The Dhammapada

[tariki]

The Fool

 

How long the night to the watchman,

How long the road to the weary traveler,

How long the wandering of many lives

To the fool who misses the way.

If the traveler cannot find

Master or friend to go with him,

Let him travel alone

Rather than with a fool for company.

"My children, my wealth!"

So the fool troubles himself.

But how has he children or wealth?

He is not even his own master.

The fool who knows he is a fool

Is that much wiser.

The fool who thinks he is wise

Is a fool indeed.

Does the spoon taste the soup?

A fool may live all his life

In the company of a master

And still miss the way.

The tongue tastes the soup.

If you are awake in the presence of a master

One moment will show you the way.

The fool is his own enemy.

The mischief is his undoing.

How bitterly he suffers!

Why do what you will regret?

Why bring tears upon yourself?

Do only what you do not regret,

And fill yourself with joy.

For a while the fool's mischief

Tastes sweet, sweet as honey.

Bit in the end it turns bitter.

And how bitterly he suffers!

For months the fool may fast,

Eating from the tip of a grass blade.

Still he is not worth a penny

Beside the master whose food is the way.

Fresh milk takes time to sour.

So a fool's mischief

Takes time to catch up with him.

Like the embers of a fire

It smolders within him.

Whatever a fool learns,

It only makes him duller.

Knowledge cleaves his head.

For then he wants recognition.

A place before other people,

A place over other people.

"Let them know my work,

Let everyone look to me for direction."

Such are his desires,

Such is his swelling pride.

One way leads to wealth and fame,

The other to the end of the way.

Look not for recognition

But follow the awakened

And set yourself free.

[Mike]

I can't quite catch what the Dalai Lama actually says at about the 43/44 second mark of the video. Sounds like "particularly possible" or something, but I can't make sense of it.

 

Any offers?

 

 

I couldn't figure it out either, but skimming through some of the comments I came upon "theoretically possible", and that seems to hit the mark.

 

BTW I am enjoying this thread and I hope to contribute more to it soon.

 

Peace,

Mike

Edited June 19, 2011 by Mike

[tariki]

AHHHH!.........."theoretically possible"

 

Yes, that could be it, thanks Mike.

 

Become one with everything..........theoretically possible. Becoming one with everything is a bit of a parody of the "eastern" viewpoint, if I might say so, based more upon the words of those such as Sir Edwin Arnold in his ""The Light of Asia", something about the dewdrop slipping into the shining sea..... The symbolism within the Pure Land sees gold as representing the undifferentiated nature of enlightenment, while the lotus flower (which grows out of the muck) symbolises each unique individual. So the Pure Land is full of infinite golden lotus flowers. Merton speaks of the Hidden Ground of Love, and a consciousness born of such, prior to the subject-object split.....and I would suppose, subject to it. Seriously, my own mind tends to fuzz out at most of this, and I just start thinking whether or not the cat needs feeding.

 

My eyes being hindered by blind passions,

I cannot perceive the light that grasps me;

Yet the great compassion, without tiring,

Illumines me always.

 

(From "Hymns of The Pure Land Masters", Shinran)

 

Anyway, back to the Dhammapada..............otherwise the moderator just might have to step in and speak of the thread being hi-jacked.....

[tariki]

Anyway, Thomas Cleary says of this current chapter, that it deals with the mental pollution of folly, one of the factors known to produce misery. "Here the fool is characterized by ignorance of truth, possessiveness, conceit, insensitivity, shortsightedness, and self-importance."

 

Commenting on....

 

The fool who knows he is a fool

Is that much wiser.

The fool who thinks he is wise

Is a fool indeed.

 

.....he mentions some words of Confucius, who said "Shall I teach you how to know something? Realize you know it when you know it, and realize you don't know it when you don't."

[GeorgeW]

The fool who knows he is a fool

Is that much wiser.

The fool who thinks he is wise

Is a fool indeed.

There is a similar saying in Arabic. It says roughly (but rhyming in Arabic), 'He who doesn't know and doesn't know that he doesn't know is a fool. He who doesn't know and knows that he doesn't know is wise.'

