MIND
Creatures from mind their character obtain,
Mind-made they are, mind-marshalled
they remain;
Thus him whose mind corrupted
thoughts imbue,
Regret and pain unfailing will pursue.
E’en so we see draught-oxen’s heavy heel
Close followed by the cart’s o’erhurdened wheel.
Creatures from mind their character obtain,
Mind-made they are, mind-marshalled
they remain;
Thus him whose mind good and pure
thoughts imbue
Serenest bliss unfailing will pursue.
E’en so we see things moving in the
sun
By their own shadows close attended
on.
Dhammapada, 1-2
UNFAILING
Nowhere in the sky,
Nowhere in the sea,
Nor in the mountains high,
Is a place where we
From the fate of death can hide,
There in safety to abide.
Nowhere in the sky,
Nowhere in the sea,
Nor in the mountains high,
Is a place where we
From the curse of wrong can hide,
There in safety to abide.
But where’er we roam,
As our kin and friends
Welcome us at home
When our journey ends,
So our good deeds, now done, will
Future lives with blessing fill.
Dhammapoda. 127-8; 119-120
THE BANE OF MAN
As fields are damaged by a bane,
So ‘tis conceit destroys the vain.
As palaces are burned by fire,
The angry perish in their ire.
And as strong iron is gnawed by rust.
So fools are wrecked through sloth and lust.
Dhammapada, 258; 240
LIFE OR DEATH
Earnestness leads to the State Immortal.
Thoughtlessness is grim King Yarna’s portal.
Those who earnest are will never die.
While the thoughtless in death’s clutches lie.
Dhammapada, 21
THE HEART
A hater makes a hater smart.
The angry cause alarm,
Yet does an ill-directed heart
Unto itself more harm.
Parents will help their children, sure,,
And other kin-folks will;
But well-directed hearts procure
A bliss that’s greater still.
Dhammapada, 42-43
THE ROOF
Into an ill-thatched house the rains
Their entrance freely find;
Thus passion surely access gains
Into an untrained mind.
Into a well-thatched house the rains
Their entrance cannot find;
Thus passion never access gains
Into a well-trained mind.
Dhammapada, 13-14
BEATITUDE
Cherishing father and mother.
And wife and children; this
And love of a peaceful calling,
Truly, is greatest bliss.
Practising lovingkindness.
Befriending one’s kindred; this
And to lead a life that is blameless
Truly is greatest bliss.
Self-control and wisdom,
The four noble truths,―all this,
And attainment of Nirvana,
Truly is greatest bliss.
Sutta-Nipata, 261-2; 266
THE BEST WEAPONS
With goodness meet an evil deed,
With lovingkindness conquer wrath.
With generosity quench greed,
And lies, by walking in truth’s path.
Dhammapada, 223
UNIVERSAL GOODWILL
Suffuse the world with friendliness,
Let creatures all, both mild and stern,
See nothing that will bode them harm,
And they the ways of peace will learn.
Chulla-Vaga, v, 6
THE REALM OF THE UNCREATE
Question:Oh! Where can water, where can wind,
Where fire and earth no footing find?
Where disappears the «mine» and «thine,»Good, bad; long, short: and coarse and fine;
And where do name and form both cease
To find in nothingness release?
Answer:Tis in the realm of radiance bright,
Invisible, eternal light,
And infinite, a state of mind,
There water, earth, and fire, and and wind,
And elements of any kind,
Will nevermore a footing find;There disappears the «mine» and «thine,»
Good, bad; long, short; and coarse and fine.
There, too, will name and form both cease,
To find in nothingness release.
Digha-Nikâja, xi, 67
EDIFICATION
Vast as the sea
Our hearts shall be,
And full of compassion and love.
Our thoughts shall soar
Forevermore
High like the mountain dove.
We anxiously yearn
From the Master to learn,
Who found the path of salvation.
We follow His lead
Who taught us to read
The problem of origination.
