"You make the effort. The Masters only point the Way."
The Buddha, the Dhammapada
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night always contemplate the Buddha.
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night always contemplate the Dhamma.
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night always contemplate the Sangha.
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night always contemplate the body.
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night delight in harmlessness.
Well awake the disciples of Gotama ever arise — they who by day and night delight in meditation.
The Wood-cutter’s Son
Two boys in Rājagaha were friends. One was the son of a believer, while the other was the son of non-believer. Whenever they played ball, the believer’s son recited “Homage to the Buddha” and won the game every time. The other boy noticed this, and also learnt to recite “Namo Buddhassa.” One day, his father, who was a wood-cutter, set off to the forest with his ox-cart, taking his son with him. At the end of the day the man released his oxen in a pleasant grove where there was water and grass, and took a rest. The oxen followed a herd of cows back into the city, so the man left his son and set off in pursuit of his oxen. By the time he had found his oxen, the city gate was locked, and he was unable to fetch his ox- cart where his son was still waiting. As night fell, the boy fell asleep. That place was near a burning ground haunted by goblins. Two of them spotted the youth — one was a believer and one was a non-believer. The goblin who was a non- believer decided to eat the boy in spite of the warnings of the other. When the goblin pulled the boy’s feet, he awoke and recited “Namo Buddhassa.” The goblin leapt back, and afraid of what might happen, the goblin who was a believer stood guard over the boy, while the other stole a golden bowl from the king’s palace, inscribed some words on it, and placed it in the cart. In the morning, the theft was discovered and the boy was arrested and questioned. He replied that his parents had brought him food during the night, and he had gone back to sleep. That was all he knew. The boy’s parents told the king their story, and the king took all three to the Buddha who told the king all that had happened.
The king asked if meditation on the Buddha alone was a protection, and the Buddha replied with the above verses, explaining that all of these six kinds of meditation were beneficial.
On the conclusion of the discourse the boy and his parents all attained Stream-winning.
Later they went forth and attained Arahantship.
“Cut down the entire forest, not just a single tree.
From the forest springs fear.
Cutting down both forest and brushwood,
be passionless, O stream seekers.
For as long as the slightest passion of man
towards desire is not cut down,
so long is his mind in bondage, like the calf to its mother.”
Meditate Constantly
