Paṇḍita-kaṇḍa — The Section on the Wise

2. The Value of the Science of Nīti

This verse praises "the science of nīti" — right conduct together with custom and tradition — as being of equal worth to the four persons closest to us, namely:

• Mother — she who gives birth and nurtures

• Father — the protector and mainstay

• Teacher — the one who imparts knowledge

• Friend — the one who helps and supports

Nīti is like all four of these combined, for it guides one's life along the right path and keeps one from going astray. Whoever studies and lives by nīti becomes a person of broad wisdom (ñāṇī mahā) and of wide learning (bahussuta) — one who has heard and learned much and is respected by all people, whether man or woman.

3. The Chain of Decline

This verse is a "chain of causes and conditions" that shows how the decline and prosperity of life both begin from a single root — diligence versus laziness.

• Laziness → no learning of skill

• No skill → cannot find wealth

• No wealth → those around you drift away, leaving no friends

• No friends → distress of heart, no happiness

• No happiness → cannot make merit (because the mind is not bright and clear)

• No merit → cannot reach a happy rebirth or the excellent state of Nibbāna

Conversely, whoever is devoted, diligent, and persevering, and studies the arts and sciences, will have knowledge within, will be able to use it in a right livelihood, will seek wealth to support self and family, will have good friends coming and going, and will live in accordance with Dhamma. Such a person will have happiness both in this life and the next, and being one of merit, will be counted as having a life of true substance — the most excellent of all.

4. Inner Wealth Compared to Outer Wealth

This verse compares outer wealth (silver, gold, jewels, gems) with inner wealth (the knowledge fixed within the mind).

Outer wealth, however abundant, carries many dangers:

• It may waste away through extravagant spending

• It may be lost to the deceit of swindlers

• It may be seized by robbers or thieves

• When one dies, it cannot be carried along into the next world

Inner wealth, on the other hand — the seven kinds: faith (saddhā), moral conduct (sīla), moral shame (hiri), moral dread (ottappa), wide learning (bahusacca), generosity (cāga), and wisdom (paññā), together called the Noble Treasures (ariya-dhana) — is wealth fixed to the mind that no one can seize away. It is a true friend in this world and brings happiness in the next. And so the wise praise knowledge as more precious than any wealth.

5. Guarding the Knowledge One Has Gained

This verse teaches about accumulating knowledge little by little. Those who study the various arts and sciences often make the mistake of thinking they have already finished learning it all, and so make no further effort to gain knowledge.

The wise compare knowledge to two things:

1. The anthill (vammika) — termites carry earth grain by tiny grain until it becomes a great mound that becomes a dwelling place for creatures.

2. The drop of water (udaka-bindu) — water that drips drop by drop gradually fills a large vessel, or fills a pool, a pond, and even the great ocean.

So it is with knowledge. Whether it comes from books, from the learned, or from those with experience, one can always gather it bit by bit, never disdaining it as too little; and one must store it in the mind (citte sutaṃ nidhāpaye — keep what is heard within the mind), that is, review and memorize it thoroughly so that it is not forgotten. As time passes, knowledge that seemed trifling will accumulate until it becomes great wisdom.

6. The Value of Skill — Small but Genuine

This verse continues from verse 5, teaching that one should not look down upon knowledge or skill as "trifling" or "unimportant." Some people today misunderstand and think one must study many branches and earn many degrees before one can make a living, and so they seek out schools that teach the various branches of knowledge; some who have earned several degrees still feel that they are lacking in knowledge.

In truth, even if one knows but a single field, so long as one has:

• pariyodātaṃ = it is pure and bright, that is, one knows it clearly, distinctly, and deeply

• and one uses that skill with honesty and diligence,

then a single field is enough to earn a living and comfortably provide for a family. One who has graduated from a single institution, or who has not studied within the formal system but has learned from the sources of nature, from local wisdom, and from one's own experience, can likewise use that knowledge to support oneself and one's family. One need only truly master it, and one will never be in want.

7. Precious Things Are Rare and Scattered

This verse speaks of four precious things that are rare and scattered here and there throughout the world.

1. Māṇika (the gem) — there are many mountain ranges in the world, but gems are found only on certain mountains; elsewhere they do not occur.

2. Muttika (the pearl) — the ancient texts say that in certain great elephants a pearl forms at the temple (called "muttā-gaja-vaccha"). Elephants are many, but elephants bearing a pearl are few.

