MEDITATION · DHAMMAPADA 41
Training the Wandering Mind
Before long, alas! this body will lie on the earth, despised, without understanding, like a useless log.
Dhammapada 41 · Chapter 3, Thought · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “Before long, alas.” In its chapter, this image points toward the restless mind and its capacity to be trained. Rather than using change to create fear, the passage can sharpen tenderness for a life that cannot be held still. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Sit quietly for three minutes and begin again each time attention wanders.