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Buddhism

Iti 86 · uttaka 86

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Monks, with reference to a monk who practices the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, it is this way of according with the Dhamma that he should be described as practicing the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma. When speaking, he speaks Dhamma and not non-Dhamma. When thinking, he thinks about Dhamma and not about non-Dhamma. Avoiding both these things, he stays equanimous, mindful, alert.”

Dhamma his dwelling,

Dhamma his delight,

a monk pondering Dhamma,

calling Dhamma to mind,

doesn’t fall away

from true Dhamma.1

Whether

walking,

standing,

sitting, or

lying down

–his mind inwardly restrained–

he arrives

right at peace.

Note

1. This verse = Dhp 364.

See also: SN 12:67


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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