The Buddhist Way of Life : On following the Right Way

12. On following the Right Way

• Choose the Right Way. Depart not from it. 
• There are many paths ; not all lead to the Right Way. 
• The Right Path is for the happiness not of the few but of all. 
• It must be good at the beginning, good in the middle and good at the end. 
• To follow the right way is to lead the Buddhist Way of Life. 
• The best way is the eightfold way ; the best of truths the four words ; the best of virtues passionlessness; the best of men he who has eyes to see. 
• This is the way, there is no other that leads to the purifying of intelligence. Go on this path. 
• If you so on this way, you will make an end of pain ! The way was preached by me, when I had understood the removal of the thorns (in the flesh). 
• You yourself must make an effort. The Tathagatas are only preachers. 
• ' All created things perish,' he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain.
• 'All forms are unreal," he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain. 
• He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who, though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose will and thought are weak, that lazy and idle man never finds the way to knowledge. 
• Watching his speech, well restrained in mind, let a man never commit any wrong with his body ! Let a man but keep these three roads of action clear, and he will achieve the way which is taught by the wise.
• Through real knowledge is gotten, through lack of real knowledge is lost ; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow. 
• Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand! Cherish the road of peace. Nirvana has been shown by the Sugata 
• Do not follow the evil law ! Do not live on in thoughtlessness ! Do not follow false doctrine ! 
• Rouse thyself! Do not be idle! Follow the law of virtue ! The virtuous rests in bliss in this world. 
• He who formerly was reckless and afterwards became sober brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds. 
• He whose evil deeds are covered by good deeds, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds. 
• If a man has transgressed the one law, and speaks lies, there is no evil he will not do. 
• Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night, and who strive after Nirvana, their passions will come to an end.
• This is an old saying. * They blame him who sits silent, they blame him who speaks much, they also blame him who says little ' ; there is no one on earth who is not blamed. 
• There never was, there never will be, nor is there now, a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised.
• Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue. Leave the sins of the mind, and practise virtue with thy mind. 
• Earnestness is the path of Nirvana, thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die, those who 'are thoughtless are as if dead already.

The Buddhist Way of Life : On hypocrisy.

11. On hypocrisy

 

• Let not anyone speak falsely. Let not anyone lead another to speak falsely, nor yet approve of the action of one who speaks falsely. Let every kind of lying and false speech be put away from among you. 
• As the Perfect One speaks, so He acts. As the Perfect One acts, so He speaks. And because He speaks as He Acts and acts as He speaks, therefore is He Called the Perfect One. 
• This is the Buddhist Way of Life.

The Buddhist Way of Life : On sorrow and happiness; On Charity and Kindness

10. On sorrow and happiness; On Charity and Kindness

• Poverty gives rise to sorrow. 
• But removal of poverty does not necessarily give rise to happiness. 
• Not high standard of living but a high standard of culture is what gives happiness. 
• This is the Buddhist Way of Life. 
• Hunger is the worst of diseases. 
• Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nibbana the highest happiness. 
• We must learn to live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us ! 
• We must learn to live happily indeed, free from ailments among the ailing men.
• We must learn to live happily indeed, free from greed among the greedy.
• Mankind is ruined by passion, just as fields are damaged by weeds : therefore charity done to the passionless brings great reward. 
• Mankind is damaged by vanity, just as fields are damaged by weeds. Therefore charity done to those who are free from vanity brings great reward. 
• Mankind is ruined by lust, just as fields are damaged by weeds. Therefore charity done to those who are free from Just brings great reward. 
• Charity to Dhamma exceeds all gifts. The sweetness of the Dhamma exceeds the Dhamma. The delight in the Dhamma exceeds all delights. 
• Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy. 
• There is no fire like passion ; there is no losing throw like hatred; there is no pain like this body; there is no happiness higher than the rest. 
• Fix not your gaze upon the ill-words and ill-deeds of others, upon what others do or leave undone. Look rather at what by yourself have done or left undone. 
• Hard always is life for the modest, the seeker after purity, the detached, the retiring, the cleanly of life, the discerning. 
• Is there in the world a man so blameless that he gives no occasion for reproach, as a spirited horse gives no occasion for the stroke of the lash ? Like a spirited horse that needs not the lash be fiery, be fleet. 
• Do not speak harshly to anybody: those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee. 
• Liberty, courtesy, good-will and unselfishness—these are to the world what the lynch-pin to the Chariot.
• This is the Buddhist Way of Life.

The Buddhist Way of Life : On good, evil and sin.

1. On good, evil and sin.

• Do good. Be no party to evil. Commit no sin.
• This is the Buddhist way of life.
• If a man should do that which is good, let him do it again and again, let him turn the desires of his heart thereto. Happy is the heaping of good. 
• Think not casually of the good saying, " It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. By little added to little does good grow.
• But well done is that deed which brings one no regrets, the fruit whereof is received with delight and satisfaction.
• Well done is the deed which done brings no regrets, the fruit whereof is received with delight and satisfaction.
• If a man does what is good, let him do it again ; let him delight in it; the accumulation of good is delightful.
• Even a good man sees. evil days so long as his good deed does not ripen; but when his good deed ripens, then does the good man see good things.
• Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, it will not come right unto me. Even by the falling of water drops a water-pot is filled—the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gathers it little by little.
• Far surpassing the fragrance of sandal or incense or lotus or jasmine, is the fragrance of virtue.
• Faint is this fragrance of incense and sandal, but the fragrance of virtue ascends to the highest place.
• Treat not lightly of evil, saying it will not come to me. Drop by drop is the water pot filled. By little added to little evil accumulates.
• It is not well to do a deed which done brings regrets, the fruit whereof is received with tears and lamentations.
• If a man speaks or acts evil of mind, suffering follows him close as the wheel the hoof of the beast that draws the cart.
• Follow not after things evil. Dwell not in negligence. Cherish not false ideas.
• Hasten towards the excellent, suppress all evil thoughts. Who so is backward in doing good, his mind delights in evil. 
• It is not well to do that deed which done brings regrets, the fruit whereof is received with tears and lamentations.
• Even an evil-doer sees happiness so long as his evil deed does not ripen; but when his evil deed ripens, then does the evil-doer see evil.
• Let no man think lightly of evil saying in his heart ' It will not come right unto me.' Even by the filling of water drops a water-pot is filled ; the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gathers it little by little.
• A man should hasten towards the good, and should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.
• If a man commits a sin, let him not do it again, let him not delight in sin ; the accumulation of evil is painful.
• Follow the law of virtue; do not follow that of sin. The virtuous rests in bliss in this world.
• From lust is born sorrow, from lust is born fear. To him who is wholly free from lust there is neither sorrow nor fear.
• Hunger is the worst of diseases (component), existence the worst of distress. This knowing in accordance with truth and fact, Nibbana becomes the highest happiness. 
• The evil done by oneself, self-begotten, self-bred, crushes the doer as a diamond breaks even a precious stone. 
• He whose wickedness is very great brings himself down to that state where his enemy wishes him to be, as a creeper does with the tree which it surrounds.
• Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do ; difficult to do what is beneficial and good.