Pakiṇṇaka Kaṇḍa — Miscellany

138. Those who keep close to what is wrong

A person of virtue may seem to be a model for society, yet when he is close to women he readily loses his footing, easily doing as they wish, unable to withstand their coaxing — for a woman's wiles fill five hundred cartloads — even when what she asks him to do violates morality.

One who loves violence and likes to hunt animals thus has a heart empty of compassion and gentleness.

A drunkard lacks mindfulness and clear awareness, so his words cannot be trusted.

The greedy are selfish and grasping, and so feel no shame in any place whatsoever.

The lazy do not diligently study and seek knowledge, caring only for their ease — so how could they ever have any learning?

The bad-tempered, easily angered inevitably wreck whatever wealth they have until it is utterly ruined.

139. The six causes of the loss of wealth

A person may lose his wealth through being caught in the ways to ruin; through laziness that only spends but never strives; or through an outsize heart that pours out his substance wastefully without cause. Out of concern, the wise admonish all the sons and daughters of good families thus:

The one addicted to drink spends his money without a moment's thought, for once drunk his heart runs loose.

The one who loves roaming at night pours out his money in pursuit of fun and pleasure.

The one who loves frequenting shows pays the price of admission, and gives rewards besides to the performers who please him.

The one who is lazy at work likes to live and eat well, but does not like to earn any wealth to keep.

The one who loves gambling has an open hand: as soon as his luck turns up a little, he throws himself in and plays until he has nothing left.

The one who keeps wicked company is led along into ruinous ways, or borrows and then refuses to repay.

140. Guard your speech

Before doing any deed, before letting any word out, one should first ponder and consider well what kind of surroundings one is in, so that no trouble follows afterward.

By day, without first turning to look carefully around, do not blame, disparage, or gossip about anyone, for someone may be passing by and overhear those words, and then go about broadcasting them.

By night, in the dark, when you would say anything to anyone about a third party, be watchful, for anyone passing to and fro cannot be seen. The more secret the matter, the more careful you must be.

In short, whether by day or by night, gossiping about people and speaking of others in a ruinous way is never proper — for the windows have ears and the doors have eyes.

It is like the hunter who goes out to hunt in the great forest: he cannot know what fierce beast lies lurking to attack him, and so he moves stealthily and with care, turning to look all around before he stirs.

141. Five kinds of people who, though alive, are as good as dead

There are five kinds of people who live in hard straits:

1. The sorrow-stricken — they no longer have any mood to want or to enjoy anything; there is only a burning of heart, a fretful agitation, at a loss for what to do, irritable and tense.

2. The sick — they are weak in both body and mind, living listlessly as though half-dead, downcast and withered, aggrieved that no one gives them a glance.

3. The deluded — they lack mindfulness and clear awareness, easily startled and alarmed, taken in by others' words until they are stripped of everything, fearful and suspicious, not daring to do anything or to make a decision.

4. The one drowning in debt — anxious and restless, dreading being sued and hauled into court, having to hide from creditors, lying awake in misery.

5. The courtier in close attendance — trembling and apprehensive as to what the sovereign may command, forever wary, nervous, and afraid, until they cannot do a thing right.

142. Seeing danger in advance

"Prevention is better than cure" — this saying is still immortal. Knowing how to guard against problems and mistakes early on is always to the good, for once a slip has been made, it is hard to set right.

The wise, being well-informed, keep watching the state of nature, watching people, watching their livestock, or the changes in the natural world. When they see that a danger is coming, or see a danger approaching, they find a way to guard against it well in advance; and when they see there is no way to guard against it, they find a way to avoid it while the danger has not yet arrived.

But when a danger does arrive and there is no way to prevent or remedy it, or no time to slip away in flight, they do not panic or take fright, are not fearful or daunted. With steadiness, setting mindfulness firm, they calmly think out a way to solve it, a way to lighten the heavy load, and gradually clear it up little by little, never letting it be neglected and spread. When done in this way, even bad matters turn to good, and problems that are solved return to their normal state without much difficulty.

