MEDITATION · DHAMMAPADA 34

A Mind That Can Settle

As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on dry ground, our thought trembles all over in order to escape the dominion of Mara (the tempter).

Dhammapada 34 · Chapter 3, Thought · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on dry ground, our thought trembles….” In its chapter, this image points toward the restless mind and its capacity to be trained. 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

Where do you feel steadiness in the body right now?