A Collection of Buddhist Wisdom Verses - Ancient Buddhist Texts

These days, of course, things appear to be much more confusing.
They are, in the sense that the lines between right and wrong can
often be very grey, and actions may seem remote from results;
they are not, when ethical principles are clearly understood and
applied.
The teachings herein cover how to live in the right way and
avoid the wrong way; how to honestly gain one's wealth and use
it fruitfully; how to choose one's friends and be wary of the
treacherous; what are helpful and harmful modes of speech; how
to judge the character of others; and many other topics, that are
all dealt with in a memorable and succint way.
This is also a book that can be returned to time and again to
remind oneself of the teachings, and in that sense each of the
stories is a meditative reflection. In its present form it also acts
as an easy source book for some of the many teachings there are
for the lay community in the Canon, and can be utilised to find
guidance when in doubt.
There are altogether 251 sections to the book, and each story has
anywhere between one and eleven verses 1 attached to it.
Sometimes we also find that different verses have been drawn
from the same source, but separately, so as to illustrate different
moral points. 2
1 See Sakkasaṁyuttaṁ (SN 1.11.4) vs. 390-400 in this collection.
2 For instance there are 23 verses that have been extracted from the
Sigālasuttaṁ (DN 31), but they appear in 6 different places.
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