathering it little by little,
fills himself with good.
123
Jusr as a trader
with a small escot
and great wealth would avoid
a perilous route,
or just as one desiring to live
avoids poison,
even so should one shun evil.
124
If on the hand there is no wound,
one may carry even poison in it.
Poison does not affect one
who is free from wounds.
For him who does no evil, there is no ill.
125
Like fine dust thrown against the wind,
evil falls back upon that fool
who offends an inoffensive,
pure and guiltless man.
126
Some are born in the womb;
the wicked are born in hell;
the devout go to heaven;
the stainless pass into Nibbana.
127
Neither in the sky nor in the mid-ocean,
nor by entering into mountain clefts,
nowhere in the world
is there a place where
one may escape
from the results of evil deeds.
128
Neither in the sky
nor in the mid-ocean,
nor by entering into mountain clefts,
nowhere in the world
is there a place where
one will not be overcome
bu death.
Evil
116
Hasten to do good;
restrain your mind from evil.
He who is slow in doing good,
his mind delights in evil.
117
Should a person commit evil,
let him not do it again and again.
Let him not find pleasure therein,
for painful is the accumulation of evil.
118
Should a person do good,
let him do it again and again.
Let him find pleasure therein,
for blissful is the accumulation of good.
119
It may be well with the evil-doer
as long as the evil ripens not.
But when it does ripen,
then the evil-doer sees
(the painful results of) his evil deeds.
120
It may be ill with the doer of good
as long as the good ripens not.
But when it does ripen,
then the doer of good sees
(the plesant results of) his good deeds.
121
Think not lightly of evil, saying,
"It will not come to me."
Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
Likewise, the fool,
gathering it little by little,
fills himself with evil.
122
Think not lightly of good, saying,
"It will not come to me."
Drop by drop is the water pot filled.
Likewise, the wise man,
gathering it little by little,
fills himself with good.
123
Jusr as a trader
with a small escot
and great wealth would avoid
a perilous route,
or just as one desiring to live
avoids poison,
even so should one shun evil.
124
If on the hand there is no wound,
one may carry even poison in it.
Poison does not affect one
who is free from wounds.
For him who does no evil, there is no ill.
125
Like fine dust thrown against the wind,
evil falls back upon that fool
who offends an inoffensive,
pure and guiltless man.
126
Some are born in the womb;
the wicked are born in hell;
the devout go to heaven;
the stainless pass into Nibbana.
127
Neither in the sky nor in the mid-ocean,
nor by entering into mountain clefts,
nowhere in the world
is there a place where
one may escape
from the results of evil deeds.
128
Neither in the sky
nor in the mid-ocean,
nor by entering into mountain clefts,
nowhere in the world
is there a place where
one will not be overcome
bu death.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Dhammapada
Chapter 8
The Thousands
100
Better than
a thousand useless words
is one useful word,
hearing which
one attains peace.
101
Better than
a thousand useless verses
is one useful verse,
hearing which one attains peace.
102
Better than
reciting a hundred meaningless verses
is the reciting
of one verse of Dhamma,
hearing which one attains peace.
103
Though one may conquer
a thousand times a thousand men in battle,
yet he indeed is the noblest victor
who conquers himself.
104-105
Self-conquest
is far better than
the conquest of others.
Not even a god, an angel,
Mara or Brahma*
can turn into defeat
the victory of such a person
who is self-subdued
and ever restrained in conduct.
106
Though month after month
for a hundred years
one should offer sacrifices
by the thousands,
yet if only for a moment
one should worship
those of perfected minds
that honour is indeed better
than a century of sacrifice.
107
Though for a hundred years
one should tend
the sacrificial fire in the forest,
yet if only for a moment
one should worship
those of perfected minds
that worship is indeed better
than a century of sacrifice.
108
Whatever gifts and oblations
one seeking merit
might offer in this world
for a whole year,
all that is not worth
one fourth of the merit
gained by revering the Upright Ones,
which is truly excellent.
109
To one ever eager
to revere and serve the elders,
these four blessings accrue:
long life and beauty,
happiness and power.
110
Better it is to live one day
virtuous and meditative
than to live a hundred years
immoral and uncontrolled.
111
Better it is to live
one day wise and meditative
than to live a hundred years
foolish and uncontrolled.
112
Better it is to live
one day strenuous and resolute
than to live a hundred years
sluggish and dissipated.
113
Better it is to live
one day seeing the rise and fall of things
than to live a hundred years
without ever seeing
the rise and fall of things.