3. Candana (fragrant sandalwood) — the forests of the world are many, but forests that are the source of truly fragrant sandalwood are limited.

4. Paṇḍita (the wise man) — in the same way, the villages of the world are beyond counting, but a wise person who truly understands and conducts himself well is rare; not every village has one.

This verse teaches us to understand that "the wise person" is more precious than gems, pearls, or fragrant sandalwood, for he is the rarest resource of all. When one finds a wise person anywhere, one should draw near to associate with and learn from him, and honor him as befits his worth.

8. Associating with the Wise

This verse teaches how to seek knowledge from the wise: one must not sit and wait for the wise to come, but the seeker of knowledge must be the one who invests the effort to travel to him, with "mahussāha" — great striving and perseverance — undaunted by distance, hardship, or any obstacle.

The learned or wise person here refers to one who possesses three qualities:

1. Sukata-kamma-kārī — one who habitually does only good deeds

2. Subhāsita-bhāsī — one who habitually speaks only good words

3. Sucintita-cintī — one who habitually thinks only good thoughts

Besides these there are many further supporting qualities, such as shame at what should be ashamed of, courage in what calls for courage, composure, and so on. The reason he has come to possess all these qualities is that he met the wise, listened to the counsel of the wise, and studied, inquired, and practiced according to the teaching and guidance of the wise. When we learn where such a one dwells, whether near or far, we must strive to seek him out, to converse with him, to listen attentively to his counsel, and then to put it to the test in practice — however wearisome it may be — until we too come to possess his qualities, namely, doing good, speaking well, and thinking well.

9. Five Things to Do Gradually

This verse teaches five things that must be done gradually (sine sine — little by little). People today like to do everything in haste: they use crash methods, take shortcuts, and rush to finish a course just to obtain a degree; they seek wealth by whatever method gives the quickest result, heedless of whether it is honest or dishonest; they climb mountains using vehicles to speed the ascent, and so pass by the details of nature that would give benefit; they indulge in sensual pleasure hurriedly, without refinement or delicacy; and when angry, they do not restrain themselves but, losing mindfulness, do things that end in the loss of both life and property.

The wise, by contrast, do things slowly, step by step:

• Learning an art — going in proper order, gathering every detail in full, overlooking not even the smallest fragment of knowledge

• Seeking wealth — investing without hoping for great profit, but for reasonable stability

• Climbing a mountain — ascending step by step by one's own strength and ability

• Sensual pleasure — using nature to relieve fatigue, and practicing Dhamma to remove lust

• Anger — cultivating loving-kindness to quell anger

Everything done "gradually" is more enduring and yields a firmer result than what is "rushed."

10. The Eighteen Arts and Sciences (First Part)

Verses 10 and 11 in the original are a "list of the eighteen arts and sciences" (sippa-aṭṭhārasa) that students in ancient times had to study. This verse enumerates the first ten branches, as follows:

1. Suti — the three Vedas (Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma), the chief scriptures of the brahmins

2. Sammuti — the Vedic sciences that constitute general knowledge, including prosody, grammar, etymology (nirutti), astrology, ritual (kappa), the analysis of gender, and other manuals of the Vedas

3. Saṅkhyā — knowledge concerning the arising, persisting, and ceasing of the world, that is, mokkha or Nibbāna

4. Yoga — the practice concerning the spirit (viññāṇa), aiming at reaching complete cessation, that is, Nibbāna

5. Nīti — knowledge of the principles of morality, ethics, and law

6. Visesaka — knowledge concerning reasoning by appeal to merit and demerit as its factors

7. Gandhabba — the science of the performing arts (dance and music)

8. Gaṇikā — the science of calculation

9. Dhanuppeda (Dhanurveda) — the science of archery

10. Pūraṇa — the science of antiquity, concerning the ancient chronicles

(Branches 11–18 will be given in verse 11.)

11. The Eighteen Arts and Sciences (Second Part)

This verse continues from verse 10, enumerating the remaining eight of the eighteen arts and sciences, as follows:

1. Tikicchā — the science of medicine, concerning the treatment and care of the sick

2. Itihāsa — history or legend

3. Ketu — knowing omens, good or ill, from clouds, mist, and smoke, which pertains to the ritual manuals of the art of war

4. Manta — knowing charms, spells, numerology, and yantras

5. Sadda — knowing the cries of animals that foretell good or ill, or knowing the treatise on phonetics (saddāvisesa; linguistics)

6. Joti — the science of astronomy, prognostication according to the movements of the stars, their gravitational pull, and the seasons, days, months, and years

7. Māyā — the science of stratagems for overcoming the enemy, such as the manuals of the art of war

8. Chanda — the science of prosody (bound together with sadda, that is, linguistics), knowing the rules of long and short syllables, and the forms of khlong, chan, kap, klon, and so on

All these eighteen branches together are called the eighteen arts, the standard body of knowledge that one who would be a wise person or a good householder in ancient times ought to study.

