from the teachings of Lord Buddha -- edited and paraphrased by Swami Radhanandaji

On Abuse

When a wise person observes the ways of society and notices how much misery comes from malignity and foolish offenses made only to gratify vanity and self-seeking pride, he will avoid such behavior at all cost.

If a person foolishly wrongs us, we should protect her/him through our ungrudging love. As more evil comes from them, more good should go from us. This is the spiritual law: the fragrance of goodness always comes back to us and the harmful air of evil goes to the originator of the evil.

If a man declines to accept abusive words, slandering, etc. they goes back to the evil slanderer as a gift declined that necessarily belongs to its owner and will be a source of misery to him/her. As the echo belongs to the sound, and shadow to the substance, so misery will overtake the evil doer without fail whether we like it or not, pray against it or not.

A wicked person who reproaches a virtuous devotee is like one who looks up and spits at the sun; the spittle soils not the sun but comes back and defiles his own person. The slanderer is like one who flings dust at another when the wind is contrary; the dust returns on the one who threw it. The virtuous man cannot be hurt and the misery that the other would inflict comes back on him/her.

On Selfishness

If a man by causing pain to others (Gita 5:29 ) wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, then entangled in the bonds of selfishness he will never be free from hatred. Let a man overcome anger by love; let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome greed by generosity, the liar by truth! For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred cease by not-hatred, this is an ancient Law.

Speak the truth; do not yield to anger; give if you are asked; by these three steps you will become divine through a purer heart. Let a wise man blow off the impurities of his self (jiva) as a silversmith blows off the impurities of silver ore little by little and from time to time (Gita 6:25,26).

Lead others not by violence but by Truth and equality. He who possesses virtue and intelligence, who is just, speaks the truth and practices his own business, will be dear to this world. As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its color or fragrance, so let a wise man dwell in this world.

If a traveler 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 fools. Long is the life to the foolish who do not know true religion. One day in the life of a man who sees the highest truth is better than living a hundred years not seeing the highest truth.

On the Mind

The Mind is the source either of bliss or of corruption. By oneself evil is done; by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone; by oneself one is purified. Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another. You yourself must make an effort. Saints are only preachers. The wise who travel on the Way of Abhyasayoga of Gitaji are freed from the bondage of Maya.

He/She who does not rouse herself when it is time to rise; who though young and strong is full of sloth; whose will and thoughts are full of lust and greed, that lazy and idle person will never find the way to enlightenment or Self-Realization because of pride, arrogance, vanity, and ignorance.

Therefore watch your internal and external behavior vigilantly. Practice what you have learned diligently for you know not when this body will fall away. It is difficult to subdue oneself, how much more difficult to subdue others. If some men conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men and if another conquers himself, he is the greatest of conquerors (Gita 6:5,6). It is the habit of fools, be  they samsaris or dharma gurus, to think, "This is done by me. May others be subject to me. In this or that project of building ashrams, temples, hospitals, etc. a prominent part should be played by me" (3:27,28).

Fools do not care duties to be performed or the aim to be reached, but they think of themselves alone. Everything is but a pedestal of their vanity.

On Vanity

Bad deeds and deeds harmful to ourselves are easy to do. What is beneficial and good -- that is very difficult. If anything is to be done, let a man do it. Let him attack his vanity vigorously.

Before long, alas! this body will be on the earth despised, without understanding, like a useless log; yet our thoughts will endure (Gita 15:7). They will be again thought of, and will produce rebirths and actions (passions). Good thoughts will produce good actions and bad thoughts will produce bad actions, thus prolonging rebirth cycles. Therefore go beyond both, first by avoiding evil, then performing good, then abandoning both release yourself eternally (Gita 2:38).

Earnestness is the path to Freedom everlasting. Thoughtlessness, lust, greed, name and fame, vanity, pride, jealousy and ignorance are the paths of death. Those who are in earnest do not die (Gita 6:40-45). Those who are thoughtless are as if dead already, though physically living, breeding, eating and sleeping. Those who imagine they will find truth in untruth and see untruth in truth will never arrive at Truth, but follow vain desires. They who know truth in truth and untruth in untruth arrive at Truth and follow true desires -- Love.

As rain breaks through an ill plastered house, passions will break through an unreflective inert mind; but as rain does not break through a well plastered house, passion will not break through a well reflecting mind. Well diggers and makers lead the water wherever they like; fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters bend a log of wood; wise people fashion themselves; they do not falter amidst blame and praise (Gita 12:18, 14:25). Having listened to Gita or Truth, pondered and practiced, they become serene (Gita 2:64), like a deep smooth and still lake.

On Meditation

There are five meditations:

1. Love: The first meditation is on Love, in which a devotee/gopi must adjust her heart in such a way that she longs for the welfare of all beings (Gita 6:30), including the happiness of her enemies and people of vulgar behavior (Gita 9:30-31).
2. Pity: The second meditation is on Pity, in which the gopi thinks and prays for all beings in distress, in sorrow, in anxieties and grows compassion in her heart for them all.
3. Joy: The third meditation is on Joy, in which she thinks and prays for the prosperity of others and rejoices in their rejoicing.
4. Impurity: The fourth meditation is on Impurity, in which she thinks and prays that she becomes aware of her own corruption and the effect of her wrong doings and evils. How trivial is often the pleasure of the moment and how fatal are its consequences!
5. Serenity: The fifth meditation is on Serenity, in which she rises above love (passions) and hate, tyranny and bondage, wealth and want and regards her own fate with balanced impartial calmness and perfect tranquility.