WISDOM · DHAMMAPADA 74
Knowing What You Do Not Know
May both the layman and he who has left the world think that this is done by me; may they be subject to me in everything which is to be done or is not to be done," thus is the mind of the fool, and his desire and pride increase.
Dhammapada 74 · Chapter 5, The Fool · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “May both the layman and he who has left the world think that this is done….” In its chapter, this image points toward humility about what we know. 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 assumption could you hold more lightly today?