ETHICS · DHAMMAPADA 255

The Weight of Small Choices

There is no path through the air, a man is not a Samana by outward acts. No creatures are eternal; but the awakened (Buddha) are never shaken.

Dhammapada 255 · Chapter 18, Impurity · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “There is no path through the air, a man is not a Samana by outward acts.” In its chapter, this image points toward cleaning up conduct and intention. The path image makes wisdom active: direction matters, and the next step is more useful than an idealized destination. 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 choice today will leave no need for regret?