 

George

[tariki]

The Wise Man

The wise man tells you

Where you have fallen

And where you yet may fall -

Invaluable secrets!

Follow him, follow the way.

Let him chasten and teach you

and keep you from mischief.

The world may hate him.

But good men love him.

Do not look for bad company

Or live with men who do not care.

Find friends who love the truth.

Drink deeply.

Live in serenity and joy.

The wise man delights in the truth

And follows the law of the awakened.

The farmer channels water to his land.

The fletcher whittles his arrows.

And the carpenter turns his wood.

So the wise man directs his mind.

The wind cannot shake a mountain.

Neither praise nor blame moves the wise man.

He is clarity.

Hearing the truth,

He is like a lake,

Pure and tranquil and deep.

Want nothing.

Where there is desire,

Say nothing.

Happiness or sorrow -

Whatever befalls you,

Walk on

Untouched, unattached.

Do not ask for family or power or wealth,

Either for yourself or for another.

Can a wise man wish to rise unjustly?

Few cross over the river.

Most are stranded on this side.

On the riverbank they run up and down.

But the wise man, following the way,

Crosses over, beyond the reach of death.

 

He leaves the dark way

For the way of light.

He leaves his home, seeking

Happiness on the hard road.

Free from desire,

Free from possessions,

Free from the dark places of the heart.

Free from attachment and appetite,

Following the seven lights of awakening,

And rejoicing greatly in his freedom,

In this world the wise man

Becomes himself a light,

Pure, shining, free.

[tariki]

Following the seven lights of awakening,

 

The seven lights, given by Cleary as:- Recollection, Examination of realities, Diligence, Joyfulness, Tranquillity, Concentration and Equanimity.

Edited June 28, 2011 by tariki

[tariki]

The Master

 

At the end of the way

The master finds freedom

From desire and sorrow -

Freedom without bounds.

Those who awaken

Never rest in one place.

Like swans, they rise

And leave the lake.

On the air they rise

And fly an invisible course,

Gathering nothing, storing nothing.

Their food is knowledge.

They live upon emptiness.

They have seen how to break free.

Who can follow them?

Only the master,

Such is his purity.

Like a bird,

He rises on the limitless air

And flies an invisible course.

He wishes for nothing.

His food is knowledge.

He lives upon emptiness.

He has broken free.

He is the charioteer.

He has tamed his horses,

Pride and the senses.

Even the gods admire him.

Yielding like the earth,

Joyous and clear like the lake,

Still as the stone at the door,

He is free from life and death.

His thoughts are still.

His words are still.

His work is stillness.

He sees his freedom and is free.

The master surrenders his beliefs.

He sees beyond the end and the beginning.

He cuts all ties.

He gives up all desires.

He resists all temptations.

And he rises.

And wherever he lives,

In the city or the country,

In the valley or in the hills,

There is great joy.

Even in the empty forest

He finds joy

Because he wants nothing.

[tariki]

So we move on.......

 

 

The Thousands

 

Better than a thousand hollow words

Is one word that brings peace.

Better than a thousand hollow verses

Is one verse that brings peace.

Better than a hundred hollow lines

Is one line of the dharma, bringing peace.

It is better to conquer yourself

Than to win a thousand battles.

Then the victory is yours.

It cannot be taken from you,

Not by angels or by demons,

Heaven or hell.

Better than a hundred years of worship,

Better than a thousand offerings,

Better than giving up a thousand worldly ways

In order to win merit,

Better even than tending in the forest

A sacred flame for a hundred years -

Is one moment's reverence

For the man who has conquered himself.

To revere such a man,

A master old in virtue and holiness,

Is to have victory over life itself,

And beauty, strength and happiness.

Better than a hundred years of mischief

Is one day spent in contemplation.

Better than a hundred years of ignorance

Is one day spent in reflection.

Better than a hundred years of idleness

Is one day spent in determination.

Better to live one day

Wondering

How all things arise and pass away.

Better to live one hour

Seeing

The one life beyond the way.

Better to live one moment

In the moment

Of the way beyond the way.

[tariki]

Thomas Cleary states that this chapter is aimed at "drawing a distinction between quantity and quality in life, contrasting superficial activities, observances, and aims with deeper appreciation of perennial truths and enduring values."

