MEDITATION · DHAMMAPADA 40

Attention as a Refuge

Knowing that this body is (fragile) like a jar, and making this thought firm like a fortress, one should attack Mara (the tempter) with the weapon of knowledge, one should watch him when conquered, and should never rest.

Dhammapada 40 · Chapter 3, Thought · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “Knowing that this body is (fragile) like a jar, and making this thought firm like a….” 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

What helps the mind settle without force?