078. Give Up Anger and Pride; Do Not Dwell On Faults Of Others

Dhammapada Part IV

Give up anger, give up pride, and free yourself from worldly bondage. No sorrow can befall those who never try to possess people and things as their own. (221)

Those who hold back rising anger like a rolling chariot are real charioteers. Others merely hold the reigns. (222)

Conquer anger through gentleness, unkindness through kindness, greed through generosity, and falsehood by truth. (223) Be truthful; do not yield to anger. Give freely, even if you have but little. The gods will bless you. (224)

Injuring no one, self-controlled, the wise enter the state of peace beyond all sorrow. (225) Those who are vigilant, who train their minds day and night and strive continually for nirvana, enter the state of peace beyond all selfish passions. (226)

There is an old saying: "People will blame you is you say too much; they will blame you if you say too little; they will blame you if you say just enough." No one in this world escapes blame. (227)

There never was and never will be anyone who receives all praise or all blame. (228) But who can blame those who are pure, wise, good, and meditative? (229) They shine like a coin of pure gold.  Even the gods praise them, even Brahma the Creator. (230)

Use your body for doing good, not for harm. Train it to follow the dharma (i.e., law, unity of life, the Way). (231) Use your tongue for doing good, not for harm. Train it to speak kindly. (232) Use your mind for doing good, not for harm. Train your mind in love. (233) The wise are disciplined in body, speech, and mind. They are well controlled indeed. (234)

You are like a withered leaf, waiting for the messenger of death. You are about to go on a long journey, but you are so unprepared. (235) Light the lamp within; strive hard to attain wisdom. Become pure and innocent, and live in the world of light. (236)

Your life has come to an end, and you are in the presence of death. There is no place to rest on this journey, and you are so unprepared. (237) Light the lamp within; strive hard to attain wisdom. Become pure and innocent, and you will be free from birth and death. (238)

Make your mind pure as a silversmith blow away the impurities of silver, little by little, instant by instant. (239) As rust consumes the iron which breeds it, evil deeds consume those who do them. (240)

The mantram (i.e., short prayer) is weak when not repeated; a house falls into ruin when not repaired; the body loses health when it is not exercised; the watchman fails when vigilance is lost. (241)

Lack of modesty is a drawback in women; lack of generosity taints those who give. (242) Selfish deeds are without merit here and hereafter. But there is no impurity greater than ignorance. Remove that through wisdom and you will be pure. (243)

Life seems easy for one without shame, no better than a crow, a mischief-maker who is insolent and dissolute (i.e., self-indulgent). (244) Life is hard for one who is humble, gentle, and detached, who tries to live in purity. (245)

They dig their own graves who kill, lie, get drunk, or covet the wealth or spouse of another. (246) Those who drink to intoxication are digging up their own roots. (247) Any indiscipline brings evil in its wake. Know this, and do not let greed and vice bring you lingering pain. (248)

Some give out of faith, others out of friendship. Do not envy others for the gifts they receive, or you will have no peace of mind by day or night. (249)

Those who have destroyed the roots of jealousy have peace of mind always. (250)

There is no fire like lust, no jailer like hate, no snare like infatuation, no torrent like greed. (251)

It is easy to see the faults of others; we winnow them like chaff. It is hard to see our own; we hide them as a gambler hides a losing draw. (252)

But when one keeps dwelling on the faults of others, his own compulsions grow worse, making it harder to overcome them. (253)