143. Seven kinds of people who fail to master the texts

However skilled the teacher may be at teaching, these seven kinds of people cannot succeed in mastering an art or science:

1. Niddāluka, the one always drowsy and yawning — who does not sleep anywhere else, yet the moment he enters the classroom he does nothing but sleep; the teacher may lecture until his voice is hoarse, and still he is unaware.

2. Pamatta, the one heedless about art and science, thinking, "What use is there in studying it?"

3. Sukhita, the one already happy and comfortable — who need not struggle, and so pays no attention to study.

4. Roga, the one with a chronic illness — forever falling sick, causing him to miss lessons again and again.

5. Alasa, the lazy one — never eager, not caring for the future, leaving things to happen as they may.

6. Mahiccha, the covetous and greedy one — always scheming how to get this and that, taking no interest in study.

7. Kammārāma, the one who loves to be busy and doing — unable to sit still, forever worrying about this and that.

144. All things follow one's kamma

Each person's wishes differ. Sometimes they are fulfilled, sometimes they are dashed. At times it seems that the one who wants a thing does not get it, while the one who does not want it gets it.

The poor need wealth, and struggle and strive with such hardship they are all but ready to drop; they scrimp and save and toil, and once they have earned a little there is some urgent, pressing matter they must spend it on. But the rich, whose wealth overflows the sky, do the least little thing and gain money by the handful; their trade turns a fine profit, and even sitting idle they collect interest.

The farmer watches and waits with all his heart for the rains to fall so he can plant — but the more he waits, the more they vanish, the rains falling instead over the midst of the sea, which is already brimming with water. On the high ground no rain falls, yet it falls in the low-lying places. What is wanted is not had; what is not wanted is had — all because of the kamma one has done before.

145. See a task through to the end

People in this world all struggle to work and earn a living: some work independently for themselves, some are employees, and some wish to show off their achievements. When they have finished carrying out their tasks and no one praises them or gives them any regard, they feel slighted and aggrieved — but this is not the mark of a true worker.

The wise teach us to set our minds to our work, to produce achievements that are plain to see, and to use fully the knowledge and ability we have learned and studied in carrying out our tasks — putting our heart into doing them as well as our very best skill allows. Any work that must be coordinated with other agencies, we should promptly contact and follow up, never letting it be neglected and left unfinished, for that would harm the work and harm the agency as a whole. If there is any flaw in the piece of work we are responsible for, we should promptly correct it and then set our minds to doing it anew, better than before. Do not set out beforehand thinking, "I will put my heart into this so that people will see, praise, honor, and respect me." When all one's tasks have come to a successful conclusion, that is success enough — whether or not anyone praises it.

146. What is light in the world

Whatever is light drifts and floats away easily, having no weight, impossible to hold in place.

Kapok, or cotton wool, is reckoned the lightest visible thing the eye can see.

The fickle, flighty, wavering person — unsteady of heart, not his own master, going along with whatever anyone says, not firm in reason, without any goal in life, never seeing anything through — is reckoned lighter than kapok.

One who receives no counsel and instruction from the knowing, from mother and father, from teachers, who does not recognize what is fitting to do and not to do, but makes only his own opinion supreme — is reckoned lighter still.

One who is heedless of the teaching of the Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, saying it has no cause and no reason, not believing in the principle of good and evil, and holding wrong views — is reckoned many times lighter than that.

147. What is heavy in the world

The wise would show that the teaching of the Buddha is heavier than anything in the world, and so they set forth the weightiest things in ascending order thus:

A parasol made of a single block of stone is reckoned very heavy already; the strength of one person alone cannot lift and set it up. It takes many strong men to raise it and set it in place, a thing to be marveled at.

The counsel of the deities as to good and evil omens carries more weight, and should be heeded.

The admonition of the elders of the family, which the sons and daughters must take greatly to heart and never neglect, since it can guard against dangers to come, is reckoned heavier still.

The teaching of the Buddha — to refrain from evil and unwholesome deeds, to cultivate merit and goodness, and to purify the mind from the defilements of craving — is reckoned to carry more weight than anything in the world, and so should be heeded most of all.

