12. On every side are invincible They who do acts like these,

On every side they walk in safety,

And theirs is the greatest blessing.

SELECTIONS FROM THE DHAMMAPADA

(Translated by F. Max Müller, "Sacred Books of the East," v. 10.)

“THE DHAMMAPADA is one of the canonical sacred books of the Buddhists. Its title has been interpreted in various ways, as meaning "Footsteps of Religion," "Paths of Religion," "Path of Virtue," "Sentences of Religion.”

In his introduction to the translation from which the subjoined precepts are quoted, Professor F. Max Müller says: "I cannot see any reason why we should not treat the verses of the Dhammapada, if not as the utterances of Buddha, at least as what were believed by the members of the Council under Asoka, in 242 B. C., to have been the utterances of the founder of their religion."

He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mâra will certainly not overthrow, any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain.

Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvâna), thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die; those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.

If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better, or his equal, let him firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with a fool.

Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends; have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men.

If a man would hasten towards the good, he should

keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil.

If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good. Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, It will not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled;

the fool becomes full of

evil, even if he gather it little by little.

Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way.

If a man hold himself dear, let him watch himself carefully; during one at least out of the three watches a wise man should be watchful.

Self is the lord of self, who else could be the lord? With self well subdued, a man finds a lord such as few can find.

Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of another's, however great.

Rouse thyself! do not be idle! Follow the law of virtue! The virtuous rests in bliss in this world and in the next.

Look upon the world as a bubble, look upon it as a mirage: the king of death does not see him who thus looks down upon the world.

Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us! Among men who hate us, let us dwell free from hatred.

Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! Among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed.

Let us live happily then, though we call nothing our own! We shall be like the bright gods, feeding on happiness!

Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy.

He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.

Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good, let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth.

Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.

Let a wise man blow off the impurities of his self, as a smith blows off the impurities of silver, one by one, little by little, and from time to time.

Life is easy to live for a man who is without shame, a crow hero, a mischief-maker, an insulting, bold, and wretched fellow.

But life is hard to live for a modest man, who always looks for what is pure, who is disinterested, quiet, spotless, and intelligent.

If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure and look to the great.

Rouse thyself by thyself, examine thyself by thyself, thus self-protected and attentive wilt thou live happily.... What is the use of platted hair, O fool! what of the raiment of goat-skins? Within thee there is ravening, but the outside thou makest clean.

PYTHAGORAS

(Probably of the sixth century before Christ.)

Or Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, many legends were current in later times among the Greeks, but almost no information that is trustworthy has been found. Some have suspected that a myth is concealed under his name; but it is probable that a real Pythagoras - a primitive man of science and a born teacher and leader of men did exist at some time in the sixth century before Christ; that he was a native of Samos, but established himself as a teacher at Crotona, in Italy; that he founded there and elsewhere in Magna Græcia a brotherhood of disciples, who made a secret, to some extent, of their knowledge and their beliefs, and who became, for some reason, obnoxious to the people, and were mercilessly attacked. The Pythagorean brotherhood survived persecution, and continued for some time, in various cities of Magna Græcia, to be known as a philosophical or religious sect. Its members believed in the transmigration of souls, and there seems to be little doubt that this was fundamental in the teaching of Pythagoras. Their doctrines in morals were of a high order, and they probably derived them, in the main, from their greatly venerated master. There seems to be, moreover, no reason to doubt that he made important discoveries in mathematics, in astronomy, and in the principles of musical harmony, which the Pythagoreans attributed to him. But various writings ascribed to him are fully believed to be the work of disciples, at a later time. Among them are the so-called "Golden Verses of Pythagoras," of which a translation is given below. We are only permitted to believe that these verses may represent somewhat nearly the morals that Pythagoras taught. The same is possible in the case of the appended "Pythagoric Sentences of Demophilus," the nominal author of which is entirely unknown.