12. The Wise and the Fool When Questioned

This verse compares the wise with the fool in matters of speech.

• The wise are like "a great drum" — calm and quiet in themselves. If no one strikes it, if no one comes to ask, it does not sound; the wise do not flaunt their knowledge. This is the quality of "moneyya-guṇa," the quality of stillness, of not speaking to excess. When asked about a matter, only then does he answer, and he answers with good words — pleasant, true, pointing out fault and virtue, and recommending benefits that can actually be put into practice; and if he cannot speak in such a way, he remains silent — like the sound of thunder that is a sign heralding the coming of moisture to nourish crops and grain.

• The fool is the opposite: he loves to chatter all the time, whether or not anyone listens, whether or not he is asked; he talks much, and the quality of his speech tends to be hollow, useless, and self-demeaning.

This section teaches that "the quantity of speech" runs opposite to "the quality of speech" — the one who knows speaks little but to the point; the one who does not know speaks much but says nothing of substance.

13. Knowledge and Wealth That Cannot Be Used

This verse teaches about "knowledge kept within oneself" and "wealth kept within one's reach," as follows:

• Knowledge in the bone is better than knowledge on paper — one who has finished studying various sciences but does not put them to use, does not review them, and lets them fade like a book that is read and then set aside, will find, when a problem arises, that the knowledge cannot be recalled and cannot be used — no different from one who never studied at all.

• Wealth in another's hands is likewise: if you deposit your wealth with another, or lend it out, then when the time of need comes you cannot use it at once, for the borrower has a greater need of his own, has terms by which he may ask for postponement, or may evade repaying on the due date.

This section is therefore a warning from the wise that both knowledge and wealth must be within oneself (in the mind, and in one's hand) in order to be a refuge in time of need — not outside oneself. Knowledge that is not trained and reviewed is like wealth lent out to another — only the name remains, but it cannot actually be used.

14. Four Things That Reveal the Measure of Four Others

The wise link nature with humankind by four comparisons:

1. The lotus stalk → the water level — the depth or shallowness of a pool is told by pulling up the lotus stalk in it and observing, for the lotus stalk grows up only just enough to clear the surface to receive the sunlight.

2. Manners → the family — in the same way, whether the manners of a family's sons and daughters are graceful or not reveals whether the elders of the family have trained and taught their children and grandchildren well or ill.

3. Speech → wisdom — speech that has substance or lacks it, that is timely or untimely, that is fitting to the person or not, reveals whether that person has great wisdom or little.

4. Withered grass → the soil — a plot of ground where the grass withers more than elsewhere is ground whose minerals and water are not abundant, and is not suited for cultivating grain.

The key principle of this verse is "observe the outward and discern the inward" — small phenomena visible on the outside can reflect a profound truth within. The wise must therefore always observe and draw the connections.

15. Those Who Know Little Often Think They Know Much

This verse compares the poorly-educated person who is conceited with a frog in a small well that has never seen the water of the sea or the ocean, and so thinks the water in its little well is deep, deep, deep.

Education in this sense is of two kinds:

1. Worldly education — to bring knowledge and ability to bear on an honest livelihood, to learn the manners of society, and to learn the practices of household life

2. Spiritual education — to learn how to train body, speech, and mind so as to be freed from the unwholesome and to cultivate merit and virtue; for example, training oneself to strive where others have given up striving, to endure what others cannot endure, to keep the mind steady while others' minds waver, and to grasp easily what is hard, and so on

A person of little education boasts that he knows much, like the frog in the well imagining "deep, deep, deep," fancying himself clever though he has never seen the wide world. The one who truly knows, by contrast, is aware that there is still much he does not know, and so remains humble and continues striving to learn more.

16. Planning Life in Four Stages

The wise plan a person's life from beginning to end. Taking the human lifespan at roughly 80 years and dividing it into four stages gives 20 years to each stage.

