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Buddhism

Thag 2:47 · Anūpama

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

Coming into the conceit of delight, the mind

impales itself on a stake.

Wherever’s a stake, a chopping block,

there, only there, you turn.

You, mind, I call an unlucky die.

You, I call a mind-traitor.

You’ve gained a Teacher hard to gain.

Don’t urge me on to my loss.


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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