Buddhism General /bg/

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We've had some interesting discussions so far, and people seem interested in the subject so let's launch thread #4.

Why Buddhism?

> Relieve yourself of attachment to the self (which is subject to manipulation by anything and (((anyone)))
> Is several thousands years old knowledge
> Promotes traditional values (respect the elders, wiser, family and community)
> Literally teaches you to control your dreams (the ones you have at night) which you can use to overcome fears and challenges.
> Simple techniques (don't believe the mumbo-jumbo, just sit down, close your eye and breathe, ask if you want specific [FREE] guides).
> Teaches you how to breathe (Why is this not taught since kindergarten level of education?)
> Literally teaches me how to be happy and cope with a seemingly shitty situation.

inb4 "it's pacifying you and teaching you to be obedient to the elites".
> A major part of Buddhism is "enlightened action", basically meaning once you've achieved some sense of calm and self-realization, you will enact on the matter which your inner self (not your (((ego))) deems to be the correct way of going about. I.e not sitting in silence when someone spouts garbage about someone being racist, something being 'fake news', but standing up for sincere beneficial values for humanity as a whole.

>Resources

buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda02.htm
discord.gg/UQWzj
web.ics.purdue.edu/~buddhism/docs/Bhante_Walpola_Rahula-What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf
ligmincha.org/index.php/en/
lionsroar.com/
edx.org/course/buddhism-through-its-scriptures-harvardx-hds3221-3x
youtube.com/watch?v=jh9v2MyctkQ

>How do I meditate?
bayart.org/beginners-guide-to-meditation-for-everyone/
youtube.com/watch?v=Y-WIqtSteZs

OP specializes in Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Buddhism, feel free to ask questions.

Other urls found in this thread:

amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Teachings/dp/0861714911
dhammatalks.net/Books11/Nyanaponika_Thera-The_Word_of_the_Buddha.pdf
youtube.com/watch?v=MbeW2110sug
youtube.com/watch?v=7m8k8dHyXnE
discord.gg/vJVtgwA
meditativewisdom.com/blogs/meditative-wisdom-blog/108-reasons-why-meditation-is-so-beneficial
washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/
accesstoinsight.org/
freezoneearth.org/pilot/self/index.htm
buddhanet.net/pdf_file/scrndhamma.pdf
accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html
web.ics.purdue.edu/~buddhism/docs/Bhante_Walpola_Rahula-What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

Bump
Curious minds are welcome
Will feed to trolls a bit too

THIS IS NOW A PROMETHEUS THREAD

bump for enlightenment

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bump for starters and digitis

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As a very very 1st book on buddhism i recomenned this one:

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (The Teachings of the Buddha).
paperbook on (((Amazon))):

amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Teachings/dp/0861714911

Ebook version:

dhammatalks.net/Books11/Nyanaponika_Thera-The_Word_of_the_Buddha.pdf

you may be killed if you do or post something about buddha like that in thailand public place

i am not kidding

really? why?

cool threads OP, interesting discussions. catch ya later

Isn't killing against the Precepts?

Buddhism is a serious threat to christianity because the idea you can enlighten yourself is so appealing to people who are disatisfied with their current religion

Common misconceptions
> Dalai Lama is no pope of Buddhism
> Buddhism have three branches
> Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana
>Meditation is mostly controlling your own mind and analayzing the happenings in your body

QOTD:

Why are buddhist wearing orange clothes?

Most Buddhist are sensitive as society consider Buddha as ultimate teacher/being. We were thought to respect Buddha since young age.

from what I remember, it's because orange was a common dye back in the day

OP, you should add accesstoinsight.org to the resources list

Killing someone for tarnishing the Buddha's image seems to go against everything he taught though

Ok...now that the new thread is here, time for a more in-depth answer.

Buddhism IMHO is fine, as long as it isn't followed to its' ultimate logical extreme. My main issue with the religion is that it seems to make the assumption that physical or temporal reality is a fundamentally negative or undesirable thing, and that it should ideally be transcended or exited from as rapidly as possible. I've seen people who actually wanted to still have physical experience before, but who also attempted to adopt Buddhism, and the result was repeated psychotic breaks.