1. The first stage (ages 1–20) — one should study and put much knowledge into oneself; do not give up.

2. The second stage (ages 21–40) — one should pursue a right livelihood in full measure, and save for use in time of need.

3. The third stage (ages 41–60) — one should perform meritorious deeds and seek the way of liberation (mokkha-dhamma), the path to freedom from suffering in the round of rebirth.

4. The fourth stage (ages 61–80) — if one has let the three previous stages pass in vain, then upon reaching this stage the body has withered and lost its strength, and the faculties of wisdom have declined; the time remaining at the close of life is but little, and struggling now to study, to gain wealth, or to practice Dhamma will surely be too late. One should therefore take great heed and manage oneself in a way befitting one's stage of life, so as to gain the greatest benefit.

This is the wisdom of planning life in four stages handed down by our forebears. It states clearly what one should chiefly do in each period of life; and if one passes through any stage without doing what is fitting, the succeeding stages will be difficult.

17. The Diligent Child and the Lazy Child

This is a passage spoken from the heart of the wise, in the manner of an elder teaching a child, telling of the fruits of two choices.

• The diligent child (byatta-putta) — diligent in learning, possessed of skill → he receives praise, need not bear burdens or use his physical strength, works by intelligence, has honor, rank, and reputation, has a following, and is esteemed by the people of the world.

• The lazy child (alaso) — he does not seek knowledge → he must use his bodily strength to bear burdens as a hired laborer, earning his living by taking on heavy work for hire, gaining but a little wealth, barely getting by from day to day; and when he enters any social circle, he cannot bear himself with dignity but is looked down upon and despised.

The lesson of this verse is "study today, to reap tomorrow." Study diligently every day; do not wait until the time of need to begin learning.

18. Parents Who Do Not Foster Their Children's Education = Enemies of Their Children

This verse warns parents who do not see the importance of their children's education. Some mothers and fathers regard studying as a waste of time better spent earning a living; such a mother and father are counted as enemies of their children, obstructing their advancement. Their children thus turn out lacking in quality; when they enter the society of the knowledgeable, they do not stand out, have no role, and have no chance to become leaders — and even if they are honored with leadership, they cannot lead as they ought, or lead others into ruin, and are shunned and despised, like a heron mingling amid a flock of swans, which the swans reject and finally drive far from the flock.

Parents who are wise, on the other hand, foster their children's education, doing everything to give their children the chance to study — even if they must work hard or sell property essential to their livelihood. That is the true love of a parent.

19. Qualities That Arise of Their Own Nature

This verse teaches the principle of "that which arises of its own nature" (sāmaṃ bhāvo = svabhāva, natural condition), giving four examples that need no one to adorn or embellish them.

1. The sharp mountain peak — the rocky crag rising to a high, sheer point has no one to sharpen it; it is sharp of itself.

2. The dark eyes of the deer — the eyes of the deer are jet-black by nature; no one need paint them with collyrium.

3. The fragrance of the lotus — the lotus, though born in the mud, is fragrant by nature; there is no need to perfume it.

4. The bearing of the well-born youth — one born into a good family and given proper training has graceful manners of himself — respectful and humble toward elders, kindly and warm toward friends, generous and helpful toward those less fortunate — all naturally.

The principle of this verse is that "true worth" needs no fabrication or outward adornment, but flourishes from within by the very nature of the person.

20. A Person Without Knowledge = Betel Without Lime, Curry Without Salt, the Poor Man's Ornament

This verse compares the discourse of one without knowledge with three things that lack an essential element.

1. Betel that lacks lime has no flavor — in ancient custom, chewing betel required first smearing on lime, whereupon the flavor and the red color would arise; without first smearing on lime, no flavor arose.

2. The ornament of the poor man — it cannot be compared with the ornament of the rich, and becomes instead a thing pitiful to look upon.

3. All food and curry that lacks the taste of salt — or is counted as lacking flavor — is not pleasing to the palate.

All of these are comparisons meant to show the distinctive quality of the knowledgeable person against the person without knowledge.

• When the knowledgeable person speaks, his voice conceals no cunning or guile; it is pleasant and easy to the ear, reasoned, profound, cool and composed, substantial, and credible — persuading the mind to follow, and making the hot-tempered heart bright, bold, and brave.

• The person without knowledge, on the contrary, speaks the opposite: with cunning and guile, coarse, unpleasant to the ear, grating — such that one has no wish whatsoever to put it into practice.

