Sahassavagga: The Thousands
Table of Contents
-
Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.
-
Better than a thousand useless verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.
-
Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is the reciting of one verse of Dhamma, hearing which one attains peace.
-
Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself.
104-105. Self-conquest is far better than the conquest of others. Not even a god, an angel, Mara or Brahma can turn into defeat the victory of a person who is self-subdued and ever restrained in conduct. [12]
-
Though month after month for a hundred years one should offer sacrifices by the thousands, yet if only for a moment one should worship those of perfected minds that honor is indeed better than a century of sacrifice.
-
Though for a hundred years one should tend the sacrificial fire in the forest, yet if only for a moment one should worship those of perfected minds, that worship is indeed better than a century of sacrifice.
-
Whatever gifts and oblations one seeking merit might offer in this world for a whole year, all that is not worth one fourth of the merit gained by revering the Upright Ones, which is truly excellent.
-
To one ever eager to revere and serve the elders, these four blessing accrue: long life and beauty, happiness and power.
-
Better it is to live one day virtuous and meditative than to live a hundred years immoral and uncontrolled.
-
Better it is to live one day wise and meditative than to live a hundred years foolish and uncontrolled.
-
Better it is to live one day strenuous and resolute than to live a hundred years sluggish and dissipated.
-
Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things.
-
Better it is to live one day seeing the Deathless than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the Deathless.
-
Better it is to live one day seeing the Supreme Truth than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the Supreme Truth.