A Collection of Buddhist Wisdom Verses - Ancient Buddhist Texts

15: Deeds
288. Paṭikacceva taṁ kay i rā, yaṁ jaññā hitam-attano,
Na sākaṭikacintāya Mantā Dhīro parakkame.
Cautiously he will do his deeds,
Knowing what benefits himself,
Not with thoughts wrongly directed
Should the Wise One make his effort.
289. Yathā sākaṭiko mattaṁ samaṁ hitvā mahāpathaṁ,
Visamaṁ maggam-āruyha, akkhacchinno 'vajhāyati,
For the drunken carter who has
Abandoned the even highway
And mounted an uneven road,
Will brood on his broken axle,
290. Evaṁ Dhammā apakkamma, adhammam-anuvattiya,
Mando Maccumukhaṁ patto, akkhacchinno va jhāyati.
So too the one who leaves the Dhamma,
And follows what is not Dhamma,
Falls into Death's mouth, like the one
Brooding on his broken axle.
194