When is the time for self-reflection?
Not after a storm comes rumbling in
Not only once in a lifetime
It is now and not after any other time.
It is when one bears in mind that
day by day, we are all dying,
as life can be so short and uncertain,
Dear worldlings,
To find goodness is first to find goodness within thyself
so that evil loses its power to destruct thyself and ultimately other selves.
TO DO GOOD IS AN UPHILL TASK
Easy to do things that are bad
and not beneficial to self
but very, very hard to do indeed
is that which is beneficial and good.
(Dh: 163)
COMPASSION MUST COME WITH WISDOM
The man of little learning (ignorant) grows like a bull:
his flesh grows, but not his wisdom.
Grow up, don't just grow old.
Dhammapada 152
As life is dear to all,
All tremble at the rod, feeling for others as for oneself,
All fear death: One should neither harm nor cause to harm.
Dh: 129
SELFISH LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF ALL OUR PROBLEMS
Sorrow and mourning in the world,
or suffering of every sort,
Happen because of one's selfish love,
but happen not because there is none,
Happy are they and sorrowless,
that have no selfish love in the world,
Who seeks the sorrowless dispassion,
Should have no selfish love in this world.
(Ud. 92)
IDLENESS RUINS LIFE
A young and strong person
Who does not strive
When he should strive
Who is given to idleness
Who is loose in his purpose and thoughts
And who is lazy
That idler never finds the way to wisdom.
(Dh. 155)
ANGER IS UGLY
How ugly is the angry man,
his sleep is without comfort;
Despite his wealth he is always poor,
Filled by anger as he is,
He wounds by acts of body and speech.
(A. IV. 96)
BE CALM IN PRAISE OR BLAME
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind,
Even so the wise are not ruffled by praise or blame.
(Dh. 81)
With metta,
Michelle Tan :)
