Motivational Mondays!!
I am linking up with Jen and Motivational Mondays this week! I will be sharing another excert from the Dhammapadda titled Thousands. These mantras are aimed at making a distinction between quantity and quality in life. Enjoy!
Thousands
Better than a thousand sayings composed of meaningless statements is a single meaningful statement on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than a thousand verses composed of meaningless lines is a single line of verse on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than one who recites a hundred verses of meaningless lines is one verse on hearing which one becomes calm.
Though one defeats a million men in battle, one who overcomes the self alone is in fact the highest victor. For one who is self-controlled and always disciplined in action, victory of someone like this cannot be made into defeat, even by a god, an angel, or a devil.
Even if someone performs ritual sacrifices a thousand times every for a hundred years, if he honors a self-cultivated individual for even a moment, that honor is better than what is sacrificed in a hundred years. Even if one tends a ceremonial fire in the forest for a hundred years, if one honors a self-cultivated individual for even a moment, that honor is better than the sacrifice of a hundred years.
Whatever may be sacrificed or offered up for a year in this world in order to gain merit, all of that is less than a fourth as good as paying respect to upright people. For those who are always courteous and respectful of elders, four things increase: life, beauty, happiness and strength.
It is better to live one day ethically and reflectively than to live a hundred years immoral and unrestrained. It is better to live one day wisely and reflectively than to live a hundred years in ignorance and indulgance. It is better to live one day making strenous effort than to live a hundred years lazily and listlessly.
It is better to live one day seeing transitoriness than to live a hundred years not seeing transitoriness. It is better to live one day seeing the deathless state than to live a hundred years not seeing the deathless state. It is better to live one day seeing the ultimate truth than to live a hundred years not seeing the ultimate truth.
Thousands
Better than a thousand sayings composed of meaningless statements is a single meaningful statement on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than a thousand verses composed of meaningless lines is a single line of verse on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than one who recites a hundred verses of meaningless lines is one verse on hearing which one becomes calm.
Though one defeats a million men in battle, one who overcomes the self alone is in fact the highest victor. For one who is self-controlled and always disciplined in action, victory of someone like this cannot be made into defeat, even by a god, an angel, or a devil.
Even if someone performs ritual sacrifices a thousand times every for a hundred years, if he honors a self-cultivated individual for even a moment, that honor is better than what is sacrificed in a hundred years. Even if one tends a ceremonial fire in the forest for a hundred years, if one honors a self-cultivated individual for even a moment, that honor is better than the sacrifice of a hundred years.
Whatever may be sacrificed or offered up for a year in this world in order to gain merit, all of that is less than a fourth as good as paying respect to upright people. For those who are always courteous and respectful of elders, four things increase: life, beauty, happiness and strength.
It is better to live one day ethically and reflectively than to live a hundred years immoral and unrestrained. It is better to live one day wisely and reflectively than to live a hundred years in ignorance and indulgance. It is better to live one day making strenous effort than to live a hundred years lazily and listlessly.
It is better to live one day seeing transitoriness than to live a hundred years not seeing transitoriness. It is better to live one day seeing the deathless state than to live a hundred years not seeing the deathless state. It is better to live one day seeing the ultimate truth than to live a hundred years not seeing the ultimate truth.
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