Cattāri Brahmavihārā

79. Look not to faults of others,
Nor to their omissions and commissions.
But rather look to your own acts,
To what you have done and left undone.

When one looks down on another’s faults,
And is always full of envy,Ukp
One’s defilements continually grow;
Far is one from their destruction.

If only you would do what you teach others,
Then, being yourselff controlled,
You could control others well.
Truly, self-control is difficult.

You yourself must watch yourself.
You yourself must examine yourself,
And so, self-guarded and mindful,
O monk, you will live in happiness.

Dhammapada 50, 253, 159, 379

My wife asked me to share some Dhamma that she had been reading in one of Ven. Thanissaro’s books with my son today and, although her recommendation was good I feel that the erudite and cerebral style of the venerable’s writing might be lost on my six year old. As I was pondering this point I decided to see what today’s Dhammapada verses might be and stumbled on the above. Beautiful. Simple. Terse. And just whatTan Geoff had been talking about. Serendipity.