114
Better it is to live one day
seeing the Deathless
than to live a hundred years
without ever seeing
the Deathless
115
Better it is to live one day
seeing the Supreme Truth
than to live a hundred years
without ever seeing
the Supreme Truth.
*Brahma: A high divinity in Indian religions.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
A Still Forest Pool
The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah
Part III
Our Life Is Our Practice
Just Let Go
Part III
Our Life Is Our Practice
Just Let Go
Do everything with a mind that lets go. Do not expect any praise or reward. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom. Your struggles with the world will have come to an end.
A Still Forest Pool
The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah
Part III
Our Life Is Our Practice
Oppose Your Mind
Part III
Our Life Is Our Practice
Oppose Your Mind
Consider the Buddha's compassion and skill. He taught us after his own enlightenment. Finished with his own business, he got involved in ours, teaching us all these wonderful means. Concerning practice I have followed him, I have made all efforts in seeking, giving up my life to it because I believe in what the Buddha taught - that Path, fruition, and Nirvana exist. But these things are not accidental. They arise from right practice, from right effort, from being bold, daring to train, to think, to adapt, to do. This effort involves opposing your own mind.
The Buddha says not to trust the mind because it is defiled, impure, does not yet embody virtue or Dharma. In all different practices we do, we must therefore oppose this mind. When the mind is opposed, it becomes hot and distressed, and we begin to wonder whether we are on the right path. Because practice interferes with defilement, with desire, we suffer and may even decide to stop practicing. The Buddha, however, taught that this is the correct practice and that defilement, not you, is the one that is inflamed. Naturally, such practice is difficult.
Some meditation monks only seek the Dharma according to words and books. Of course, when it is time for study, study according to the text. But when you are "fighting" with defilement, fight outside the text. If you fight according to a model, you will not be able to stand up to the enemy. The texts only provide an example and can cause you to lose yourself because they are based on memories and concepts. Conceptual thinking creates illusion and embellishment and can take you to the heavens and hells, to the far reaches of imagination, beyond the simple truth here in front of you.
If you undertake the training, you will find that at first, physical solitude is important. When you come to live in seclusion, you can think of Sariputta's advice to monks concerning physical seclusion, mental seclusion, and seclusion from defilement and temptation. He taught that physical seclusion is the cause for the arising of mental seclusion. and mental seclusion is the cause for the arising of seclusion from defilement. Of course, if you heart is calm, you can live anywhere, but in first beginning to know Dharma, physical seclusion is invaluable. Today, or any day, go and sit far away from the village. Try it, staying alone. Or go to some fearful hilltop by yourself. Then you can begin to know what it is really like to look at yourself.
Whether or not there is tranquility, do not be concerned. As long as you are practicing, you are creating right causes and will be able to make use of whatever arises. Do not be afraid that you will not succeed, will not become tranquil. If you practice sincerely, you must grow in Dharma. Those who seek will see, just as those who eat will be satisfied.
The Buddha says not to trust the mind because it is defiled, impure, does not yet embody virtue or Dharma. In all different practices we do, we must therefore oppose this mind. When the mind is opposed, it becomes hot and distressed, and we begin to wonder whether we are on the right path. Because practice interferes with defilement, with desire, we suffer and may even decide to stop practicing. The Buddha, however, taught that this is the correct practice and that defilement, not you, is the one that is inflamed. Naturally, such practice is difficult.
Some meditation monks only seek the Dharma according to words and books. Of course, when it is time for study, study according to the text. But when you are "fighting" with defilement, fight outside the text. If you fight according to a model, you will not be able to stand up to the enemy. The texts only provide an example and can cause you to lose yourself because they are based on memories and concepts. Conceptual thinking creates illusion and embellishment and can take you to the heavens and hells, to the far reaches of imagination, beyond the simple truth here in front of you.
If you undertake the training, you will find that at first, physical solitude is important. When you come to live in seclusion, you can think of Sariputta's advice to monks concerning physical seclusion, mental seclusion, and seclusion from defilement and temptation. He taught that physical seclusion is the cause for the arising of mental seclusion. and mental seclusion is the cause for the arising of seclusion from defilement. Of course, if you heart is calm, you can live anywhere, but in first beginning to know Dharma, physical seclusion is invaluable. Today, or any day, go and sit far away from the village. Try it, staying alone. Or go to some fearful hilltop by yourself. Then you can begin to know what it is really like to look at yourself.
Whether or not there is tranquility, do not be concerned. As long as you are practicing, you are creating right causes and will be able to make use of whatever arises. Do not be afraid that you will not succeed, will not become tranquil. If you practice sincerely, you must grow in Dharma. Those who seek will see, just as those who eat will be satisfied.
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