 

Which speaks to me of a thought expressed in a little book once read on Cistercian spirituality, "The Way of Simplicity"........

 

Here is a life which is not a succession of alternating superior and inferior activities, but rather a continuous rhythm of equally valid ones.

[tariki]

Mischief

 

Be quick to do good.

If you are slow,

The mind, delighting in mischief,

Will catch you.

Turn away from mischief.

Again and again, turn away.

Before sorrow befalls you.

Set your heart on doing good.

Do it over and over again,

And you will be filled with joy.

A fool is happy

Until his mischief turns against him.

And a good man may suffer

Until his goodness flowers.

Do not make light of your failings,

Saying, "What are they to me?"

A jug fills drop by drop.

So the fool becomes brimful of folly.

Do not belittle your virtues,

Saying, "They are nothing."

A jug fills drop by drop.

So the wise man becomes brimful of virtue.

As the rich merchant with few servants

Shuns a dangerous road

And the man who loves life shuns poison,

Beware the dangers of folly and mischief.

For an unwounded hand may handle poison.

The innocent come to no harm.

But as dust thrown against the wind,

Mischief is blown back in the face

Of the fool who wrongs the pure and harmless.

Some are reborn in hell,

Some in this world,

The good in heaven.

But the pure are not reborn.

Nowhere!

Not in the sky,

Nor in the midst of the sea,

Nor deep in the mountains,

Can you hide from your own mischief.

Not in the sky,

Not in the midst of the ocean,

Nor deep in the mountains,

Nowhere

Can you hide from your own death.

 

[tariki]

Regarding....

 

Do not make light of your failings,

Saying, "What are they to me?"

A jug fills drop by drop.

So the fool becomes brimful of folly.

 

Cleary says......."the time lapse that may occur between specific causes and their effects creates latitude for all sorts of imaginative deception."

 

Beware of "imaginative deception"!!

 

And of...

 

Do not belittle your virtues,

Saying, "They are nothing."

A jug fills drop by drop.

So the wise man becomes brimful of virtue.

 

......Cleary speaks of the Tao Te Ching and quotes "Do the great while it is still small."

[tariki]

Violence

 

All beings tremble before violence.

All fear death.

All love life.

See yourself in others.

Then whom can you hurt?

What harm can you do?

He who seeks happiness

By hurting those who seek happiness

Will never find happiness.

For your brother is like you.

He wants to be happy.

Never harm him

And when you leave this life

You too will find happiness.

Never speak harsh words

For they will rebound upon you.

Angry words hurt

And the hurt rebounds.

Like a broken gong

Be still, and silent.

Know the stillness of freedom

Where there is no more striving.

Like herdsmen driving their cows into the fields,

Old age and death will drive you before them.

But the fool in his mischief forgets

And he lights the fire

Wherein one day he must burn.

He who harms the harmless

Or hurts the innocent,

Ten times shall he fall -

Into torment or infirmity,

Injury or disease or madness,

Persecution or fearful accusation,

Loss of family, loss of fortune.

Fire from heaven shall strike his house

And when his body has been struck down,

He shall rise in hell.

He who goes naked,

With matted hair, mud bespattered,

Who fasts and sleeps on the ground

And smears his body with ashes

And sits in endless meditation -

So long as he is not free from doubts,

He will not find freedom.

But he who lives purely and self-assured,

In quietness and virtue,

Who is without harm or hurt or blame,

Even if he wears fine clothes,

So long as he also has faith,

He is a true seeker.

A noble horse rarely

Feels the touch of the whip.

Who is there in this world as blameless?

Then like a noble horse

Smart under the whip.

Burn and be swift.

Believe, meditate, see.

Be harmless, be blameless.

Awake to the dharma.

And from all sorrows free yourself.

The farmer channels water to his land.

The fletcher whittles his arrows.

The carpenter turns his wood.

And the wise man masters himself.

 

[tariki]

Old Age

 

The world is on fire!

And you are laughing?

You are deep in the dark.

Will you not ask for a light?

For behold your body -

A painted puppet, a toy,

Jointed and sick and full of false imaginings,

A shadow that shifts and fades.

