ETHICS · DHAMMAPADA 256
A Life You Need Not Regret
A man is not just if he carries a matter by violence; no, he who distinguishes both right and wrong, who is learned and leads others, not by violence, but by law and equity, and who is guarded by the law and intelligent, he is called just.
Dhammapada 256, 257 · Chapter 19, The Just · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “A man is not just if he carries a matter by violence.” In its chapter, this image points toward justice as conduct rather than status. Its value is practical when it changes how you meet one choice, relationship, or difficult feeling today. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Notice one small action that points your life in a direction.