With that said, I've found the Metta Suta (or something close) very therapeutically valuable in the past; as is the emphasis placed on general benevolence being useful to the self as well as others. The Buddhist understanding of what causes emotional pathology and how to rectify it can be extremely useful as well.

The Buddha advocated the Middle Way, and ironically I think it can be helpful to apply that principle to Buddhism itself. It's a fantastic religion if increasing your overall level of psychological stability is concerned, but as mentioned, excessive focus on the idea of Nibbana will tend to do the opposite, if you are not ready for it; and most are not.

>How the hell am I being arrogant?
by assuming I hadn't strudied religions, and that the information you had to tell me was important

Cute. I like this.

From Golden Light Sutra:

When a king overlooks the presence
Of evil doers in his region
Terrible clandestine acts
Will ruin is destroy the land.

Based Dalai Lama

>temporal reality is a fundamentally negative or undesirable thing, and that it should ideally be transcended or exited from as rapidly as possible
I don't see anything disagreeable there.
The Buddha was right when he said clinging was the origin of suffering.

I suspect that such a practice was initiated by someone within either American intelligence, or Marxist academia, for the purpose of falsely maligning the religion and attempting to destroy it. The same forces have unfortunately used similar tactics against both Islam and Hinduism.

Mostly dyed clothes/robes because at the beginning Buddha does not limit the robes and some normies monks started to compete fashion while they were to discard everything from human form and it was affecting their advancement in meditation. So Buddha limit them to only wear simple robes/clothes.

Low level cultural Buddhism isn't necessarily all that adherent to the actual teachings.

When a king overlooks the presence
Of evil doers in his region
Terrible clandestine acts
Will ruin and* destroy the land.

He is exaggerating a bit. They will only beat you to senseless and government will detain you.

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sup thaibro I'm Cambodian but I like listening to "smot" including Thai smot.

youtube.com/watch?v=MbeW2110sug

Who lotus sutra here?

>plz no sgi shit here.

heh, then I know more about Buddhism than actual 'Buddhists'

What's life like in Thailand generally? I always dreamt of one day leaving my life behind and moving somewhere like Thailand and living in peaceful solitude in some small village or something

>The Buddha was right when he said clinging was the origin of suffering.

Yes, but the problem is that not everyone wants that. I also personally believe that it is possible for a desire for physical experience to exist at the level of the soul, rather than merely the ego.

There tends to be more of a recognition within Hindu circles that the process of liberation is actually made both ironically more rapid, and more healthy, by allowing the soul an adequate amount of physical experience first, (Artha and Kama before Moksha, essentially) rather than attempting to move directly to the phase concerned exclusively with liberation. This removes the possibility of regret, and also reinforces awareness of the futility of physically reality, due to direct first hand experience.

In some respects it's a less safe approach, because it's true that the soul can become trapped or pre-occupied with certain elements of physical experience; sex being the main one of course. Yet assuming entrapment does not occur, to me it makes more sense.

who /comfy/ here?

youtube.com/watch?v=7m8k8dHyXnE

Join the discord for some low key discussion and further comfiness

Come and join us in our discord to talk about buddhism and plan for next Buddhist generals! : discord.gg/vJVtgwA

The idea isn't that reality is inherently evil or wrong but rather that existence is full of suffering (the actual Sanskrit word is closer to Unsatisfying) and that you can overcome it by accepting the world as it really is.

So rather than trying to ascend out of reality, one should try to achieve enlightenment so that they may not only enjoy the world but help others to enjoy it as well.

Of course this is a super duper Mahayana view and pureland adherents would probably disagree. However, any Tientai derivative sect and most Zen ultimately follow this idea.