148. The right hand and the left hand are servants

In tending the body — whether drinking water, eating food, putting on clothes, bathing and cleaning oneself, scrubbing the body, or kneading it when sore and aching — one relies mainly on the right hand (though the left-handed use the left hand instead). So the teacher says the right hand is the servant of the body.

The little finger of the right hand bears a heavy burden of its own: whether one is digging wax from the ears, mucus from the nostrils, or matter from the eyes, one uses the little finger of the right hand in every case. So the teacher says the little finger of the right hand is the servant of the eyes, ears, and nose.

The left hand, meanwhile, is the servant of the feet: when the right hand is burdened, taking hold of everything, the time comes to put on footwear, and then a person uses the left hand. So the teacher says the left hand is the servant of the feet.

Most people in the world are just so; and if one were to tend the body using the hands otherwise than as described here, one might look awkward and clumsy, and find it none too convenient.

149. Chewing the betel leaf

The old folk of ancient times kept their teeth strong by chewing betel and areca. They held the belief that Kuvera, a deity of ugly form and face, is the guardian lord of the northern gate — and ancient people liked to plant betel to the north of the house — and so they understood that Kuvera dwelt guarding the middle of the betel leaf, that a hot-tempered, ill-natured yakkha dwelt guarding its stalk, and that Kālakiṇī, a demonic goddess, dwelt guarding the tip of the leaf. Every time one would chew the betel leaf, one first had to pluck off the stalk and the tip and fold the middle of the leaf, so as to destroy the power of those deities; only then would it be good and auspicious. If one did not do so, those deities would show their power, causing the mouth to blister, to sting and burn, or the teeth to fall out. Such was the belief of ancient folk.

150. Studying the sacred texts

A student who would ask to study each branch of the Vedic texts has many strict observances to keep while learning the arts and sciences: his garments must be of pure white, and he must offer sacrifice and worship the deity presiding over each branch of learning.

The slate or paper used to write the sacred texts, one is taught to believe, has Mahā-Brahmā dwelling within it. One who does not revere the slate as he writes upon it will be punished by forgetting the texts, unable to memorize what he recites; even once memorized, he forgets it. But for one who reveres the slate, [Mahā-Brahmā] grants that he finishes his study quickly, memorizes easily, and once memorized, never forgets.

As for the sacred Vedic texts, Viṣṇu — that is, Nārāyaṇa — dwells within them, watching over the texts to keep them from decay, and protecting the student of the texts from decline as well.

As for the student of the Tipiṭaka, when he knows both the meaning (attha) and the letter (byañjana) in full, that is reckoned the very best.

151. The ox is like father and mother

This verse of the Loka Nīti reflects the cultural belief of the ancient Indians, who held the ox to be the mount of the gods, an auspicious animal, an animal of merit — helping to till the fields, giving grain and water, giving life, giving freedom from disease and illness, and giving every kind of wealth and possession. One who longed for a child would worship the ox; one who longed for wealth would worship the ox. The ox was to be held to have merit equal to one's mother and father, and to be given respect, humble reverence, worship, and offerings. In whatever way one repays the debt to one's mother and father, one should do the same for the ox.

We in Thailand largely hold this belief, especially farmers who rely on the labor of oxen and buffalo; they feel that these animals have the greatest merit, and so they perform the bai-si khwan-calling rite for the oxen every year, before the planting season, so that the rains may fall in season and the crops be abundant, and they may live in comfort and plenty. This is what the ancients taught, so that people might remember what has merit — the meritorious person, and the meritorious animal — and so feel grateful and repay the debt.

152. Eating the flesh of the ox

Seeing that the ox has merit equal to one's mother and father, the people of the world thus honor the ox, granting it the privilege of walking in and out of every house. Wherever an ox walks in, one should give it food and water, welcoming it as though one's mother and father had come to visit.

Whoever loathes the ox and drives it from the house, whoever slaughters the ox and eats its flesh, is as one who loathes his mother and father, who drives his mother and father from the house, who slaughters and eats the flesh of his mother and father — and will be condemned, scorned, and despised by the people of the world.