Thus "knowledge" is like "the lime for the betel, the salt for the curry, the wealth for the ornament" — the indispensable element that gives worth to a person's words and deeds.

21. The Order in Which Wisdom Arises

This verse shows the order in which the wisdom that leads to happiness in life arises. Wisdom can arise through three causes:

1. Suta-maya-paññā — wisdom that arises from attentive listening, earnest study, and seeking out the learned in order to study the arts and sciences

2. Cintā-maya-paññā — wisdom that arises from thinking and reflecting, reasoning things out, and considering thoroughly

3. Bhāvanā-maya-paññā — wisdom that arises from diligently cultivating mindfulness, concentration, and insight to the highest degree, until the knowledge arises that suffering is to be fully understood, its cause is to be abandoned, its cessation is to be realized, and the path to its cessation is to be developed

Here the verse refers to the first kind of wisdom, since it arises from studying the arts and sciences. When one has good wisdom, one comes to know what is wrong and to be avoided, and what is right and to be practiced; and so this wisdom brings happiness both by day and by night.

22. Knowledge Is What Distinguishes Humans from Animals

This verse speaks of three activities in which all living beings partake, namely:

1. Eating — that the body may grow and flourish, may have strength to fight off enemies, and may endure cold and heat

2. Reproduction — to propagate the species and to hold sway over the territory of one's dwelling place

3. Sleeping — to rest and restore strength for the struggle to survive in the days to come

All three of these are present both in animals such as the ox and in humans who have no knowledge and no wisdom.

But what makes the human being different from other animals is that one seeks knowledge, has the wisdom to know good from evil, to know what is timely and fitting, to know others and oneself, to know one's own measure, to recognize the kindness of others, to know demerit and merit, to know benefit and harm, and to know virtue. Therefore knowledge is what constitutes true "humanity."

23. Four Pairs of Matchless Things That Are Hard to Find

This verse speaks of four things that are "hard to find any equal to":

1. No friend equal to knowledge — friends are of two kinds: outer friends and inner friends. An outer friend, if a good friend, helps and supports us, shares our joys and sorrows, brings us benefit, and is kindly; yet however much he may aid us, he cannot follow us at every single step. The inner friend, on the other hand, is the knowledge and ability we possess, which stays with us always and follows us everywhere; it is therefore many times more valuable than any outer friend.

2. No foe equal to disease — the outer foe is the enemy in battle, who, though he may bring ruin to life and property, does so only now and then. But sickness and disease lurking throughout every part of the body can bring ruin every single day. Both of these kinds of foe bring ruin in this life only; but the foe that is the defilements (kilesa) brings ruin in both this life and the next.

3. No love equal to self-love — oneself is dearest of all; and so the wise train themselves to be of the greatest possible benefit.

4. No power equal to kamma — other forces can raise up a shield of defense, but against the force of kamma no shield whatsoever can defend; one should therefore do only good kamma.

24. The Wise Amid Fools = a Swan Amid Crows

When compared:

• The swan is a creature that loves cleanliness and beauty and looks graceful wherever it is; the crow is a dirty, thieving creature that looks the part.

• The lion is the king of the forest, possessed of power; the ox is a creature caught and put to hard labor.

• The horse is a clever, nimble creature; the donkey is a beast of burden branded as stupid.

• The wise person has wisdom, makes himself of benefit, and builds up society; the fool is stupid and dull-witted, loving to destroy and to cause trouble.

The wise therefore say: the swan should not go and mingle amid a flock of crows; the lion should not go and graze amid a herd of oxen; the horse should not bear heavy burdens alongside donkeys; and the wise person should not go and consort with fools, losing his grace.

25. A Fool Beside the Wise All His Life Still Does Not Know the Dhamma

By nature the wise and the foolish cannot get along, like white and black, water and fire, light and dark. That being so, even if the fool were compelled to go to the wise, to dwell in the wise man's household, to eat and sleep together with him, and to receive his counsel and teaching every single day, he still could not grasp the substance and essence of the Dhamma the wise man imparts, because their dispositions are opposed. Living together, there would be only irritation and vexation, weariness of the counsel and teaching, until he could bear it no longer. Even mingling with the wise like this all his life, the fool cannot come to taste the flavor of the Dhamma the wise man teaches.

It is like a ladle which, though used to serve curry every day, does not know the sour, sweet, rich, or salty taste of that curry, because the ladle has no conscious element by which to perceive the various tastes — as pouring water on a tree stump will never make it sprout, or playing the flute for a buffalo, which cannot tell whether it is melodious or not.

