ETHICS · DHAMMAPADA 268
The Direction of a Deed
A man is not a Muni because he observes silence (mona, i.e. mauna), if he is foolish and ignorant; but the wise who, taking the balance, chooses the good and avoids evil, he is a Muni, and is a Muni thereby; he who in this world weighs both sides is called a Muni.
Dhammapada 268, 269 · Chapter 19, The Just · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “A man is not a Muni because he observes silence (mona, i.” In its chapter, this image points toward justice as conduct rather than status. Read goodness here as a trainable direction—choices that reduce harm and leave less residue of regret. 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 good habit can receive one more drop today?