The Buddhist Way of Life : On self and self-conquest

6. On self and self-conquest.

 

• If one has self, let him practise self-conquest. 
• This is the Buddhist Way of Life. 
• Self is the lord of self, who else could be the lord ? With self well subdued, a man finds a lord such as few can find. 
• The foolish man who scorns the rule of the venerable (arahat), of the elect (ariya), of the virtuous and follows a false doctrine, he bears fruit to his own destruction, like the fruits of the Katthaka reed. 
• By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone, by oneself one is purified. The pure and the impure (stand and fall) by themselves, no one can purify another. 
• He who loves looking for senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food, idle and weak, will certainly be overthrown by his own overdoing as the wind throws down a weak tree. 
• He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, he will not be overthrown any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain. 
• If to himself a man is dear, let him keep close watch upon himself. 
• First establish thyself in the right then thou mayest counsel others. Let not the wise man give occasion for reproach. 
• Oneself, they say is hard to control. If one shapes oneself according as one counsels others, thus well controlled one will have control over others. II. A man pays in himself for the evil he has done and in himself is purified. The good and evil are purified severally, no one purifies another.
• Though one should conquer in battle thousands and thousands of men, who shall conquer himself, he is the greatest of warriors. 
• First establish thyself in the right, then thou mayest counsel others. Let not the wise man give occasion for reproach.
• If one shapes oneself according as one counsels others, thus well controlled, one will have control over others. Oneself they say, is hard to control.
• Verily oneself is the guardian of oneself. What other guardian should there be. Guarded by oneself, one gets a guardian the like of which is not likely gotten.
• If to himself a man is dear, let him keep close watch upon himself. 
• A man pays in himself for the evil he has done, and in himself is purified. The good and evil are purified severally, no one purifies another. 
• Verily oneself is the guardian of oneself; what other guardian should there be? Guarded by oneself, one gets a guardian the like of which is not easily gotten.