Vol. 11 · pages 386–390

367 THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE IV 7. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break through a well-reflecting mind. 8. This mind of mine went formerly wandering about as it liked, as it listed, as it pleased ; but I shall now hold it in thoroughly, as the Elder who holds the hook holds the furious elephant. 9. It is good to tame the mind, which is difficult to hold in and tightly, rushing wherever it listeth; a tamed mind brings happiness. 10. Those who bridle their mind which travels far, will be free from the bonds of temptation. 11. If a man’s faith is unsteady, if he does not know the true Dhamma, if his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfect. 12. Whatever a hater may do to a hater, or an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly directed mind will do him greater mischief. 13. Not a mother, not a father will do so much, nor any other relatives as a well directed mind will do us. § 9. On Vigilance, Earnestness and Boldness 1. When, vigilant, the wise man puts from him negligence, ascending the tower of wisdom he looks down, free from sorrow, upon the sorrow-laden race of mankind. As from a mountain top, the wise man looks upon the fools in the valley. 2. Vigilant among the negligent, awake among those asleep, as a fleet courser leaves behind a sorry nag, so go the wise. 3. Give not yourselves unto negligence. Have naught to do with the lust of the flesh. The vigilant is given to meditation. 4. Earnestness leads to where death is not; heedlessness is the way to death. Those who continue in earnestness do not die, but the heedless are as if already dead. 5. Fall not away from your purpose for the

368 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV sake of another, however great this latter may be. When once you have seen your goal, hold it firm and fast. 6. Be watchful! Have done with indolence! Travel the True Path ! Whoso walks thereon happy he lives in the world. 7. Idleness is a disgrace; constant sloth is defilement. By strenuous striving and with the help of insight you should pull out the poisoned arrow of indolence. 8. Give not yourselves unto negligence. Have not to do with the lust of the flesh. The vigilant, the given to meditation, these attain an overflowing happiness. 9. If an earnest person has roused himself, if he is not forgetful, if his deeds are pure, if he acts with consideration, if he restrains himself, and lives according to Dhamma, his glory will increase. § 10. On Sorrow and Happiness; On Charity and Kindness 1. Poverty gives rise to sorrow. 2. But removal of poverty does not necessarily give rise to happiness. 3. Not high standard of living but a high standard of culture is what gives happiness. 4. This is the Buddhist Way of Life. 5. Hunger is the worst of diseases. 6. Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nibbana the highest happiness. 7. We must learn to live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us ! 8. We must learn to live happily indeed, free from ailments among the ailing men. 9. We must learn to live happily indeed, free from greed among the greedy. 10. Mankind is ruined by passion, just as fields are damaged by weeds : therefore charity done to the passionless brings great reward.

369 THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE IV 11. Mankind is damaged by vanity, just as fields are damaged by weeds. Therefore charity done to those who are free from vanity brings great reward. 12. Mankind is ruined by lust, just as fields are damaged by weeds. Therefore charity done to those who are free from Just brings great reward. 13. Charity to Dhamma exceeds all gifts. The sweetness of the Dhamma exceeds the Dhamma. The delight in the Dhamma exceeds all delights. 14. Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy. 15. There is no fire like passion ; there is no losing throw like hatred; there is no pain like this body; there is no happiness higher than the rest. 16. Fix not your gaze upon the ill-words and ill-deeds of others, upon what others do or leave undone. Look rather at what by yourself have done or left undone. 17. Hard always is life for the modest, the seeker after purity, the detached, the retiring, the cleanly of life, the discerning. 18. Is there in the world a man so blameless that he gives no occasion for reproach, as a spirited horse gives no occasion for the stroke of the lash? Like a spirited horse that needs not the lash be fiery, be fleet. 19. Do not speak harshly to anybody: those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee. 20. Liberty, courtesy, good-will and unselfishness— these are to the world what the lynch-pin to the Chariot. 21. This is the Buddhist Way of Life. § 11. On Hypocrisy 1. Let not anyone speak falsely. Let not anyone lead another to speak falsely, nor yet approve of the action of one who speaks falsely. Let every kind of lying and false speech be put away from among you. 2. As the Perfect One speaks, so He acts. As

370 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV the Perfect One acts, so He speaks. And because He speaks as He Acts and acts as He speaks, therefore is He Called the Perfect One. 3. This is the Buddhist Way of Life. § 12. On following the Right Way 1. Choose the Right Way. Depart not from it. 2. There are many paths ; not all lead to the Right Way. 3. The Right Path is for the happiness not of the few but of all. 4. It must be good at the beginning, good in the middle and good at the end. 5. To follow the right way is to lead the Buddhist Way of Life. 6. The best way is the eightfold way ; the best of truths the four words ; the best of virtues passionlessness; the best of men he who has eyes to see. 7. This is the way, there is no other that leads to the purifying of intelligence. Go on this path. 8. If you go on this way, you will make an end of pain ! The way was preached by me, when I had understood the removal of the thorns (in the flesh). 9. You yourself must make an effort. The Tathagatas are only preachers. 10. ‘All created things perish,’ he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain. 11. ‘All forms are unreal,’ he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain. 12. He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who, though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose will and thought are weak, that lazy and idle man never finds the way to knowledge. 13. Watching his speech, well restrained in mind, let a man never commit any wrong with his body ! Let a man but keep these three roads of action clear, and he will achieve the way which is taught by the wise. 14. Through real knowledge is gotten, through lack of real knowledge is lost; let a man who knows

371 THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE IV this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow. 15. Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand ! Cherish the road of peace. Nirvana has been shown by the Sugata. 16. Do not follow the evil law ! Do not live on in thoughtlessness ! Do not follow false doctrine ! 17. Rouse thyself! Do not be idle! Follow the law of virtue ! The virtuous rests in bliss in this world. 18. He who formerly was reckless and afterwards became sober brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds. 19. He whose evil deeds are covered by good deeds, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds. 20. If a man has transgressed the one law, and speaks lies, there is no evil he will not do. 21. Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night, and who strive after Nirvana, their passions will come to an end. 22. This is an old saying. ‘They blame him who sits silent, they blame him who speaks much, they also blame him who says little’ ; there is no one on earth who is not blamed. 23. There never was, there never will be, nor is there now, a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised. 24. Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue. Leave the sins of the mind, and practise virtue with thy mind. 25. Earnestness is the path of Nirvana, thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already. § 13. Mix not True Dhamma with False Dhamma 1. Those who mistake false for true and true for false, there abides wrong-mindedness—they arrive not at the truth.