Friday, February 19, 2010

The Hem Of His Robe

Even if one should seize the hem of my robe and walk step by step behind me, if he is covetous in his desires, fierce in his longings, malevolent of heart, with corrupt mind, careless and unrestrained, noisy and distracted and with uncontrolled senses, he is far from me. And why? He does not see the Dhamma, and not seeing the Dhamma, he does not see me. Even if one lives a hundred miles away, if he is not covetous in his desires, not fierce in his longings, with a kind heart and pure mind, mindful, composed, calmed, one-pointed and with restrained senses, then indeed, he is near to me and I am near to him. And why? He sees the Dhamma, and seeing the Dhamma, he sees me (It. 91).

4 comments:

yuri said...

Wonderful words - can be turned into questions to ask oneself every day!

Nil said...

Hi Bhante,

How does one who loves another lives within the principle of the Dhamma?

Shravasti Dhammika said...

Dear Qwerty,
You love them and you permeate your love with spiritual qualities like honesty, faithfulness, sharing, fellowship, forgiveness (when necessary), patience, affection, caring, etc. Oh! And don’t forget a bit of fun and lightheartedness too.

Nil said...

Thank you very much Bhante.