26. The Clever Person Beside the Wise Even a Moment Comes to Know the Dhamma

The opposite of verse 25: the clever person, apt to observe and quick to learn, has the fruits of wholesome kamma inclining him toward the growth and stability in Dhamma of all the wise. When he hears that a wise man is dwelling somewhere, he hastens to that place; and having gone, he draws near, converses, and inquires about his doubts. When the wise man gives counsel and teaching, he inclines his ear and listens attentively, records and remembers it, uses his wisdom to gaze upon and reflect on the reasons, and diligently reviews and recites it; and when he sees it to be true, he inclines to put it into practice. Such a person, though he be near the wise but a moment, comes to know the substance and essence of the wise man's Dhamma deeply — even if the wise man teaches only the topic, he understands the whole meaning throughout, able to distinguish the mundane (lokiya), the supramundane (lokuttara), and the merely conventional (paññatti), and to understand the principle of the letter that serves as the vehicle leading to the stream of true reality (sabhāva-dhamma). If he keeps accumulating such practice again and again, he will be liberated from the defilements and attain the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna.

It is like the tongue, which knows the sour, sweet, rich, and salty taste of the curry.

27. Three Persons Who Must Always Carry a "Tool" with Them

This verse advises three persons to prepare a "tool" before their important undertaking.

1. The warrior → the weapon — the brave man must have a weapon on his person and be skilled in the use of the various arms, whether for cutting, thrusting, hurling, throwing, or shooting; only then, entering the field of battle, can he strike fear into the enemy. Without a weapon he inspires no dread in the enemy, and will be defeated in the end.

2. The wise man → the reference text — one who is versed and skilled in the various arts and sciences, when expounding Dhamma connected with the content of any text, will cite the evidence from that text to give his words greater authority; otherwise his words carry no weight, and his listeners lose confidence.

3. The merchant / traveler → the traveling companion — a traveler or trading merchant who journeys to attend to business or to trade in a foreign land ought to have a companion for the road, for he may be harassed by non-human beings or robbed by thieves.

28. What the Wise Should Not Reveal

By nature the wise are esteemed and praised by people generally. Everyone's attitude toward the wise is the image of them as good in every way, without any problem; and in truth it is so — the wise man himself has nothing amiss. But his relatives, friends, and followers may bring some disgrace upon him. Therefore, when his wealth is lost, his financial standing fallen, his affairs failed, his property confiscated by the king, when there is hardship, anguish of heart, disgrace within the family — a wife taking a lover, children hard to admonish and hard to teach — or when he is deceived and swindled, cheated, robbed, or scorned and humiliated by fools of wrong view —

the wise man should not reveal these inner disgraces to others, for there is no benefit in it, and it may harm the faith, respect, and confidence that others have in him, even though the disgrace was caused by another's doing.

29. Knowing Three Things = a Wise Person

In this verse of the Loka Nīti, the sage sets out three further characteristics of the wise, in addition to those given in other verses, namely:

1. Pattānurūpa-vākya — knowing how to speak and converse: uttering words of respect, humility, and modesty; words pleasant to the ear; words with reason; words pointing out fault; words recommending benefit; knowing how to use skillful means to teach others by tradition (tanti-pavenī) of true substance; and speaking well-spoken words (subhāsita) as befits the wise

2. Sabhāvarūpa-piya — knowing how to give love, kindness, help, care, and goodwill to loved ones, relatives, friends, and followers; giving fitting help to those fallen into hardship; rejoicing with those who meet success; and making oneself of benefit to the common good as is fitting

3. Attānurūpa-kodha — knowing how to restrain oneself and not be quick to anger, how to forgive, how to relax without repression, not harboring grudges or vengeance, and bearing oneself as befits the wise

30. Three Persons Who Are Like Madmen

The following three kinds of person, the sage says, though not mad, appear like madmen, because they do not know their own measure with respect to wealth, strength, and wisdom.

1. The man without wealth who loves to eat costly food — seeing wealthy people buying fine, expensive goods to use and consume, he wants to buy the same; and having no wealth, he borrows from others to buy. Though he may seem to have some standing, in truth he is still poor, and moreover has burdened himself with debt, so that in the end he has far greater hardship than before.

2. The man of little strength who loves to oppress and bully others — he seizes the chance to take advantage out of greed, loves to act arbitrarily, has consideration for no one, and loves to be aggressive and to encroach upon others.