When an ox dies of old age, one should not eat its flesh; one should bury it in the ground, float it away on the water, or leave it as an offering to the flocks of vultures and crows.

This is the belief of the Indians who hold to the Hindu or Brahmanical religion. Some of us Thais hold to it, and some do not. But one who has studied the words of the Buddha and understands the principles of truth will take the Triple Gem as his mainstay of faith.

153. Auspicious days to begin one's studies

Thursday is the best day, the teacher's day; one will meet with success in study.

Sunday is a fiery, fierce day, like the blazing sun, unfit to begin study.

Friday is a plain, weak day, which makes the learning fail to grow strong.

Wednesday is a dark day like Rāhu, which makes the learning be swallowed and lost.

Monday is a dim day, as if eclipsed by Rāhu, which makes one fail to master the arts and sciences.

Saturday and Tuesday are days of fierce, hot power; beginning study on them makes the learning turn "hot," and having learned even a little, one may put the knowledge to wrong use.

This is a belief handed down from the ancient masters, who gave importance to which day one begins each field of learning. But those who study to seek liberation from suffering in the round of rebirth do not hold to such auspicious days and hours, for aiming at the path, its fruit, and Nibbāna has greater substance.

154. Days forbidden for beginning one's studies

This verse of the Loka Nīti is observed by those who study charms; it has no substance according to the ways of Buddhists, yet on reflection one can see some good in it.

The 8th and the 15th of the waxing and waning moon are holy days — Uposatha days, days for hearing the Dhamma — better spent making merit, giving, keeping the precepts, hearing the Dhamma, and cultivating concentration, rather than straining seriously over study. The teacher considered that if study were paused, there would be a chance to do these other things far better; and so he used the device of forbidding study, saying to begin on the 8th of the waxing or waning moon is "killing the teacher."

The 14th of the waxing and waning moon is a shaving day, so let study be paused, that one may prepare offerings for making merit the next day. As for the 10th of the waxing and waning moon, it is not known what observance the ancients held that led them to forbid it.

155. Days forbidden for eating certain foods

The arts and sciences meant here are the various charms and incantations of the Vedic texts. Some charms serve to harm one's adversaries, some serve for gains and offerings, and some serve for rank and fame. This verse of the Loka Nīti therefore sets forth strict observances for those who study charms and incantations, holding the belief that if the observances are kept, the charm's potency will be preserved, and if they are not kept, the charms and incantations will decay.

As for the Buddha's own chants (paritta), there is nothing to avoid; one may eat anything, for the Buddha's chants are not for potency or for gains and offerings in the worldly way, but for disenchantment, the fading of passion, and non-attachment — for freedom from the defilements, for liberation, for the path, its fruit, and Nibbāna, which is the highest aspiration of Buddhists.

156. Self-sacrifice for the common good

In times when the land is at peace, cool and tranquil, and the people go about their lives with ease, the learned and the wise counselors do their duty as spiritual leaders, teaching people to refrain from evil, to cultivate goodness, and to sacrifice for the welfare of all — each showing kindness and support to the other and not oppressing or menacing one another.

In times when the land is in distress, meeting with disasters of every kind, or plagues, or invaded by enemies, and there is need for those who will sacrifice and volunteer to go out and fight, one may have to give up a single person for the good of the family; if it be graver still, one may have to give up a single family for the good of the village, give up a single village for the good of the district, give up a single district for the good of the county, give up a single county for the good of the province, give up a single province for the good of the country, give up a single country for the good of the land — and one should give up the whole land to uphold the true Dhamma.

157. A good leader and a bad leader

Those who have the makings of a leader, with wisdom and ability — such as the good man, the lion, and the elephant — when the land they dwell in falls into drought and barrenness, hard for making a living, will not stay waiting for great catastrophe to reach them. They lead their fellows to seek out a new homeland that is prosperous and abundant, more fit for settling and putting down roots.

But another sort, those who lack wisdom — such as the crow and the deer (a kind of antelope) — have no knowledge or understanding to remedy the hard and difficult situation that will arise in their homeland, but instead endure their lot, until at last a state of destitution sets in and their lives are lost.

