What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow:
Our life is a creation of our mind.
If a man speaks or act with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart.
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build out life of tomorrow: our life is a creation of our mind.
If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow.
"He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me." Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
"He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me." Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
For hate is not conquered by hate, hate is conquered by love. That is the law eternal.
Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony.
Those who do know this do not fight against each other.
He who lives only for pleasures, and whose soul is not in harmony, who considers not the food he eats, is idle and has not the power of virtue - such a man is moved by maya (illusion), is moved by selfish temptations, even as a weak tree is shaken by the wind.
But he who lives not for pleasures, and whose soul is in Self-harmony, who eats or fasts with moderation, and has faith and the power of virtue - this man is not moved by temptations, as a great rock is not shaken by the wind.
If a man puts on the yellow robe with a soul which is impure, without Self-harmony and truth, he is not worthy of the yellow robe.
But he who is pure from sin and whose soul is strong in virtue, who has Self-harmony and truth, he is worthy of the holy robe.
Those who think the unreal is (the everchanging impermanent), and think the Real is not (the neverchanging permanent Absolute), they shall never reach the Truth, lost in the path of wrong thought.
But those who know the Real is, and know the unreal is not, they shall indeed reach the Truth, safe on the path of right thought.
Even as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passions break through an ill guarded mind.
But even as rain breaks not through a well-thatched house, passions break not through a well guarded mind.
He suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next world: the man who does evil suffers in both worlds. He suffers, he suffers and mourns when he sees the wrong he has done.
He is happy in this world and he is happy in the next world: the man who does good is happy in both worlds. He is glad, he feels great gladness when he sees the good he has done.
He sorrows in this world, and he sorrows in the next world: the man who does evil suffers in both worlds. "I have done evil", thus he laments, and more he laments on the path of sorrow.
He rejoices in this world, and he rejoices in the next world: the man who does good rejoices in both worlds. "I have done good", thus he rejoices, and more he rejoices on the path of joy.
If a man speaks many holy words but he speaks and does not, this thoughtless man cannot enjoy the life of holiness: he is like a cowherd who counts the cows of his master.
Whereas if a man speaks but a few holy words and yet he lives the life of those words, free from passion and hate and illusion - with right vision and a mind free, craving for nothing both now and hereafter - the life of this man is a life of holiness.
Chapter 1 of The Dhammapada - The Pairs (Buddha's discourses).