PATIENCE · DHAMMAPADA 330
A Pause Before Reaction
It is better to live alone, there is no companionship with a fool; let a man walk alone, let him commit no sin, with few wishes, like an elephant in the forest.
Dhammapada 330 · Chapter 23, The Elephant · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “It is better to live alone, there is no companionship with a fool.” 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
Put one breath between irritation and response.