How frail it is!

Frail and pestilent,

It sickens, festers and dies.

Like every living thing

In the end it sickens and dies.

Behold these whitened bones,

The hollow shells and husks of a dying summer.

And you are laughing?

You are a house of bones,

Flesh and blood for plaster.

Pride lives in you,

And hypocrisy, decay, and death.

The glorious chariots of kings shatter.

So also the body turns to dust.

But the spirit of purity is changeless

And so the pure instruct the pure.

The ignorant man is an ox.

He grows in size, not in wisdom.

"Vainly I sought the builder of my house

Through countless lives.

I could not find him...

How hard it is to tread life after life!

"But now I see you, O builder!

And never again shall you build my house.

I have snapped the rafters,

Split the ridgepole

And beaten out desire.

And now my mind is free."

There are no fish in the lake.

The long-legged cranes stand in the water.

Sad is the man who in his youth

Loved loosely and squandered his fortune -

Sad as a broken bow,

And sadly is he sighing

After all that has arisen and has passed away.

 

 

 

Cleary says that this chapter offers some sobering contemplations of the passage of time..........certainly, looking down at my once lean middle regions and noting the rather unwholesome looking bulge, the words concerning the ox, and growing only in size, tends to concentrate the mind somewhat!

 

And never again shall you build my house.

 

When we have seen the source of illusion - the illusion that sees the body as the self or treats it as a possession - (Cleary again), means you will not deceive yourself anymore with images of self-importance.

[JosephM]

I read that and am still laughing. Are you?

 

Derek,

 

That whole reading reminded me of the words attributed to Jesus where he said " My joy i give unto you but not as the world giveth it" or something like that..

 

Anyway, the world gives us circumstances much like in the writing above which brings sadness and depression but when one watches the mind for some time, it becomes evident that a myriad of habit thinking and random conditioned thoughts are presenting themselves to us. The key here is that regardless of the choice of thoughts we decide to follow which brings about its emotional partner, if we are watching with some focus, we will realize or be aware of another option that is always present but seldom taken. That option is to surrender those thoughts and choose joy and peace above all other options regardless of the circumstances. This joy and peace is innate, always present for the taking because it is that which is freely given to us by Christ.

 

I think this relates to the writing above because seeing thoughts for what they are frees us from their bondage and the lie that they are our only choice.

Joseph

[tariki]

I read that and am still laughing. Are you?

 

 

Joseph, maybe I would have been had the bulge not been quite so pronounced........

 

But, thanks for the words. I just think that there is a time and a place for all sorts of words, its just getting the time and the place right that often causes confusion.

 

All the best

Derek

[tariki]

Yourself

 

Love yourself and watch -

Today, tomorrow, always.

First establish yourself in the way,

Then teach,

And so defeat sorrow.

To straighten the crooked

You must first do a harder thing -

Straighten yourself.

You are your only master.

Who else?

Subdue yourself,

And discover your master.

Willfully you have fed

Your own mischief.

Soon it will crush you

As the diamond crushes stone.

By your own folly

You will be brought as low

As you worst enemy wishes.

So the creeper chokes the tree.

How hard it is to serve yourself,

How easy to lose yourself

In mischief and folly.

The kashta reed dies when it bears fruit.

So the fool,

Scorning the teachings of the awakened,

Spurning those who follow the dharma,

Perishes when his folly flowers.

Mischief is yours.

Sorrow is yours.

But virtue is also yours,

And purity.

You are the source

Of all purity and impurity.

No one purifies another.

Never neglect your work

For another's,

However great his need.

Your work is to discover your work

And then with all your heart

To give yourself to it.

 

[rivanna]

From what I’ve read, the tone of the Dhammapada comes across as more cautionary and stern than Lao Tsu (perhaps not a fair comparison!). The voice also strikes me as similar to Proverbs in the bible – practical, conventional / common sense. Just my own impression.

 

I looked up other translations of this chapter --several ended with “Let one not neglect one's own welfare for the sake of another, however great” -- while this version has “never neglect your work for another’s, however great his need.” The idea of self-protection first, seems a different message from the NT-- unless the definition of “one’s own welfare” is understood in a radical, paradoxical way.

