An Auspicious Day
An Auspicious Day
translated by Gil
Fronsdal
(sent to me by my friend Anand Swamy, to whom my thanks are due)
(sent to me by my friend Anand Swamy, to whom my thanks are due)
from the Bhaddekaratta Sutta Middle Length Discourse 131
The Buddha said,
Don’t
chase the past
Or long for the future.
The past is left behind;
Or long for the future.
The past is left behind;
The future is not yet reached.
Right
where it is, have insight
Into whatever phenomena is present;
Not faltering and not agitated,
Into whatever phenomena is present;
Not faltering and not agitated,
By knowing it one develops the
mind.
Ardently
do what should be done today –
who knows, death may come tomorrow.
There is no bargaining with Mortality
who knows, death may come tomorrow.
There is no bargaining with Mortality
And his great army.
Whoever
dwells thus ardent,
– active day and night –
Is, says the peaceful sage,
One who has an auspicious day
See also
The Almond Trees by Albert Camus
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
Rabindranath Tagore
– active day and night –
Is, says the peaceful sage,
One who has an auspicious day
See also
The Almond Trees by Albert Camus
Where the mind is without fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is freeWhere the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
Rabindranath Tagore
