EVERYDAY LIFE · DHAMMAPADA 295

A Practice You Can See

A true Brahmana goes scatheless, though he have killed father and mother, and two holy kings, and an eminent man besides.

Dhammapada 295 · Chapter 21, Miscellaneous · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “A true Brahmana goes scatheless, though he have killed father and mother, and two holy kings,….” In its chapter, this image points toward finding the teaching in mixed, everyday circumstances. 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

Which daily habit quietly shapes your character?