I often hear Buddhism criticized as "pessimistic" or "nihilistic", but I see this as misunderstanding the motivation for the Noble Truths. The idea is that our earthly wishes and attachments are precisely what bind us up in the rounds of rebirth, so to speak. Enlightenment is then tantamount to the realization that one no longer has those physical attachments, and hence one has nothing to lose by achieving unbinding.

I have some resources

meditativewisdom.com/blogs/meditative-wisdom-blog/108-reasons-why-meditation-is-so-beneficial

washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/

To the guy from last thread who said

>ok, you proved that religions thought there were make and female deities or aspects. but you didn't prove there really are, only that they believed that

You still here?

:^)

Don't worry, Nichiren-shu, not sgi.

It's like some theology nerd bragging about knowing more about Christianity than the average southerner in America.

accesstoinsight.org/

Some Theravada goodness here, if anyone's interested.

freezoneearth.org/pilot/self/index.htm

As an interesting point of comparison, here's a book on getting clear by someone from the Free Zone, the umbrella organisation for former members of the Church of Scientology. This is not intended to tarnish the reputation of Buddhism at all; but Buddhists might be a bit surprised at just how much similarity is there.

added

how does discord work, do people talk in video and through microphones or is it just text, I only saw people typing messages like once every 10 minutes

Its easiest to use it as a group chat, we dont want to force autists to interact via voice or video, that would be not compassionate.

okay boys, is there a chart for essential /bg/ literature for starters?

like a flowchart, not just someone elses website with recommendations

...

Currently learning martial art. Only things I really know about Buddhism or other Eastern religions are vow of silence and meditation. How do I become enlightened bros?

>I often hear Buddhism criticized as "pessimistic" or "nihilistic", but I see this as misunderstanding the motivation for the Noble Truths.

I do tend to regard the idea of Nibbana as a form of permanent suicide, to be brutally honest; and I think there probably is a certain amount of truth to the argument that as a religion, Buddhism can work as a genuinely fantastic form of social control, as well. Aside from anything else, it encourages complete disinterest in temporal affairs, which is useful for politicians. Then again, given how much the Chinese government seem to dislike the Dalai Lama, he would probably refute that argument.

Buddhism for me is primarily valuable as an effective form of psychotherapy; but it is extremely important in my opinion, that the religion be adopted voluntarily. This is probably more true than in the case of any other religion I've seen.

Here you will find differences between different Buddhist sects about how to interact with the world at large

On one extreme you have orthodox Theravadan monks who are literally the first organized "Normies get out reee" of humanity. They don't by doctrine hate the outside world but for all intents and purposes it's viewed as inherently suffering.

The other extreme is probably old school Nichiren (not soka gakai) where the highest level of enlightenment is viewed as being able to do all of the above but in the midst of a normal everyday life. There it's more about losing your clinging attachments to physical things, rather than the things themselves.

In other words it's okay to have stuff, but it's equally fine to not have stuff.

Yes goy, detach yourself from the physical world, feel no anger about being cucked and killed off.

**rubs hands internally***

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For shame, user. No mention of Plutarch's accounts of the Spartans?!

King Leonidas would not be happy. ;)

As someone who frequently posts on /lit/ and looks at all the charts from there I assembled some notes for a Buddhist one but never got around to it. Is there a website used to make the charts or do people just used Paint?

Here is a nice book of quotes very easy to read. dont read the intro though, just go to the text on page 25
buddhanet.net/pdf_file/scrndhamma.pdf

>On one extreme you have orthodox Theravadan monks who are literally the first organized "Normies get out reee" of humanity.

That was the impression I'd gained, yes. In fundamentalist terms, Theravada is essentially the Buddhist answer to Wahabbism. Not in the sense of violence, but in the sense that they are purists who attempt to adhere to the scriptures precisely, and no liberal or creative interpretations are allowed.

If you want heresy, that is apparently what Mahayana is for. ;)

Zen I haven't looked at much, although from what little I've seen, they seem to adopt the approach of trying to induce meditative states through the contemplation of stories or ideas which are paradoxical or logically irreconcileable; the koans.

