MINDFULNESS · DHAMMAPADA 280
Returning Without Judgment
He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who, though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose will and thought are weak, that lazy and idle man will never find the way to knowledge.
Dhammapada 280 · Chapter 20, The Way · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise, who, though young and….” In its chapter, this image points toward a practical path of attention, ethics, and understanding. 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
When the mind wanders, can you return without making it a problem?