Akata Kaṇḍa — On What the Wise Should Not Do

228. What Ruins Even a Brahmin

Sleeping late violates discipline; laziness is at odds with study; harshness is contrary to non-violence; procrastination undermines duty; travelling far alone invites danger and suspicion; consorting with another's wife breaks the gravest of social and moral bounds. For a brahmin, whose authority rests on purity and propriety, these acts are not merely personal failings but a direct dismantling of his social role and spiritual standing, guaranteeing his decline—and if they are harmful to a brahmin, they are harmful to everyone.

229. The Six Who Squander Wealth

Addiction to liquor clouds judgment and drains resources; roaming late at night leads to heedlessness and bad company; never returning home from festivities shows irresponsibility and absorption in pleasure; gambling is a shortcut to loss; keeping evil friends brings negative influences; and idleness ensures no recovery from these vices. Together they form a web of ruin—the inevitable fruit of a base disposition, in which moral decay leads the way and material collapse follows. (This corresponds to the paths of ruin described in the Siṅgālaka Sutta.)

230. The Lazy Man Lets Opportunity Slip By

The lazy man always finds a reason to put off his work: it is too cold, too hot, or too late. By deferring action with these complaints, he lets one opportunity after another slip away. Time passes while he is paralyzed by minor discomforts. It is a portrait of squandered potential, in which a person becomes a passive spectator of his own life, allowing the conditions of success—diligence and a sense of timing—to be eroded by a preoccupation with perfect circumstances that never exist.

231. He Who Destroys Others Perishes Himself

One who habitually destroys others meets his own ruin inevitably; the process is swift and self-generated. Setting fire to a house of straw may seem an act of aggression against a structure or its owner, but the fire quickly spreads and swallows the arsonist himself. Malicious intent sets off an uncontrollable chain reaction of violence; the destroyer becomes the destroyed—demonstrating the inescapable law of deed and consequence, in which the instrument of aggression becomes the instrument of self-destruction.

232. Do Not Trust Even a Friend

One should not trust an enemy, but neither should one place blind, utter trust even in a friend, for a friend may know our secrets and weaknesses intimately. In a fit of anger, he may reveal all our faults and cause enormous harm. Therefore a measure of caution and self-restraint is fitting in every relationship, for human moods are changeable, and even a good person may become an instrument of harm when provoked. (This is to be understood as prudence, not as groundless suspicion.)

233. Six Bad Things to Avoid

A bad country is one that is barren or lawless; a bad friend is a corrupting influence; a bad connection is one that undermines you; a bad kinsman brings endless trouble; a bad wife destroys the peace of the home; a bad king renders life oppressive and insecure. The teaching is to recognize such dangers early and not become entangled at all. Prevention is paramount, for withdrawing later is often difficult or impossible. Sound judgment in these choices is the foundation of stability.

234–235. Do Not Despise Anyone for Their Birth

Nature offers its analogies: the crab moves without any obvious head, the snake travels without feet, the hen without teats still rears her chicks. Just so, one should not despise anyone on the basis of superficial or present circumstance. A child of low birth may rise to become a minister; the son of a fool may become a sage; the son of a poor man may amass wealth and become a millionaire. The future is not fixed by one's birth. These verses exalt merit over lineage, calling on society to judge people by their capacities, not their ancestry.

236. Three Things Not to Do to One You Wish to Befriend

If you wish to preserve a relationship—whether friendship, alliance, or patronage—you must strictly avoid three acts that destroy goodwill. First, do not quarrel directly, for that breeds resentment. Second, do not become entangled in lawsuits or disputes over interests, which formalize the conflict. Third, and gravest of all, do not be alone with or meet his wife in private, for that surely arouses jealousy and destroys trust. These prohibitions concern the respecting of boundaries—emotional, legal, and sexual—so as to keep the bond secure.

237. Leave No Remnant of Debt, Fire, or Enemy

A remnant of debt may swell again with interest; an ember left glowing may flare into a fresh blaze; an enemy who survives may rally to take revenge. In each case, what appears to be finished still holds the seeds of its return. Therefore, in dealing with debt, conflict, or danger, one should leave no remnant behind. The principle is to settle matters completely—repay the debt in full, extinguish the fire entirely, and remove the danger decisively. Doing things by halves is to invite a problem that may return larger than before.

238. A Person of Good Family Does No Evil Even in Poverty

A true person of good family, who understands his role in preserving the family line and its honor, maintains his conduct even in adversity. Even when fallen into hardship through poverty or misfortune, he should not turn to base deeds, for acts such as theft, deceit, or begging would bring disgrace upon the family name. Hardship is no excuse to relax one's morals; indeed, it is precisely in this time of testing that his character is proven and must stand firm. Integrity is a duty owed to ancestors and to descendants alike.