OK, so... you have accepted and internalized the axiom that living things are shackled to a neverending cycle of reincarnation, and that our fate in the next life, assuming there even is one, may be a million times worse than our current life, yet you reject the idea that there is any permanent form of relief from the endless suffering.

If you ask me, THAT is pessimistic.

Not sure if it's been posted, but I'm in search of Buddhist / meditation books, I don't like reading all the ancient texts I just like to read the modern interpretation for the average layman

Much appreciated for recommendations or dl links

Read "in the Buddha's Words", it will give you a solid grasp of the Buddha's teachings

For starters, I don't necessarily accept the idea that reincarnation is a completely random or uncontrolled process. I think our mental state (and by extension, our actions) can and do have a role to play in where we end up from life to life.

For another thing, to me the very logic of survival itself, dictates that the majority (although not all, of course) of worlds are going to be places that are more positive than our current one. This is fairly simply because compassion or mutually beneficial symbiosis, is the most effective means of ensuring survival for all concerned. Earth may well end up destroying itself via Randian Objectivism, but I think there are plenty of worlds out there that are intensely loving places, and that the majority are actually benevolent to some degree. Benevolence is more compatible with life continuing to survive, on a purely mechanical level, because it is conducive to interdependent regeneration.

As a third point, I don't think we're necessarily completely eternal or immortal, or that even if we are, that doesn't mean we can't choose to become dormant for long periods. Buddhism's own Bardo practice implies that; focusing single mindedly on clear white light as a way of temporarily suspending all sources of karma from the mind, as a means of avoiding rebirth.

1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.

3. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.

4. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.

5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

6. There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

7. Just as a storm throws down a weak tree, so does Mara overpower the man who lives for the pursuit of pleasures, who is uncontrolled in his senses, immoderate in eating, indolent, and dissipated. [1]

8. Just as a storm cannot prevail against a rocky mountain, so Mara can never overpower the man who lives meditating on the impurities, who is controlled in his senses, moderate in eating, and filled with faith and earnest effort. [2]

9. Whoever being depraved, devoid of self-control and truthfulness, should don the monk's yellow robe, he surely is not worthy of the robe.

10. But whoever is purged of depravity, well-established in virtues and filled with self-control and truthfulness, he indeed is worthy of the yellow robe.

11. Those who mistake the unessential to be essential and the essential to be unessential, dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential.

12. Those who know the essential to be essential and the unessential to be unessential, dwelling in right thoughts, do arrive at the essential.

Well, sorta. Theyre pretty rigid on the earlier sutras and pretty much view mahayannas as imposters since those sutras outright say that the earlier texts are obsolete.

Zen is all over the place, Chinese Zen (Chan) is very eclectic in its teachings and actually shares a lot with Tientai Buddhism, which is where Tendai and Nichiren sprouted off from.

But all Zen is in principle about "Concentration and Insight", essentially that if you can calm the mind and focus you can be in a better mental state to think about important questions.

However, most western Zen practices treat it like magic and focus almost solely on the Concentration part with none of the Insight.

It's a symptom of the greater problem of Buddhism in the west in that it was introduced into our culture when our translation ability was extremely poor. I used to be in the same boat until I was able to have this explained to me in Japanese by a priest, where it turned out to be elegantly straight forward.

accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html

Sorry if you're tired of getting more links to links, but accesstoinsight collects books and articles by some of the most renowned contemporary English writers in the Theravada tradition. The subject index has served me extremely well when I want to learn more about a particular word or subject.

Read the book at this link, it is only around 100 pages with not much text per page and can be read in a day. It is the single best intro to buddhism for those who don't want to spend several weeks reading one book. It doesn't contain very many long passages from ancient texts but rather just explains Buddhism while copiously citing the texts to back up what it's saying.

web.ics.purdue.edu/~buddhism/docs/Bhante_Walpola_Rahula-What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf


After that if you want to really understand Buddhism I would recommend this book
If you want to fully understand Buddhism it is important to read some of the texts themselves IMO but once you read the first book I mentioned and have time to think about it you may find that you don't have any issue with reading the texts themselves anymore.

