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The Dhammapada - Chapter 15 - Happiness - v197 - v208
buddhafoot
Veteran
Sukhavagga
Happiness
Translated from the Pali by
Acharya Buddharakkhita
Alternate translation: Buddharakkhita Thanissaro
197. Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the hostile. Amidst hostile men we dwell free from hatred.
198. Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the afflicted (by craving). Amidst afflicted men we dwell free from affliction.
199. Happy indeed we live, free from avarice amidst the avaricious. Amidst the avaricious men we dwell free from avarice.
200. Happy indeed we live, we who possess nothing. Feeders on joy we shall be, like the Radiant Gods.
201. Victory begets enmity; the defeated dwell in pain. Happily the peaceful live, discarding both victory and defeat.
202. There is no fire like lust and no crime like hatred. There is no ill like the aggregates (of existence) and no bliss higher than the peace (of Nibbana). 17
203. Hunger is the worst disease, conditioned things the worst suffering. Knowing this as it really is, the wise realize Nibbana, the highest bliss.
204. Health is the most precious gain and contentment the greatest wealth. A trustworthy person is the best kinsman, Nibbana the highest bliss.
205. Having savored the taste of solitude and peace (of Nibbana), pain-free and stainless he becomes, drinking deep the taste of the bliss of the Truth.
206. Good is it to see the Noble Ones; to live with them is ever blissful. One will always be happy by not encountering fools.
207. Indeed, he who moves in the company of fools grieves for longing. Association with fools is ever painful, like partnership with an enemy. But association with the wise is happy, like meeting one's own kinsmen.
208. Therefore, follow the Noble One, who is steadfast, wise, learned, dutiful and devout. One should follow only such a man, who is truly good and discerning, even as the moon follows the path of the stars. 12
Happiness
Translated from the Pali by
Acharya Buddharakkhita
Alternate translation: Buddharakkhita Thanissaro
197. Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the hostile. Amidst hostile men we dwell free from hatred.
198. Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the afflicted (by craving). Amidst afflicted men we dwell free from affliction.
199. Happy indeed we live, free from avarice amidst the avaricious. Amidst the avaricious men we dwell free from avarice.
200. Happy indeed we live, we who possess nothing. Feeders on joy we shall be, like the Radiant Gods.
201. Victory begets enmity; the defeated dwell in pain. Happily the peaceful live, discarding both victory and defeat.
202. There is no fire like lust and no crime like hatred. There is no ill like the aggregates (of existence) and no bliss higher than the peace (of Nibbana). 17
203. Hunger is the worst disease, conditioned things the worst suffering. Knowing this as it really is, the wise realize Nibbana, the highest bliss.
204. Health is the most precious gain and contentment the greatest wealth. A trustworthy person is the best kinsman, Nibbana the highest bliss.
205. Having savored the taste of solitude and peace (of Nibbana), pain-free and stainless he becomes, drinking deep the taste of the bliss of the Truth.
206. Good is it to see the Noble Ones; to live with them is ever blissful. One will always be happy by not encountering fools.
207. Indeed, he who moves in the company of fools grieves for longing. Association with fools is ever painful, like partnership with an enemy. But association with the wise is happy, like meeting one's own kinsmen.
208. Therefore, follow the Noble One, who is steadfast, wise, learned, dutiful and devout. One should follow only such a man, who is truly good and discerning, even as the moon follows the path of the stars. 12
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Comments
-bf
198. Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the afflicted (by craving). Amidst afflicted men we dwell free from affliction.
199. Happy indeed we live, free from avarice amidst the avaricious. Amidst the avaricious men we dwell free from avarice.
Buddhism in the real world. =D
These two are things I've been thinking about a lot recently. They're true. We don't have enough time in our lives to waste it on people who can only harm us. We don't have an obligation to suffer fools. We can leave them to it and go on our way. This is like the permission given to us by the Buddha to be Buddhist, but not a Buddhist doormat. Or that's how I take it.
In all the time I have been studying the teachings of the Buddha, I haven't come across one bit that, after examination, cogitation and perusal, I disagree with... Thought-provoking definitely...But if anything has ever rubbed me up the wrong way, it has always been as a result of my own resistance to the teaching, not through any fault in the logic of the teaching itself....
Bliss.....
It could be somewhat of a dichotomy...
Suffering those who do not follow the teachings of Buddha - or possibly, any teachings of any being that could be considered a buddha - is difficult.
We hear and read a lot about compassion - but how far does compassion go to those who continually rob one of their peace.
-bf
Compassion + Wisdom = The Way.
The answer, dear BuddhaFoot, is very, very annoying: no one can "rob you of your peace". You can fail to hold onto it but it cannot be 'stolen'. The proof is that s/he whom you may see as the 'thief' has nothing of yours, no thing that can be given back.
There is no limit to compassion. That's the bugger of it: however far we go, we never reach its limits nor find any boundary. Compassion is the centre and the periphery, it is the goose and the bottle, the gateless gate.
That is true - no one can really rob us of our peace, unless we let them. You always do such a wonderful job of making me come to a screaching halt in my tracks and re-evaluate things
But the $64,000 question remains - once someone has pushed you past your limits - which can happen - can one say, "You alone have robbed yourself of your peace."
I think wisdom also comes into play - knowing when to walk away.
What Simon says (no, come on, put your hands down now...) is absolutely spot on... Having experienced what I have experienced has been the most wonderful and salutary lesson in understanding Suffering and detachment. I'm still upright, in one piece, and smiling..... I am still here... I am still functioning and firing on all cylinders.... because as BF has just pointed out, it came to the point when we just had to walk away. Sometimes, doing one's best means doing nothing - not doing.
However, the abstract lesson I have also learnt is one of balance and interconnectedness....whilst on the one hand, I had to deal with what I perceived outwardly to be quite simply, the selfish, self-serving attitude of people who obviously cared nothing about anything but their own self-promotion, I had enough gathered Love and Compassion behind me, from whence I could to draw strength and Wisdom, enabling me to tap into reserves I didn't know I had, and face what ailed me with conviction and resolve.
So the fight is never single-handed, you know....
We sometimes wonder (or at least I do) if I am even learning anything from the Buddha's teachings. When you find you have become annoyed, angered, upset, sad, tearful, etc.
As was often discussed in our Heart Of Buddha's Teachings book thingamajig - we have various seeds within us. The seeds of anger, hatred, kindness, compassion, etc. We choose which of those we wish to water, tend, prune and grow.
While we may not think anything is happening within us - nor does one place a tire swing on a sapling or build a tree house in a new sprout. But given time and care... we may find that one day we enjoy the shade of the oak that has grown within us.
I know that sounds kind of corny - but the longer we're on this path - the more we possibly grow without even knowing it.
-bf
Not corny at all....
There is the saying which goes:
It is sometimes more useful to our progress, to look back and see just how far we have come, rather than to look forward and see how far we have yet to go."
It's a bit like looking back on our teens, and knowing we have developped and matured in many ways, through the Life Experiences we have had - yet at one and the same time, not feeling our current age, but still seeing ourselves, mentally, as young, vibrant and full of Life.... That to me, is how I view my own status on the Buddhist Path I am walking - Progressing, onward and upward little by little, but ever the Child at heart....