MEDITATION · DHAMMAPADA 371
A Mind That Can Settle
Meditate, O Bhikshu, and be not heedless! Do not direct thy thought to what gives pleasure that thou mayest not for thy heedlessness have to swallow the iron ball (in hell), and that thou mayest not cry out when burning, `This is pain.
Dhammapada 371 · Chapter 25, The Bhikshu (Mendicant) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “Meditate, O Bhikshu, and be not heedless.” In its chapter, this image points toward the disciplines that support contemplative life. 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?