MEDITATION · DHAMMAPADA 367

Making Room for Quiet

He who never identifies himself with name and form, and does not grieve over what is no more, he indeed is called a Bhikshu.

Dhammapada 367 · Chapter 25, The Bhikshu (Mendicant) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “He who never identifies himself with name and form, and does not grieve over what is….” In its chapter, this image points toward the disciplines that support contemplative life. 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

Can restlessness be known without being obeyed?