13. Just as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, so passion penetrates an undeveloped mind.

14. Just as rain does not break through a well-thatched house, so passion never penetrates a well-developed mind.

15. The evil-doer grieves here and hereafter; he grieves in both the worlds. He laments and is afflicted, recollecting his own impure deeds.

16. The doer of good rejoices here and hereafter; he rejoices in both the worlds. He rejoices and exults, recollecting his own pure deeds.

17. The evil-doer suffers here and hereafter; he suffers in both the worlds. The thought, "Evil have I done," torments him, and he suffers even more when gone to realms of woe.

18. The doer of good delights here and hereafter; he delights in both the worlds. The thought, "Good have I done," delights him, and he delights even more when gone to realms of bliss.

19. Much though he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that heedless man is like a cowherd who only counts the cows of others — he does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.

20. Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world — he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.

21. Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless. Heedlessness is the path to death. The heedful die not. The heedless are as if dead already. [3]

22. Clearly understanding this excellence of heedfulness, the wise exult therein and enjoy the resort of the Noble Ones. [4]

23. The wise ones, ever meditative and steadfastly persevering, alone experience Nibbana, the incomparable freedom from bondage.

24. Ever grows the glory of him who is energetic, mindful and pure in conduct, discerning and self-controlled, righteous and heedful.

25. By effort and heedfulness, discipline and self-mastery, let the wise one make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm.

26. The foolish and ignorant indulge in heedlessness, but the wise one keeps his heedfulness as his best treasure.

27. Do not give way to heedlessness. Do not indulge in sensual pleasures. Only the heedful and meditative attain great happiness.

28. Just as one upon the summit of a mountain beholds the groundlings, even so when the wise man casts away heedlessness by heedfulness and ascends the high tower of wisdom, this sorrowless sage beholds the sorrowing and foolish multitude.

29. Heedful among the heedless, wide-awake among the sleepy, the wise man advances like a swift horse leaving behind a weak jade.

30. By Heedfulness did Indra become the overlord of the gods. Heedfulness is ever praised, and heedlessness ever despised. [5]

31. The monk who delights in heedfulness and looks with fear at heedlessness advances like fire, burning all fetters, small and large.

32. The monk who delights in heedfulness and looks with fear at heedlessness will not fall. He is close to Nibbana.

Buddhists are alright. They have a decent track record of removing kebab.

Hi

Reincarnation means every time you try to be a better person you inevitably fail because not only do you not have the right mindset to succeed, you have probably never had it to begin with and thus don't really know how to get there. (Example: think about why most people who go on diets fail, same idea)

Ending the cycle of samsara is being able to reach the mental state that allows you to become a better person and realize the dharma.


No literal souls or magic required.

user are you a foreigner pretending to be a nepali desu?

I am a foreigner who is currently in Nepal, not really pretending to be anything though. You?

Pure Nepali from Nepal desu

Kathmandu? I live in Boudha. What brings you to pol? there are basically no muslim immigrants in Nepal and the values are pretty traditional as is.

33. Just as a fletcher straightens an arrow shaft, even so the discerning man straightens his mind — so fickle and unsteady, so difficult to guard.

34. As a fish when pulled out of water and cast on land throbs and quivers, even so is this mind agitated. Hence should one abandon the realm of Mara.

35. Wonderful, indeed, it is to subdue the mind, so difficult to subdue, ever swift, and seizing whatever it desires. A tamed mind brings happiness.

36. Let the discerning man guard the mind, so difficult to detect and extremely subtle, seizing whatever it desires. A guarded mind brings happiness.

37. Dwelling in the cave (of the heart), the mind, without form, wanders far and alone. Those who subdue this mind are liberated from the bonds of Mara.

38. Wisdom never becomes perfect in one whose mind is not steadfast, who knows not the Good Teaching and whose faith wavers.