239. When Destitute, All the More Must One Do No Evil

When there is no reserve of wealth to fall back on, the poor man has no margin for error. Any further wrongdoing—theft, deceit, or violence—will only produce ill effects that guarantee continued or heavier suffering. His one remaining capital is moral integrity. By committing himself to blameless conduct, he at least preserves his human dignity, avoids compounding his misery, and begins to plant the good seeds that are his only hope of a better future. In destitution, restraint is the first and most necessary step toward recovery.

240. Do Not Be the One in Front

If you walk at the head of the group, you gain visible credit when the work succeeds—but the fruits of success are usually shared equally among all and add nothing extra to the leader. Conversely, if the undertaking fails, the leader at the very front bears the heaviest blame and may be harshly reviled. The one in front thus carries a disproportionate risk to his reputation with no special benefit guaranteed. The wise course is to participate effectively while avoiding the conspicuous, vulnerable position at the head, where failure is personal but success is shared. (This is a worldly observation, to be weighed according to context.)

241. What Shortens Life (According to Ancient Belief)

Early-morning sunlight, when its rays are sharp, was held to be harmful; smoke from a funeral pyre is polluting and inauspicious; water from a stagnant pool carries disease; and eating curds at night regularly was regarded, according to Ayurvedic thought, as hard to digest and phlegm-producing. Though some of these reflect symbolic belief, the core teaching is preventive care: certain habits and exposures, if made regular, wear away one's vital force. Longevity requires the avoidance of these subtle life-shortening things. (This is to be understood as traditional belief.)

242. What Is Not to Be Trusted

Women (according to the view of the texts, which emphasizes changeability), the wicked, poison, horned animals such as cattle and rams, rivers, disease, and royal households are all by nature unstable or dangerous. Their nature is to change, to harm, to gore, to flood, to flare up, or to turn against us. Trust means relying on constancy and safety, which these cannot provide. Some things in life must always be handled with vigilance and precaution, never with assumed confidence. (Here the reference to women is a traditional generalization, to be read together with the note in the section on women.)

243. The Four Doors of Death

Undertaking work for which one has no capacity leads to failure and disgrace; opposing a community (the Sangha) or any powerful group brings overwhelming social force against oneself; warring against those with political power or might is suicidal; and placing trust in matters of secrecy or loyalty with women (according to the view of the texts) was seen as especially risky because of changeability. The wise regard these as the thresholds of mortal danger. To cross them is to step from safety into a realm where ruin is the likely outcome. (The point concerning women is to be read together with the note in the section on women.)

244. Four Things to Refrain From

Do not consort with women excessively, for undue familiarity may lead to lust, scandal, or the neglect of duty. Do not eat what is delicious but harmful to health; avoid pleasures that damage the body. Honor and revere elders, and gain both wisdom and merit thereby. Finally, do not serve one's teacher with deceit, for dishonesty in this sacred relationship destroys learning itself and cuts the very root of true knowledge. Each precept curbs a different form of excess—sensual, dietary, social, and spiritual.

245. Do Not Go Without Protection

A brave warrior must not go into battle without a weapon; courage is useless without the means to fight. Likewise, a wise man travelling a dangerous road must not go without preparation—whether companions, arms, or provisions. A merchant journeying to a foreign land must not go without protection. In each case, inner qualities are insufficient without the necessary external support. Foresight and preparation are what turn potential into success and ensure survival on challenging ventures.

246. Begging Drives Away One's Guardian Deities

Uttering "Give!" over and over is not merely a social request but a summoning of want that drives away five noble qualities dwelling within a person: wisdom, honor, quick wit, hirī (moral shame), and sirī, or auspiciousness. These are the inner riches that constitute a noble character. By continually fixing the mind on lack and on dependence upon others' resources, a person diminishes the wealth within himself. The mind of a beggar erodes the very qualities that would raise him out of beggary.

247. The Words "There Is None" and "Give" Are Both Suffering

Both having to say "There is none" when asked, and having to say "Give" when in want, are experiences of suffering. The one reveals one's emptiness; the other reveals one's dependence. The wish is that, in lives to come, one may be free from the need to utter either of these words of suffering. It is a wish for self-reliance and sufficiency—not vast riches, but enough that one need never face the shame of having nothing, nor the indignity of having to beg.

248. In a Land Where None Know You, Show No Pride

In a place where our birth and past conduct are unknown, we have no accumulated reputation or social credit. To display arrogance or conceit there is therefore both foolish and dangerous. Among strangers we are as yet unknown persons; pride will only provoke resentment, suspicion, or challenge. The wise course is to be observant, humble, and respectful of others, building trust through present behavior rather than boasting of a status from a past that no one knows.