The Buddha's Path of Virtue Part 2

26.

Heedlessness the foolish follow, men of small intelligence; As the best of treasures wise men guard the prize of Heedfulness.

27.

Cleave not thou to Heedlessness, cleave not thou to Pa.s.sion's snares; Strenuous and meditative, wisdom winneth widespread bliss.

28.

Lo! the sage that drives away the cloud of sloth by Heedfulness, Climbing up the heights of wisdom, sorrowless looks down upon All the miserable beings, as a hillman on the plains.[4]

29.

Strenuous amid the heedless, 'mid the sleepers wide awake, As a racer beats the weak jade, so the wise outstrips the fools.

30.

Maghava by Heedfulness attained the kings.h.i.+p of the G.o.ds;[5]

Heedfulness is praised for ever; Heedlessness is ever blamed.

31.

Monks[6] whom Heedfulness delighteth, seeing fear in Heedlessness, As the fire blazeth onwards, burn their fetters great and small.

32.

Monks whom Heedfulness delighteth, seeing fear in Heedlessness, Cannot fall into destruction; they are near Nibbana's sh.o.r.e.

[1] '_amata-pada?_, 'the immortal lot', or simply 'the Ambrosial (nibba?a): the word 'immortality' in Buddhism does not imply 'a deathless Ego'.

[2] 'the sphere or range, _gocara_'.

[3] _Nibbana_.

[4] 'literally,' as one standing on a mountain looks down on those standing on the level'.

[5] _Maghava_, a name of Indra, the "sky-G.o.d," Jupiter. Human beings by great _tapas_, will power exercised, can attain this office.

[6] _"Monks"_ does not convey the real meaning of _bhikkhu_, a mendicant ascetic wearer of the yellow robe.

CHAPTER THREE.

THE MIND.

33.

The fugitive, flickering mind, Hard to guard and hard to bind, The wise men train as they choose, As a fletcher fas.h.i.+ons a shaft to his use.

34.

Like a fish flung out on the bank; Drawn from its watery home in a tank,[1]

Flutters this fugitive mind To leave the realm of Mara behind.[2]

35.

Impalpable, hard to seize, Eagerly rus.h.i.+ng wherever it please, Good is the taming of mind; A mind well-tamed is a treasure to find.

36.

Invisible, subtle indeed, Eagerly rus.h.i.+ng its pa.s.sions to feed, Let the wise man guard this mind; A guarded mind is a treasure to find.

37.

Wandering, dwelling apart, Bodiless there in the cave of the heart,[3]

They who subdue this mind Leave all the fetters of Mara behind.

38.

If he know not the Doctrine Pure, If he waver in faith and be not sure, If his mind be not strong-willed, The cup of his wisdom is never fulfilled.

39.

If his mind be free from desire, If his thought be free from anger's fire, If evil and good he forsake, There is no fear in the man that's awake.

40.

"Body's a vessel of clay; Mind must be made like a fort," if he say, Let him give battle to Mara, arrayed In the weapons of wisdom, unafraid Let him conquer and guard him and pa.s.sionless stay.

41.

Soon, ah! soon on the earth Will this body lie, a thing of no worth, Neglected, void of the six Workings of sense, a mere bundle of sticks.

42.

Whatever the ill that a foe Doth a foe, whatever the grudge he may owe.

Greater by far will he find The ill that is done by an ill-trained mind.

43.

Nay, not a father or mother Could do so much; not a kinsman or other; Greater by far will he find The good that is done by a well-trained mind.

[1] _The tank_ is earthly existence. The watery home is the world of desires.

[2] _Mara_--death, the personification of evil, rules the six highest desire-heaven-worlds: other great G.o.ds are _Mahabrahma_ and _Sakka_ (Indra). _Yama_ also, death, is the lord of the under-world. We may compare the Greek G.o.ds, Zeus, Poseidon, and Pluto, who divide the rule of the manifested universe.

[3] Cp. v. 374, _sunnagara_.

CHAPTER FOUR.

FLOWERS.

44.

Who shall discern this earth aright And the Realm of Death and the World of Light?

Who shall choose out the Way Of righteousness well displayed, As a skilled hand chooseth a flower gay?

45.