Theos-Talk Archives (July 2002 Message tt00178)

FOOTFALLS OF THE LAW -- The DHAMMAPADA

Gautama Sidartha, the Buddha.

===================================

This is a little book containing the sayings of the Buddha.
It is succinct review of ethical psychology.

"Be ye lamps unto yourselves" He said. "Work out your
salvation with diligence."

Bodha means "wise." The faculty of "Buddhi" is said to be
one of every humans' 'principles' -- a latent wisdom, innate
to all. From it is said to emanate the occasional "voice of
Conscience." It warns of danger in steps proposed to be
taken by the mind. It is the accumulated wisdom of ages of
experience. It is the property of soul Intuition and is
said to be immortal and eternal. It may be called the
"Eternal Wisdom." (Sanatana Dharma).

Theosophy holds that the Soul of every human is immortal.
It is derived from the Universal SPIRIT. As this is present
everywhere, the light of such experience and wisdom is
universally available, and first, is always accessible in
every heart. "Those who live in the pleasure ground of
fancy see truth in the unreal and untruth in the real. They
never arrive at truth." "Rain pours into an ill-thatched
house, so, desires pour into an ill-trained mind." [Twin
Verses]

The sayings will be found to be simple, yet true and
profound. "Better than a thousand word speech of empty words
is one pregnant sentence hearing which one feels peace."
"Enmity is ever appeased by Love."

"Better than a man who conquers in battle a thousand men a
thousand times is he who conquers himself. He indeed is the
mightiest of warriors." [Thousands] "Vigilance is the path
to Life Eternal. Thoughtlessness is the path to death. The
reflecting vigilant die not. The heedless are already
dead." [Canto of Vigilance]

"Better than the life of a hundred years of the man who
perceiveth not the deathless state is the short life of a
single day of the man who senses that deathless state." [
Canto of the Thousands]. "Meditative, persevering, ever
strenuous in endeavour, the tranquil one attain Nirvana, the
highest freedom and happiness." "Fools and witless persons
give themselves to sloth. The wise, value vigilance. It is
their best treasure." "By discipline and self-control, let
the wise man make for himself an island which no flood can
overcome." [Vigilance]

Buddha taught that in each of us resides the deathless
Spirit. It is THAT which appreciates change, being itself
eternal. It is Consciousness. It looks on the Universe and
all beings in it as embodiments of aspects of Itself -- as
Intelligences. In this wise it considers contrasts: "All
that we are is the result of what we have thought. All that
we are is founded on our thoughts and made up of our
thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought,
pain pursues him as the wheel of the wagon follows the hoof
of the ox that draws it." [Twin Verses.]

As ancestry, the Buddha is a spiritual and not a physical
one. The Way of Life, "The Path" is an inner way. A Way of
self-discipline -- a "Way" that shapes the desires and makes
them wise in the Laws of Life Universal and eternal. It
states all men have Minds, and everyone enlightens with the
Soul-Light their own Mind. It is the LIGHT of the Secret
HEART: Soul WISDOM. The Soul is never impotent. The First,
the Primeval Buddha - Adi Buddha, lost in the deep midnight
of Human evolution evolved a File -- a single File of
Buddhas, a File that stretches unbroken, form the ancient
"then," to the present "now." This has bee called the
Guruparampara chain.

These sayings will confuse and confound the evil-minded.
The man or woman who is willing to readjust themselves and
seek within for the eternal Light, however poor they may be
in the goods of the world, becomes a guide to -- a Light on
the Path. By such lights we can walk the dark paths of the
"civilized" world. "He reviled me, beat me, and conquered
me, then, plundered me." He who does not express such
thoughts, in him will hatred cease." [Twin Verses]

There are a few basic verses:

"Enmity is appeased alone by love.."

"Eschew evil, do good."

"Learn Truth. Cleanse thy mind."

"Real health lies in trust and contentment with the LAW."


The book, the Dhammapada, is said to contain only those
statements made by the Buddha that thousands of his
followers all remembered. This was brought together at the
first convention that was convened of the "Sangha" (the
Brotherhood). It was exactly a year after the death of
Buddha. The Buddha taught in lectures, and answers, He
never wrote anything.

=================

DTB (This is only a sample). My translation has less than
100 pages and contains 423 verses in 26 Cantos. D



-----Original Message-----
From: christina
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 12:02 AM
To:
Subject: NEW vs the OLD TESTAMENT

YEAY!!! When do we change channels, and study the
Dhammaphada?

Bible is like you say, not directly helpful. Only reason I
see doing
any of it is to fill empty spaces in the matrix
[have you seen it lately?]

Need to move onto Eastern religion, science and leterature,
as HPB
indicates...

CeeKaye