This verse of the Loka Nīti is a reminder about living under a leader: if one has a good leader, wise and well-informed, the society and the nation will inevitably flourish; but if the leader is ineffective, the society and the nation will inevitably sink into ruin.

158. Where one should not dwell

A society with no place providing education inevitably leaves those who live in it lacking the chance to develop their learning of the various fields of knowledge, and lacking, too, the training and experience to apply in building a good life — in creating work and income; the quality of life in such a society is low. Moreover, a society that lacks loving unity and harmony, where each is selfish for himself, inevitably gives rise easily to quarrels and disputes. And to have no kinsfolk to give encouragement and lend a helping hand inevitably adds to one's hardship. Above all, if such a society lacks persons of virtue whom the people accept and revere, who can point out to them what is right and just, that society inevitably lacks peace, lacks tranquil ease, and lacks prosperity. If any society falls under the descriptions above, one should not consider going to live in such a society, for it gives rise to no benefit and no prosperity at all.

159. The wise use discernment

In doing anything whatever, one should consider, deliberate, and test it carefully and surely before deciding to act. Right and fitting action inevitably brings benefit and happiness; on the contrary, a decision made in error, without restraint of thought, inevitably gives rise to problems, with hardship and suffering to follow, and regret afterward. A person of wisdom and discernment uses his mindfulness, wisdom, and ability until he is confident that what he has chosen and tested is indeed good and gives rise to satisfying results — and only then does he set to work. So it is, for instance, in choosing an occupation or choosing a place to live: even if someone comes to urge him to change his work or his dwelling, claiming it to be better, he will not follow easily; he first uses his judgment thoroughly, and if he is still not confident, he will absolutely not follow.

160. Set aside shame on six occasions

Thais by nature are generally shy, not talkative, quiet, and humble with strangers — which is indeed a good and endearing thing. But in some situations it is of no benefit to oneself at all, and even causes the loss of benefits one ought to have gained. For example:

In trade, one must know how to negotiate and bargain; one cannot stay silent, for that puts one at a disadvantage.

In times of having no food and going hungry, one must speak up and ask for help; dawdling in shame, one starves to death.

In study and learning, if one does not yet understand and wishes for more information, one must ask one's teachers and those wiser than oneself. Being bashful and not daring to ask makes one fail to finish one's studies and have little knowledge, unable to take it up into a good occupation.

In diplomacy likewise, dithering and not daring to speak the essential points squarely will cause the nation to lose its benefits, for the other side will not know on what matter cooperation is wanted.

In the intimate pleasure of a man and a woman, one should let each other know one's wishes, so as to bring about happiness and satisfaction for both parties.

161. Women surpass men

In society generally, one may observe that women bear many responsibilities and duties in the family — caring for husband and children, kinsfolk, and doing their work — which makes women differ from men in many ways. For instance, in the matter of eating, they hunger readily and can eat several times a day, while men eat at set times and do not nibble constantly; women are larger in build than men, so it is no wonder they eat twice as much as men. In the matter of intellect, women are meticulous and careful; in important decisions they exercise four or five times the discernment of men. In the effort of seeking after each thing, a woman throws herself in fully to get what she wants, with great patience, even where great striving and perseverance are required. As for the five strands of sensual pleasure — form, sound, smell, taste, and touch — women are more delicate and refined, with deeper feeling and emotion, so it can be seen that women have eight times the desire of men.

162. Keeping company with the wise is like eating sugarcane

The good person is one of high virtue, full of loving-kindness, knowing how to sacrifice and share, giving help and support, advising what is good and beneficial and pointing out what is harmful to his companions. The worth of a good person is like sugarcane, sweet all the way through, whose value can be put to many uses — just so, a good person is of the greatest worth: wherever he is, he creates benefit there, and brings peace and contentment to all around him.

The wicked person, however, the longer one keeps his company, the more he leads one to steady decline — for the wicked cannot tell right from wrong, the sort who is sweet to your face and sour behind your back, who keeps company only in hope of gain, who fleeces you, has no sincerity, and brings harm besides; when he gets no benefit he deserts you, and in times of trouble he piles on more, giving no help.