From «Buddhist Chants and Processions,» Journal of the Buddhist Text Society of
India, Vol. III, Part II
EGOTISM CONQUERED
If like a broken gong
Thou utterest no sound:
Then only will Nirvâna,
The end of strife he found.
Dhammapada, 134
THE VICTOR
Behold the muni wise and good,
His heart from passion free.
He has attained to Buddhahood
Belleath the Bodhi tree.
Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King, 1088
THE EGO ILLUSION
Mâra, the Evil One:
So long as to the things
Called «mine» and «I» and «me»
Thy anxious heart still clings.
My snares thou canst not flee.
The Disciple :
Naught’s mine and naught of me,
The self I do not mind!
Thus Mâra, I tell thee,
My path thou canst not find.
Samyutta Nikâya, iv, 2-9
IN THE WORLD NOT OF THE WORLD
As lilies on a dung-heap grow
Sweet-scented, pure and fine,
Among the vulgar people, so
Should the disciple shine.
Dhammapada, 58-59
TRANSIENCY
The king’s mighty chariots of iron will rust,
And also our bodies resolve into dust;
But deeds, ‘tis sure,
For aye endure.
Dhammapada, 151
RIGHT AND WRONG
Oh, would that the doer of right
Should do the right again!
Oh, would that he might take delight
In the constant doing of right;
For when
A man again and again does the good
He shall enjoy beatitude.
Oh, would that the doer of wrong
Should not do wrong again!
Oh, would that he did not prolong
His career of doing wrong;
For when
From wrong a man will not refrain
At last he’ll have to suffer pain.
Dhammapada, 118
THE BLISS OF THE GOSPEL
So blest is an age in which Buddhas arise,
So blest is the truth’s proclamation.
So blest is the Sangha, concordant and
wise,
So blest a devout congregation!
nd if by all the truth were known,
More seeds of kindness would be sown,
And richer crops of good deeds grown.
Dhammapada, 194
SWEETER
Sweet in the world is fatherhood.
And motherhood is sweet;
nut sweeter is the thought of good,
If nobly our hearts beat.
Sweeter a life to old age spent
In truth and purity;
Sweeter to reach enlightenment
And keep from evil free.
Dhammapada, 332-333
THROUGHOUT THE FOUR QUARTERS
The Tathagata’s thoughts the four quarters pervade
With his pure and unlimited love―
With his love so profound and of
noblest grade,
Far reaching below and above.
As a powerful trumpeter makes him self heard,
The four quarters around and about,
So to all the world the Tathagata’s word
Goeth forth and leaveth none out.
Teviggasutta, iii, 1-2
A BUDDHIST MAXIM
Who injureth others
Himself hurteth sore;
Who others assisteth
Himself helpeth more.
Let th’illusion of self
From your mind disappear,
And you’ll find the way sure;
The path will he clear.
From the author’s Karma
DEVOTION
In the mountain hall we are taking our seats,
In solitude calming the mind;
Still are our souls and in silence prepared
By degrees the truth to find.
From «Buddhist Chants and Processions,» Journal of the Buddhist Text Society of India, Vol. III, Part II
DEEDS LIVE ON
Naught follows him who leaves this
life;
For all things must be left behind:
Wife, daughters, sons one’s kin, and
friends,
Gold, grain and wealth of every kind.
But every deed a man performs,
With body, or with voice, or mind,
‘Tis this that he can call his own,
This will he never leave behind.
Deeds like a shadow ne’er depart:
Bad deeds can never be concealed:
Good deeds cannot be lost and will
In all their glory be revealed.
Let all then noble deeds perform
As seeds sown in life’s fertile field;
For merit gained this life within,
Rich blessings in the next will yield.
Samyutta Nikâya, iii, 2, 10
THE UNCREATE
Cut off the stream that in thy heart is beating:
Drive out lust, sloth, and hate:
And learnest thou that compound things are fleeting,
Thou know’st the uncreate.
Dhammapada, 383
BE RESOLUTE
What should be done, ye do it,
Nor let pass by the day;
With vigor do your duty,
And do it while ye may.
Dhammapada, 313
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