39. There is no fear for an awakened one, whose mind is not sodden (by lust) nor afflicted (by hate), and who has gone beyond both merit and demerit. [6]

40. Realizing that this body is as fragile as a clay pot, and fortifying this mind like a well-fortified city, fight out Mara with the sword of wisdom. Then, guarding the conquest, remain unattached.

41. Ere long, alas! this body will lie upon the earth, unheeded and lifeless, like a useless log.

42. Whatever harm an enemy may do to an enemy, or a hater to a hater, an ill-directed mind inflicts on oneself a greater harm.

43. Neither mother, father, nor any other relative can do one greater good than one's own well-directed mind.

Na I'm from Dulegaunda.Pretty comfy and developed place desu.Also there are lots of muslims here.Funny thing there is a hindu temple near mosque basically 2 or 3 steps away from each other.

i don't really understand where you are going with your second paragraph; it sounds like yet another detour into interdisciplinary philosophy. Is this some idea you've come up with yourself?

Now, obviously reincarnation is not random; accruing good karma and avoiding bad karma is taught as essential for avoiding needless future suffering, and this process happens naturally as one follows the path to enlightenment. However, the Buddha taught that ALL rebirths lead to more suffering; whether you are born as a ghost in one of the hell realms, subject to myriad physical torments, or as a deva in one of the heavens, where you will be grow lazy and self-entitled. All paths are obstacles to attaining the deathless.

As for bardo, I've never heard of it until now. But why would you want to add another arbitrary rule to the already complicated game of life we play? There is so much we must take on faith until we have reached the high levels of practice necessary to directly experience the supramundane facets of which the Buddha teaches, from past lives to karmic rebirth to the jhana. Why play with further fancies for what may lie beyond the pale?

I'm Christian but I love Buddhists. Interfaith dialogue here is amazing.

>Dulegaunda
What are the Muslims doing there? Were they around for long? I looked at some pictures it does look comfy. What do you do there? Are you a genuine nepali weaboo NEET? I though that those dont exist.

>I am a foreigner who is currently in Nepal
Do you have a qtp2t 3.14 Sherpa gf?

Lol Nepal pretty much have been leaning south east or especially China in these past decade.Literally everything from kpop to anime first lands on Nepal and it goes in other places of south asia.

explain to me how doing this as a westerner doesn't make you a LARPing faggot. just pick a form of Christianity you like the best and be done with it. sick of you cultural cucks

I think you (understandably) have an overly-Vedic interpretation of Karma and absolutely encourage you to look more into the doctrines of Buddhist Karma.

I don't blame you at all for thinking this way, it's one of the first big misinformation hurdles people have to get past to really get a grasp on Buddhism of all sects. This is especially true for people learning in the West where essentially no well known figure expounds the actual idea of Karma.

Short story is that it's not the Good Boy Points of the cosmos but rather the consequences of your intentions and actions, both internal and external. It's fascinating stuff and makes sense.

No gf. But then they usually want you to marry so I am good honestly, I will stick with the tourist girls who wounder through.

Also I love Christians, totally bro tier.

I'm actually totally down to talk shop about Christian theology in a Buddhist context if you actually cared

Like... I know. I'm not a Jain or anything, I'm just trying to make my response concise by using a simplified description of karmic rebirth.

Most White People aren't descended from the Fertile Crescent.

You're essentially saying White People should go back to Greek or Norse Gods.

Because some people pick a religion based on them thinking that its true rather then birth. Also Buddhism is accepting of anyone so its not LARPing.

