SELF-KNOWLEDGE · DHAMMAPADA 106

Beginning With Yourself

If a man for a hundred years sacrifice month after month with a thousand, and if he but for one moment pay homage to a man whose soul is grounded (in true knowledge), better is that homage than sacrifice for a hundred years.

Dhammapada 106 · Chapter 8, The Thousands · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “If a man for a hundred years sacrifice month after month with a thousand, and if….” In its chapter, this image points toward quality of understanding rather than quantity of words. Rather than using change to create fear, the passage can sharpen tenderness for a life that cannot be held still. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.

Practice prompt

What quality would you like to strengthen through repetition?