COMPASSION · DHAMMAPADA 143

Meeting Pain With Care

Is there in this world any man so restrained by humility that he does not mind reproof, as a well-trained horse the whip?

Dhammapada 143 · Chapter 10, Punishment · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “Is there in this world any man so restrained by humility that he does not mind….” In its chapter, this image points toward recognizing that other beings fear pain as we do. It locates the turning point before outward action, in the quality of attention you repeatedly cultivate. 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 pain is asking to be met rather than fixed?