Zen in Ten: "Like a Cowherd Counting Cows that Belong to Others"
Dhammapada Verses 11-20: Chapter of Pairs
My dear Dharma friend Bhante Suddhaso, who co-founded Empty Cloud monastery in New Jersey, has given me permission to use his translations of Buddhist texts. Below are his translations and annotations of verses 10-20 of the Dhammapada. Here is a link to verses 1-10. I hope you find his translations of these ancient and wise sayings of the Buddha accessible and illuminating. Peace!
Those who think the unessential is essential,
And see the essential as unessential,
Do not attain that which is essential,
And wander in the domain of wrong intention.Those who know the essential as essential,
And the unessential as unessential,
Attain that which is essential
And wander in the domain of right intention.
Often in life we get caught up in pursuits that are irrelevant to our spiritual goals, and either cease making progress or even wind up backtracking. Thus it’s important to always keep in mind the importance of developing wholesome mind-states and reducing unwholesome mind-states; and also to remember that anything which does not directly contribute to our practice is ultimately unimportant.
Just as rain penetrates a poorly roofed house,
In the same way, lust invades an undeveloped mind.Just as rain does not penetrate a well-roofed house,
In the same way, lust does not invade a well-developed mind.
The importance of this verse is in the Four Noble Truths, the foundational principles of Buddhism: namely, discontent, dissatisfaction, and misery arise from desire. So when our minds are undeveloped, desire easily invades the mind, which produces unpleasant mental and emotional experiences. However, when our minds are well- developed, through practicing sense-restraint and concentration, then desire not invade our minds, and we remain calm, peaceful, and content.
They feel sorrow here, they feel sorrow after death;
Those who have done bad deeds feel sorrow in both places.
They feel sorrow and anguish,
Having seen their own defiled actions.They rejoice here, they rejoice after death;
Those who have done good deeds rejoice in both places.
They rejoice and are overjoyed,
Having seen their own pure actions.They are tormented here, they are tormented after death;
Those who have done bad deeds are tormented in both places.
They are tormented [by the thought] “I have done bad deeds,”
And they are tormented even more when they arrive at a bad destination.They delight here, they delight after death;
Those who have good deeds delight in both places.
They are delighted [by the thought] “I have done good deeds,”
And they delight even more when they arrive at a good destination.
These verses indicate the functioning of karma: we tend to see the results of our choices both in our current life and also in future lives. Either way, it is wise to always make beneficial choices: choices based on motives of kindness, generosity, renunciation, and the effort to develop concentration and insight. These are the choices that lead to a happy life here and now, and if there are future lives, such choices will produce positive conditions there as well.
Even if one speaks much of the scriptures,
One is negligent if one does not act accordingly.
Like a cowherd counting cows that belong to others,
Such a person does not partake of the benefits of contemplative life.
Even if one speaks little of the scriptures,
Yet acts in accordance with the Dhamma,
Abandoning lust, hatred, and delusion,
With correct understanding and a well-liberated mind,
Not clinging anywhere,
Such a person partakes of the benefits of the contemplative life.
While an intellectual understanding of the teachings is important, it is not enough; one must also act in accordance with those teachings, and make a sincere effort to eliminate the underlying causes of dissatisfaction: desire, aversion, and delusion.