Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

43. Neither mother, father,
nor any other relative
can do one greater good
than one's greater own well-directed mind.

44. Who shall overcome this earth,
this realm of Yama
and this sphere of men and gods?
Who shall bring to perfection
the well-taught path of wisdom
as an expert graland-maker
would his floral design?

45. A striver-on-the-path
shall overcome this earth
this realm of Yama
and this sphere of men and gods.
The striver-on-the-earth
shall bring to perfection

46. Realizing that this body is like froth,
peneterating its mirage-like-nature,
and plucking out Mara's
flower-tipped arrows of sensuality,
go beyond sight of the King of Death!

47. As a mighty flood
sweeps away the sleeping village,
so death carries away the person
of distracted mind
who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).

48. The Destroyer
brings under his sway
the person of distracted mind who,
insatitate in sense desires,
only plucks the flowers (of pleasure)

49.As a bee gathers honey
from the flower without injuring
its colour of fragrance
even so the sage goes on his alms-round in the village.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

36. Let the discerning man
guard the mind,
so diffcult to detect and extremely subtle,
seizing whatever it desires.
A guarded mind brings happeiness.

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37. Dwlling in the cave (of the heart),
the mind, without form,
wanders far and alone.
Those who subtle this mind
are liberated from the bonds of mara.

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38. Wisdom never becomes prefect
is one whose mind is not steadfast,
who knows not the God Teaching
and whose faith wavers.

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39. There is no fear for an awakened one,
whose mind is not soodden
( by lust )
nor afflicted
( by hate),

and who has gone beyond
both merit and demerit.

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40. Realizing that this body
is as fragile as a clay pot,
and fortifying this mind
like
a well-fortified city,
fight out Mara
with the sword od wisdom.
Then, guarding the conquest,
remain unattached.

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41. Ere long, alas!
This body will lie upon the earth,
unheeded and lifeless,
like a useless log.

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42. Whatever harm an enemy
may do to an enemy,
or a hater to a hater
an ill-directed mind
inflicts on oneself a greater harm.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

29. Heedful among the heedless,

wide-awake among the sleepy,

the wise man advances

like a swift horse

leaving behide a weak jade.

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30. By heedfulness did Indra*

become the overlord of the gods.

Heedfulness is ever praised,

and heedfulness ever despised.

____________________________________

*Ruler of the gods in ancient Indian Mythology.

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31. The monks who delights

in heedfulness

and looks with fear at heedfulness

advances like fire,

burning all fetter small and large.

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32. The monk who delights

in heedfulness

and looks with fear at heedlessness

will not fall.

He is close to Nibbana.

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33. Just as a fletcher straightens

an arrow shaft,

even so the discerning man

strightens his mind -

so fickle and unsteady,

so diffcult to guard and control.

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34. As a fish when pulled out of water

and cast on land

throbs and quivers,

even so is this mind agitated.

Hence should one abandon

the realm of Mara.

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35. Wonderful, indeed

it is to subdue th mind,

so diffrent to subdue, ever swift,

and seizing whatever it desires.

A tames mind brings happiness.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

22. Clearly understanding
this excellence of heedfulness,
this wise exult therein and enjoy the resort

of the Noble Ones.

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23. The wise ones, ever meditative

and steadfastly persevering,

alone experience Nibbana,

the incomparable freedom

from bondage.

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24. Ever grows the glory of him

who is energetic, mindful

and pure in conduct,

discerning and self-controlled,

righteous and heedful.

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25. By effort and heedfulness,

discipline and self-mastery,

let the wise one make for himself

an island which no flood can overwhel.

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26. The foolish and ingnorant

indulge in heedlissness,

but the wise one keeps his heedfulness,

as his best treasure.

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27. Do not give way to heedfulness.

Do not indulge in sensual pleasure.

Only the heedful and meditative

attain great happiness.

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28. Just as one upon summit

of a mountain

beholds the grounding,

even so when the wise man

casts away heedfulness

by heedfulness

and ascends

the high tower of wisdom,

this sorrowless sage beholds

the sorrowing and foolish

multitude.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

15. The evil-doer

grieves in both the worlds

He laments and is afflicated,

recollecting his own inpure deeds.

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16. The doer of good

rejoices here and hereafter;

he rejoices in both the worlds.

He rejoices and exults,

recollecting his own pure deeds.

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17. The evil-doer

suffers here and hereafter;

he suffers in both the worlds.

The thuoght,"Evil have I done,"

torments him, and he suffers

even more when gone to realms of woe.

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18. The doer of good

delights here and hereafter;

he delights in both the worlds.

The thought, "Good have I done,"

delights him, and he delights

even more when gone to realms of bliss.

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19. Much thought he recites

the sacred texts,

but acts not accordingly,

that heedless man

is like a cowherd

who only counts the cows of others-

he does not partake

of the blessing of a holy life.

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20. Little though

he recites the sacred texts,

but puts the teaching

into practice,

forsaking lust, hatred and delusion,

with true wisdom

and emancipated mind

clinging to nothing

of this or any other world-

he ineeded partakes

of the blessing of a holy life.

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21. Heedfulness is the path to Deathless.

Heddfulness is the path to death.

The heedful die not.

The heedful are as if dead already.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

8. Just as a storm

cannot prevail against a rocky mountian,

so Mara can never overpowered

the man who lives meditating

on the impurities, who is controlled

in his senses, moderate in eating,

and filled with faith and earnest effort.

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9. Whoever being depraved,

devoid of self-control

and truthfulness

should don the monk's yellow robe,

he surely is not worthy of the robe.

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10. But whoever is purged of depravity,

well-established in virtues

and filled with self-control

and truthfulness,

he ineeded is worthy of the yellow robe.

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11. Those wh0 mistake

the unessential to be essential

and the essential to be unessential,

dwelling in wrong thoughts,

never arrive at the essential.

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12. Those who know

the essential to be essential

and the unessential to be unessential,

dwelling in right thoughts,

do arrive at the essential.

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13. Just as rain

breaks throught

an ill-thatched house,

so passion penetrates

and undeveloped mind.

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14. Just as rain

does not break through

a well-thatched house,

so passion never penetrates

a well-developed mind.

Dhammapada a practical guide to right living.

1. Mind precedes all mental states.

Mind is their chief;

they are all mind-wrought.

If with an impure mind

a person speaks or acts,

suffering follows him like the wheel

that follows the foot of the ox.

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2. Mind precedes all mental states.

Mind is their chief;

they are all mind-wrought.

If with a pure mind

a person speaks or act,

happiness follows him

likes his never-departing shadow.

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3. '' He abused me,

he struck me,

he overpowered me,

hen robbed me.''

Those who harbour such thoghts

do not still their hatred.

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4. ''He abused me,

he struck me,

he overpowered me,

he robbed me.''

Thoes who do not harbour such thoughts

still their hatred.

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5. Hatred is never appeased

by hatred in the world.

By non-hatred alone

is hatred appeased.

This is a Law Eternal.

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6. There are those

who do not realize

that one day we all must die.

But those who do realize this

settle their quarreles.

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7. Just as a storm

throws down a week tree,

so does Mara2 overpowered the man

who lives for the pursuit of pleasures,

who is uncontrolled in his senses,

immoderate in eating,

indolent and dissipated.