Therefore one should keep company with the good, for the auspiciousness of one's life.

163. The elements of a prosperous nation

The prosperity of a nation inevitably comes from the well-being and happiness of the people of every group — especially in a nation whose people are largely farmers. When farming yields good results, they have money to spend with ease and comfort. In the business and trade sector, when they sell much merchandise, they all have money to pay taxes to the state; the state then has money to pay to its officials, who thus can live in comfort, and there is buying and selling circulating in the market. The state takes the people's tax money to build prosperity in the various localities — public utilities, expanding education, and more — and this happens to bring lasting material prosperity to religion as well: there is merit-making and support for monks and novices, and knowledge of religion can spread far and wide. The abundance and well-being of the nation's people inevitably gives rise to prosperity and peace all around.

164. Diligence is the remover of decline

Diligence and effort, and careful watchfulness in what ought to be done, inevitably give rise to good results; but idling in laziness inevitably gives rise to problems and decline.

The learning received in the classroom, if it is not taken up to recite and read outside of lesson time, may cause the knowledge to be forgotten, until in the end the knowledge may be lost altogether.

The house must be diligently wiped, scrubbed, swept, and cleaned always; a clean and orderly home makes for comfortable living, with good ventilation and no filth, dust, or breeding ground for disease.

The body too must be diligently bathed and cleaned always, that the complexion may be smooth and radiant.

And one who has duties and work should not be heedless and careless, letting slip what ought not to be lost.

165. The lazy and the diligent

The lazy person, who will not take on hard work and will not stand up to light work, however rich he may be, must one day lose everything he has. The diligent and hardworking person, though today he is not well off with money, still has the chance to grow rich in days to come.

The lazy person with much property, but spending lavishly and wastefully, not knowing how to husband his old wealth and seek new wealth to add, in the end must fall into misfortune and poverty; and not examining that it came from his own doing, he tends to blame the gods, the heavens and the earth, and old kamma for having stripped him bare. Had he been eager and industrious in his work, in seeking wealth, keeping wealth, and knowing how to spend wealth, he would surely be as rich as before. The diligent person, patient and undaunted by work heavy or light, not choosy about the task, wherever he goes has people who support him with high pay; knowing how to save wealth and be thrifty, he inevitably grows rich. For example, Chinese who came to live in Thailand with their possessions on their person, working at everything with diligence and endurance, in the end became owners of great businesses; while the idle grandee or the lazy rich man had to sell his possessions to others at a cheap price — just as the maxim says: the wealth of the lazy inevitably passes to the diligent.

166. The wise person at work

The wise person does not like to talk overmuch. When he does speak, he speaks words joined with benefit and support, or words that give food for thought and prick the mind; and he likes to set to work according to his knowledge and ability, with diligence and effort, not wasting time in talk. He tries to throw himself into getting the work done and finished, and once the work stands complete as a finished piece, he is at ease and satisfied with the result that has come out, holding that he has done his very best; he will not be shaken by others' judgments and criticism. He will also enlist the majority to marshal their knowledge and ability, to put their heads together and help solve problems; even if some parties are displeased, he is not shaken, still resolved to carry on the work, taking the good of all as his mainstay. If anyone lacks knowledge and ability, or gives no support, still one should not obstruct without reason; one should give the opportunity to the wise and the capable to spend their time contending with the problems. Better still, one should speak words of encouragement, so that they may have the strength to contend with the problems that await solving.

167. Virtue matters more than birth

People have many differing characteristics. The good person of virtue does not consider a person's various attributes, but sees people as being on an equal footing — not considering whether they come from a family of renown or of no renown, whether they are educated or knowledgeable, plain or ugly in form, of honor, of power, or not — giving them all alike the same regard.

But if any society lacks persons of virtue, it inevitably sees the groups of people mentioned as being of no worth at all, and gives importance instead to those who are rich, holding them to be of high standing and worth. If you would be a good person of virtue, do not choose people by class, caste, or station; give your regard, first and foremost, to the person of a beautiful heart.