 

The emphasis here on taking responsibility for oneself brought to mind the mention of posting a passage from Thomas Merton elsewhere, that met with a discouraging response – maybe there is a need to “be wary as serpents and innocent as doves." Anyway - I really like the last 3 lines, “Your work is to discover your work And then with all your heart To give yourself to it.” It reminds me of the parable of the talents.

Edited October 3, 2011 by rivanna

[tariki]

rivanna,

 

Yes, the Dhammapada is a Theravada scripture, and the Theravada seeks to relate very much to the practical/conventional world. We are a long way here from the paradoxes of zen, and the quagmire of Mahayana Buddhism. (Well, quagmire to the unwary) The Theravada also claims to have preserved the most historically accurate account of the Buddha's teachings, and I think there is substance in such a claim. But the whole subject is complex.

 

I did refer to this latest chapter on another thread............post repeated here...

 

 

//When such is not seen (the nature of truth, as a state of "being" rather than a set of words/doctrine) then there is always a sense in which our words and actions are "works", however subtle at times, "works" that are a clung to us justifications, self aggrandisement, and setting us over and above others whose "works" are inferior in our own eyes.

 

To a certain extent I understand much of this in relation to the latest Chapter of the Dhammapada I have posted, where the main theme appears to be that one must "work on" ones own self and get that sorted out (!) before attempting to sort out anyone else. Good advice in many ways, yet in practice one of saying we should NEVERinterfere with others!

 

Cleary, in his commentary, says.......The point.......is not that we should not help others, but that we cannot help others in a real sense, even if we try, unless and until we have first developed our own understanding and capacity to a sufficient degree......lending a hand just to feel like we are doing some good is really selfish indulgence, not altruistic action.....

 

Not sure I'm in complete agreement. Often mouths need feeding ( and a lot more) irrespective of our motivations, but Cleary makes a point.//

 

Getting into the quagmire of the Mahayana , enlightenment there is seen to be the unity of helping self and others, that there cannot be one without the other, as we are "one" already in many ways. The "trajectory" of Theravada is up and out of this world, that of Mahayana "up" and then "back".........But as said, the issue is complex, and I would not wish to be dogmatic!

[tariki]

The World

 

Do not live in the world,

In distraction and false dreams.

Outside the dharma.

Arise and watch.

Follow the way joyfully

Through this world and beyond.

Follow the way of virtue.

Follow the way joyfully

Through this world and on beyond!

For consider the world -

A bubble, a mirage.

See the world as it is,

And death shall overlook you.

Come, consider the world,

A painted chariot for kings,

A trap for fools.

But he who sees goes free.

As the moon slips from behind a cloud

And shines,

So the master comes out from behind his ignorance

And shines.

The world is in darkness.

How few have eyes to see!

How few the birds

Who escape the net and fly to heaven!

Swans rise and fly toward the sun.

What magic!

So do the pure conquer the armies of illusion

And rise and fly.

If you scoff at heaven

And violate the dharma,

If your words are lies,

Where will your mischief end?

The fool laughs at generosity.

The miser cannot enter heaven.

But the master finds joy in giving

And happiness is his reward.

And more -

For greater than all the joys

Of heaven and earth,

Greater still than dominion

Over all the worlds,

Is the joy of reaching the stream.

 

[tariki]

"For consider the world -

A bubble, a mirage."

 

Just a quick word or two from Cleary's commentary, as usual given from the Mahayana perspective......

 

This method of contemplation has been confused with an article of dogma by literal-minded scholars. The great Japanese Zen master Muso Soseki explains that the contemplative method described here is not ultimate, but a method of breaking through fixation on views of the world. This needs to be said, because fixation on the view of the world as a mirage is also an illusion with undesirable consequences.

 

 

Also.... the final line......."Is the joy of reaching the stream"

 

Entering the stream is a technical term.......perhaps most simply defined as putting an end to delusion by views and opinions. (Cleary)

[JosephM]

Derek,

 

I see a parallel in Christianity except i think much of traditional Christianity waits for an afterlife to see such a thing as outlined in this section. I do not see it as unsimilar to much of Jesus's teaching. Perhaps we can substite the word living waters for 'the stream'.

