he elect.

These wise people, meditative, steady, always possessed of strong
powers, attain to Nirvana, the highest happiness.

If an earnest person has roused himself, if he is not forgetful, if his
deeds are pure, if he acts with consideration, if he restrains himself,
and lives according to law--then his glory will increase.

By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise
man may make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm.

Fools follow after vanity. The wise man keeps earnestness as his best
jewel.

Follow not after vanity, nor after the enjoyment of love and lust! He
who is earnest and meditative, obtains ample joy.

When the learned man drives away vanity by earnestness, he, the wise,
climbing the terraced heights of wisdom, looks down upon the fools: free
from sorrow he looks upon the sorrowing crowd, as one that stands on a
mountain looks down upon them that stand upon the plain.

Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man
advances like a racer, leaving behind the hack.

By earnestness did Maghavan (Indra) rise to the lordship of the gods.
People praise earnestness; thoughtlessness is always blamed.

A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in earnestness, who looks with fear
on thoughtlessness, moves about like fire, burning all his fetters,
small or large.

A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in reflection, who looks with fear on
thoughtlessness, cannot fall away from his perfect state--he is close
upon Nirvana.

CHAPTER III

THOUGHT

As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his
trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult
to hold back.

As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on the dry ground, our
thought trembles all over in order to escape the dominion of Mara, the
tempter.

It is good to tame the mind, which is difficult to hold in and flighty,
rushing wherever it listeth; a tamed mind brings happiness.

Let the wise man guard his thoughts, for they are difficult to perceive,
very artful, and they rush wherever they list: thoughts well guarded
bring happiness.

Those who bridle their mind which travels far, moves about alone, is
without a body, and hides in the chamber of the heart, will be free from
the bonds of Mara, the tempter.

If a man's faith is unsteady, if he does not know the true law, if his
peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfe