Cattāri Brahmavihārā

11. Those who mistake the unessential to be essential and the essential to be unessential, dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential.

Please find the audio recording of this verse below. Please take the time to recite the following three times before reading the words of Lord Buddha:

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambudhassa (3 times).

Homage to the blessed One, the Perfected One, the Fully Awakened One (3 times).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbWH5SCXE2ypMFqCBhz34WEkPEGjEl2b/view?usp=sharing

Be sure to repeat the verse, with the verse number at least ten times out loud. It helps if you can do this multiple times a day and use as many different techniques (writing, repetition, listening) as possible.

The Illustrated Dhammapada, Treasury of Truth, gives the following context and explanation for this verse of the Dhammapada:

Verse 11. False Values Bar Spiritual Progress

Conceiving the real in unreality
while seeing unreal the truly real,
roaming fields of thoughts ill-formed:
never they at the real arrive.

Explanation: A person interested in spiritual progress must be aware of spiritual values. It is true that material things are also necessary. But they are not the values to be sought after for spiritual progress. If people were to give prominence to material values they cannot attain any spiritual heights.

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