44. Who shall overcome this earth, this realm of Yama and this sphere of men and gods? Who shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom as an expert garland-maker would his floral design?
45. A striver-on-the path shall overcome this earth, this realm of Yama and this sphere of men and gods. The striver-on-the-path shall bring to perfection the well-taught path of wisdom, as an expert garland-maker would his floral design. [7]
46. Realizing that this body is like froth, penetrating its mirage-like nature, and plucking out Mara's flower-tipped arrows of sensuality, go beyond sight of the King of Death!
47. As a mighty flood sweeps away the sleeping village, so death carries away the person of distracted mind who only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).
48. The Destroyer brings under his sway the person of distracted mind who, insatiate in sense desires, only plucks the flowers (of pleasure).
49. As a bee gathers honey from the flower without injuring its color or fragrance, even so the sage goes on his alms-round in the village. [8]
50. Let none find fault with others; let none see the omissions and commissions of others. But let one see one's own acts, done and undone.
51. Like a beautiful flower full of color but without fragrance, even so, fruitless are the fair words of one who does not practice them.
52. Like a beautiful flower full of color and also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words of one who practices them.
53. As from a great heap of flowers many garlands can be made, even so should many good deeds be done by one born a mortal.
54. Not the sweet smell of flowers, not even the fragrance of sandal, tagara, or jasmine blows against the wind. But the fragrance of the virtuous blows against the wind. Truly the virtuous man pervades all directions with the fragrance of his virtue. [9]
55. Of all the fragrances — sandal, tagara, blue lotus and jasmine — the fragrance of virtue is the sweetest.

56. Faint is the fragrance of tagara and sandal, but excellent is the fragrance of the virtuous, wafting even amongst the gods.
57. Mara never finds the path of the truly virtuous, who abide in heedfulness and are freed by perfect knowledge.
58. Upon a heap of rubbish in the road-side ditch blooms a lotus, fragrant and pleasing.
59. Even so, on the rubbish heap of blinded mortals the disciple of the Supremely Enlightened One shines resplendent in wisdom.

60. Long is the night to the sleepless; long is the league to the weary. Long is worldly existence to fools who know not the Sublime Truth.

61. Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let him resolutely pursue a solitary course; there is no fellowship with the fool.

62. The fool worries, thinking, "I have sons, I have wealth." Indeed, when he himself is not his own, whence are sons, whence is wealth?

63. A fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least to that extent, but a fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed.

64. Though all his life a fool associates with a wise man, he no more comprehends the Truth than a spoon tastes the flavor of the soup.

65. Though only for a moment a discerning person associates with a wise man, quickly he comprehends the Truth, just as the tongue tastes the flavor of the soup.

66. Fools of little wit are enemies unto themselves as they move about doing evil deeds, the fruits of which are bitter.

67. Ill done is that action of doing which one repents later, and the fruit of which one, weeping, reaps with tears.

68. Well done is that action of doing which one repents not later, and the fruit of which one reaps with delight and happiness.

69. So long as an evil deed has not ripened, the fool thinks it as sweet as honey. But when the evil deed ripens, the fool comes to grief.

70. Month after month a fool may eat his food with the tip of a blade of grass, but he still is not worth a sixteenth part of the those who have comprehended the Truth.

71. Truly, an evil deed committed does not immediately bear fruit, like milk that does not turn sour all at once. But smoldering, it follows the fool like fire covered by ashes.

72. To his own ruin the fool gains knowledge, for it cleaves his head and destroys his innate goodness.

73. The fool seeks undeserved reputation, precedence among monks, authority over monasteries, and honor among householders.

74. "Let both laymen and monks think that it was done by me. In every work, great and small, let them follow me" — such is the ambition of the fool; thus his desire and pride increase.

75. One is the quest for worldly gain, and quite another is the path to Nibbana. Clearly understanding this, let not the monk, the disciple of the Buddha, be carried away by worldly acclaim, but develop detachment instead.

76. Should one find a man who points out faults and who reproves, let him follow such a wise and sagacious person as one would a guide to hidden treasure. It is always better, and never worse, to cultivate such an association.

77. Let him admonish, instruct and shield one from wrong; he, indeed, is dear to the good and detestable to the evil.

78. Do not associate with evil companions; do not seek the fellowship of the vile. Associate with the good friends; seek the fellowship of noble men.

79. He who drinks deep the Dhamma lives happily with a tranquil mind. The wise man ever delights in the Dhamma made known by the Noble One (the Buddha).

80. Irrigators regulate the rivers; fletchers straighten the arrow shaft; carpenters shape the wood; the wise control themselves.

81. Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.

82. On hearing the Teachings, the wise become perfectly purified, like a lake deep, clear and still.

83. The good renounce (attachment for) everything. The virtuous do not prattle with a yearning for pleasures. The wise show no elation or depression when touched by happiness or sorrow.

84. He is indeed virtuous, wise, and righteous who neither for his own sake nor for the sake of another (does any wrong), who does not crave for sons, wealth, or kingdom, and does not desire success by unjust means.

85. Few among men are those who cross to the farther shore. The rest, the bulk of men, only run up and down the hither bank.

86. But those who act according to the perfectly taught Dhamma will cross the realm of Death, so difficult to cross.

87-88. Abandoning the dark way, let the wise man cultivate the bright path. Having gone from home to homelessness, let him yearn for that delight in detachment, so difficult to enjoy. Giving up sensual pleasures, with no attachment, let the wise man cleanse himself of defilements of the mind.

89. Those whose minds have reached full excellence in the factors of enlightenment, who, having renounced acquisitiveness, rejoice in not clinging to things — rid of cankers, glowing with wisdom, they have attained Nibbana in this very life.

>Is this some idea you've come up with yourself?

I enjoy thinking for myself, although I realise that sadly, it's largely gone out of fashion in the current time.

90. The fever of passion exists not for him who has completed the journey, who is sorrowless and wholly set free, and has broken all ties.

91. The mindful ones exert themselves. They are not attached to any home; like swans that abandon the lake, they leave home after home behind.

92. Those who do not accumulate and are wise regarding food, whose object is the Void, the Unconditioned Freedom — their track cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air.

93. He whose cankers are destroyed and who is not attached to food, whose object is the Void, the Unconditioned Freedom — his path cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air.

94. Even the gods hold dear the wise one, whose senses are subdued like horses well trained by a charioteer, whose pride is destroyed and who is free from the cankers.

95. There is no more worldly existence for the wise one who, like the earth, resents nothing, who is firm as a high pillar and as pure as a deep pool free from mud.

96. Calm is his thought, calm his speech, and calm his deed, who, truly knowing, is wholly freed, perfectly tranquil and wise.

97. The man who is without blind faith, who knows the Uncreated, who has severed all links, destroyed all causes (for karma, good and evil), and thrown out all desires — he, truly, is the most excellent of men. [11]

98. Inspiring, indeed, is that place where Arahants dwell, be it a village, a forest, a vale, or a hill.

99. Inspiring are the forests in which worldlings find no pleasure. There the passionless will rejoice, for they seek no sensual pleasures.

100. Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.

101. Better than a thousand useless verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.

102. Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is the reciting of one verse of Dhamma, hearing which one attains peace.

103. Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself.

104-105. Self-conquest is far better than the conquest of others. Not even a god, an angel, Mara or Brahma can turn into defeat the victory of a person who is self-subdued and ever restrained in conduct. [12]

106. Though month after month for a hundred years one should offer sacrifices by the thousands, yet if only for a moment one should worship those of perfected minds that honor is indeed better than a century of sacrifice.

107. Though for a hundred years one should tend the sacrificial fire in the forest, yet if only for a moment one should worship those of perfected minds, that worship is indeed better than a century of sacrifice.

108. Whatever gifts and oblations one seeking merit might offer in this world for a whole year, all that is not worth one fourth of the merit gained by revering the Upright Ones, which is truly excellent.

109. To one ever eager to revere and serve the elders, these four blessing accrue: long life and beauty, happiness and power.

110. Better it is to live one day virtuous and meditative than to live a hundred years immoral and uncontrolled.

111. Better it is to live one day wise and meditative than to live a hundred years foolish and uncontrolled.

112. Better it is to live one day strenuous and resolute than to live a hundred years sluggish and dissipated.

113. Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things.

114. Better it is to live one day seeing the Deathless than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the Deathless.

115. Better it is to live one day seeing the Supreme Truth than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the Supreme Truth.