MINDFULNESS · DHAMMAPADA 285

Remembering What Matters

Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand! Cherish the road of peace. Nirvana has been shown by Sugata (Buddha).

Dhammapada 285 · Chapter 20, The Way · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand.” In its chapter, this image points toward a practical path of attention, ethics, and understanding. The emphasis is agency without isolation: begin with the part of the situation your own conduct can actually change. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.

Practice prompt

Where might remembering your intention change the next hour?