3. The stupid, dull-witted man who nonetheless boasts — he loves to offer, to advise, and to make himself appear clever, as though he had knowledge and wisdom; he loves to volunteer, but then cannot do it, and habitually does stupid things for others to see.

One who knows his own measure will not do things beyond his strength, beyond his wealth, or beyond his wisdom. That is the true characteristic of the wise.

31. The Three Marks of a Base Person

This verse points out three "marks of a base person" (hīna-lakkhaṇa), namely one who does not know how to be modest and to keep his place.

1. Loving to meddle in what is none of his business — behaving beyond his station and duty, going in where he was not invited, acting as though on familiar terms in that circle, loving to take charge and order this and that, loving to help himself to this and that as if by right — a thing to be shunned.

2. Loving to talk much in every place and every company — not guarding his mouth, speaking unbefitting his station, not knowing which words should be spoken and which should not; without being asked, he chatters on and cannot stop, talking of everything without caring whether others wish to hear, a chatterbox slandering this one and that, praising those who should not be praised and censuring those who should not be censured, until he becomes a nuisance to everyone.

3. Loving to describe his own virtues, boasting to all — for example, boasting that this one and that one prospered only because of him, that this one and that one fell only because they did not heed his warning, and loving to claim others' work as his own.

These three marks are those of "a base person" — one lacking inner grace.

32. The Talkative Person Is Like a Half-Empty Water Pot

Living beings, both humans and animals, share the same four instincts: seeking food to eat in order to preserve life, resting in sleep to restore strength, reproducing to preserve the species, and fleeing from calamity for the sake of safety.

In fleeing from threats, each kind of animal has evolved differently. Some may flee by speed; some may flee by strength; some may use the ruse of camouflaging themselves and mingling among other animals so as not to be threatened — but they cannot hide their own manner, and are caught in the end.

In the same way:

• The ugly person / the imperfect person, or the blind person, tends to conceal and disguise himself by talking much.

• The stupid person, the person of little wisdom, tends to conceal and disguise himself by boasting and pretending to be clever — like a water pot which, if the water within is deficient and not full, tends to slop over; or like a cow of little milk, which kicks about when its calf sucks.

The principle of this verse is that "the genuine article need not boast" — the person of true worth need not make a fuss and clamor.

33. The Frog That Plays the Lion

In this verse of the Loka Nīti, the sage sets forth a simile showing that the frog and the fool are no different in their manner and conduct.

When the little frog has hopped up onto a rock at the water's edge, it puffs out its chest and strikes a pose as though it were the very king of lions, greater than every creature in the world. Then a crow swoops down, meaning to take its life, and it flattens itself against the ground to escape the crow's talons and beak; and seeing that it will surely not survive, it can only cry out pitifully, "ribbit, ribbit" (I'm done for, I'm done for).

The fool is just the same. Once he becomes a leader and gets a little praise, he loses his head and thinks himself great, a leader, a wise man, one who knows all. When a sage questions him, he cannot get a word out, but can only stammer and mumble, "uh, uh, um, um," unable to say anything at all.

34. Sages Are of Many Levels

For all that the frog is called a frog, however great its size, it cannot be compared with the lion; the frog has no part in which to match the lion. Not only does the frog's croak have no power at all, but it even summons the other creatures that feed on frogs to come and take its life. The lion, on the other hand, is the king of the forest, and its roar has the power to subdue other creatures.

The boar, though it has a strong snout able to root up the earth and scatter it about, must not be mistaken for the lord of the earth.

The cat, though it has a form and face resembling the tiger's, has ability nowhere near the tiger's. All the beasts of the forest may fear the tiger, but they do not fear the cat.

For all that they are called sages, in this world there are many levels. There are sages among the ascetics; there are sages among the recluses and brahmins; there are sages of the worldly folk; and there are sages among those seeking liberation from the world. The Buddha, therefore, is called supreme above all sages.

35. Four Kinds of Never Being Satisfied

There are four kinds of desire that are never satisfied, namely:

1. The king — though he already has great royal treasure, he is still not satisfied with wealth; he may use royal authority to confiscate the wealth of others as his own, may collect taxes from the income of the people, and may lead armies to attack other cities and bring them under his dominion.

2. The wise man — though he be a person of wide learning who has heard many well-spoken words (subhāsita), he still longs to hear more well-spoken words; he is never satisfied with hearing them, for the wise loathe ill-spoken words (dubbhāsita) and delight in well-spoken words.

