PATIENCE · DHAMMAPADA 329
Let the Heat Pass
If a man find no prudent companion who walks with him, is wise, and lives soberly, let him walk alone, like a king who has left his conquered country behind,—like an elephant in the forest.
Dhammapada 329 · Chapter 23, The Elephant · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “If a man find no prudent companion who walks with him, is wise, and lives soberly,….” In its chapter, this image points toward patient strength under difficult conditions. It also makes practice relational: the people you listen to can strengthen or weaken your best intentions. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Practice one soft answer without abandoning honesty.