MINDFULNESS · DHAMMAPADA 193

Steady and Present

A supernatural person (a Buddha) is not easily found, he is not born everywhere. Wherever such a sage is born, that race prospers.

Dhammapada 193 · Chapter 14, The Buddha (The Awakened) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “A supernatural person (a Buddha) is not easily found, he is not born everywhere.” In its chapter, this image points toward awakening as a lived discipline. 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 becomes visible when you stop rushing for ten seconds?