 

Joseph

[tariki]

Joseph, it is interesting that you say what you did. In fact it points to where Suzuki and Merton "parted company" (in the nicest possible way) at the end of their dialogue concerning the meaning of - and implications of - the "fall", a dialogue that can be found under the heading "Wisdom in Emptiness" in the book "Zen and the Birds of Appetite."

 

Suzuki finishes by speaking of a "realised eschatology" of the present moment, which he also identifies as "suchness" pure and simple. Merton sees such as "vivid and very profound" and even "much more deeply Christian than perhaps Suzuki himself imagines." Yet Merton also feels compelled to witness to the final manifestation of the restoration of all things in Christ, which he acknowledges can only appear distinct from pure "suchness" as such, even a movement away from it.

 

Merton also distinguishes between the Buddhist who sees life as a static and ontological fullness, and the Christian who sees it as a dynamic gift, a fullness of love. (I would tend to take issue with this, certainly of the "Buddhist" perspective.....as he himself has said previously, Buddhism focuses on experience, which is essential, not on the explanation, which is accidental and which indeed is often regarded as trivial and even misleading.

[JosephM]

Derek,

 

Thanks for the interesting contrast. I certainly am not very knowledgeable on the word "suchness" but my understanding is that suchness has some sublime attributes... " It manifests the highest wisdom which shines throughout the world, it has true knowledge and a mind resting simply in its own being. It is eternal, blissful, its own self-being and the purest simplicity; it is invigorating, immutable, free." Personally i do not see "in Christ" as distinctly different. Perhaps i do not yet have a full understanding of the word "suchness" or how it is different? I of course do not agree with traditional eschatology as taught and understood by the traditional/fundamental church system.

 

Joseph

[tariki]

I've found that "suchness" , in complete contradiction to what it "is" (or isn't), grows and evolves, at least in terms of my own understanding. (This raises questions about "sudden" and "gradual" enlighenment, and the quagmire of all the various arguments between Theravada and Mayahaya...............the closest I have found in resolving them are a few words from Pai-chang, who has said that there is the "elementary, the intermediate and the final good", If only one stage is taught, you will send people to hell, if all three are taught at once, they will go to hell by themselves.....then he says enigmatically......for the truth is not truth, yet is not other than truth. Anyway, I'm not too sure exactly what stage I'm at, and I don't think too much about it, a tip picked up from Merton, who seems to know about these things........(at least, I hope so)...... )

 

I would say that the one big mistake that can be made is to identify "suchness" with some form of inertia, that experience of its reality encourages docile acceptance of the status quo, however conceived. This is the "mistake" that is often made - and more often than not, expressed as a condemnation/criticism by various "apologists" of other faiths - of the "passive" east, of a Buddha often depicted as sitting cross legged, eyes closed.......etc etc etc.

 

For me it is more of a "coming back to the place we started, and knowing it for the first time", of realising we are the same old Tom, Dick or Harry we have always been, yet though we are not different from who we used to be, our course of action is different from before (Pai-chang again)

 

So "suchness" is paradoxically how things already are, just as they are. Yet this is a transformative realization, and this is not so paradoxical if it is seen in Christian terms that "how things already are" is the "hidden ground of love", the pure freedom of the divine, Who is Love first and foremost, who accepts us totally just as we are, this to give His own "being" of freedom and love to us as gift, unearned in any way. As Pai-chang says again, "it (reality) is not attained by attainment........it is not known by knowledge." To think we "have it" is to miss it.

 

Suzuki speaks of how such realization unfolds a new world......."free from intellectual complexities and moralistic attachments of every description.....discovers in the world of multiplicities all sorts of values hitherto hidden from sight....... a world full of wonders and miracles. ( From "What is Zen", the first chapter of Suzuki's wonderful book "Zen and Japanese Culture")

 

And there are also some words of Thomas Cleary, who has been a companion of sorts on the thread, when he speaks of the realisation as "opening the door to a an impartial compassion and social conscience, not in response to political opportunity, but as a spontaneous expression of intuitive and emphatic awareness."