3. The eye — though it has seen many beautiful forms, it is still not satisfied with seeing beautiful forms, but keeps roving about in search of the most beautiful form of all.

4. The great ocean — likewise, though it already holds a vast quantity of water, it can still receive the currents flowing in from various places, and is never filled to satisfaction.

36. The Handsome, Rich, Well-Born but Ignorant Person = the Scentless Flame-of-the-Forest Flower

One born into a high family, amply endowed with wealth and possessions, enjoying every comfort and ease, getting all he desires, never having known hardship — for whom there is no task that others in hardship do to free him from suffering, and no task that those who long for happiness do to gain happiness — such a one has never had to struggle to escape hardship, but only pursues his own pleasure, only goes about carousing and reveling. He does not seek the arts and sciences, takes no delight in drawing near the wise, and relies only on the shelter of his elders' influence — which is the road to ruin.

Parents who have themselves been well trained, seeing a youth losing himself in dissipation and walking the road to ruin, therefore give this instruction as a maxim of nīti:

37. The Child of the Low-Born Can Also Become Great

Being born human, everyone alike possesses the Five Precepts, which are the same basic virtue for all. Although the kamma done in the past does indeed bear fruit that sorts beings as higher or lower than one another, that is old kamma; the new kamma one is doing in the present will bear fruit in days to come. If it is good kamma, it will bear fruit for good; if it is bad kamma, it will bear fruit for ill.

Therefore, when we see a master enjoying the fruits of what seems bad kamma, we should not yet look down on him, for if he learns to do good kamma today, he will receive good results tomorrow. Even the child of the low-born, if he has knowledge and ability, will become a royal minister of high rank; the child of a fool, if he is diligent in studying the various arts and sciences, will become a royal scholar; the child of the wretchedly poor, if he is diligent in seeking wealth without regard to weariness, and thrifty in saving for use in time of need, will become a wealthy magnate.

Therefore one should not look down on others as low-born, foolish, or poor.

38. The Student Who Does Not Put Knowledge to Use = a Mute

Every branch of the arts and sciences benefits the one who studies it; but this does not mean that a person must study every single branch before he can put them to good use. There are still many people who understand that the more branches of the arts and sciences one can study, the more benefit one gains; and so they learn out of greed, learning every branch, learning with every teacher, in every place, at every time they possibly can, doing nothing but learn — and no sooner have they finished one round of learning than they hurry off to another. Yet however much they learn, if they have no time to consider it, no time to review it, and do not recite, rehearse, and commit it to memory, then when the time comes to put it to use, all that vast learning is forgotten and cannot be used for anything — like a mute who dreams, seeing something and yet unable to recount it to anyone, because the dream is faint and hazy, and he himself is mute; though he wishes to tell it, he cannot explain it to anyone, and can only utter "waa, waa."

39. The Teacher Strikes the Student in Order to Make Him Prosper

The clever and skilled potter, in order to shape a pot that is fine, beautiful, and pleasing to use — one that captures the eye and heart of all who see it and is desired by all who want it — must have artistry, care, delicacy, and refinement. Before he can raise the pot into shape, he must knead the clay well, must beat it at the time for beating, and must smooth it with water at the time for smoothing, his mind fixed with the intent to give that pot a beautiful form pleasing to all. It is not that the potter beats the pot in order to crack it, to destroy it — not at all. The potter understands well that the more he beats and strikes, the more beautiful it becomes.

As it is in this case, so it is with the wise. He reflects his feeling of love, care, and goodwill, hoping for the progress and advancement of his student; and so he points out faults at the time for pointing them out, gives praise and encouragement at the time for praising, and gives counsel and teaching at the time for counsel and teaching — hoping that the student will have progress and advancement in the time to come.

40. Associating with the Wise = Leaves That Wrap Aloeswood

In this final verse of the Section on the Wise, the sage places great importance on associating with sages, for it brings benefit not small; and so he shows it by a simile.

Whoever takes leaves of any kind and wraps up aloeswood, which has a fresh and heart-gladdening fragrance, those leaves too take on the fragrance of the aloeswood, becoming fragrant themselves — just so.

The sons and daughters of good family in this world who know how to associate with sages and royal scholars, inclining to accept their counsel and teaching, and delighting in the well-spoken words of the wise — such a one comes to have knowledge, with a bearing as graceful as the wise — even so.

Associating with the wise therefore brings benefit in both this world and the next.