Dhammapada, Chapter 6 summary
Chapter 6 of 26 · 2 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 6, the verses urge people to accept correction from wise teachers, choose virtuous friends, and shape themselves rather than chase pleasure or unjust success. The teaching moves from steady conduct amid praise and sorrow toward leaving ordinary life, ending attachment, and finding freedom within this world.
What happens
- The verses urge people to follow wise guides who correct faults and discourage improper conduct.
- They recommend virtuous friends and describe happiness through devotion to the law.
- Images of skilled workers, a rock, and a lake illustrate self-discipline, steadiness, and serenity.
- Wisdom rejects selfish desires and success gained through injustice.
- Few reach the other shore, but following the law offers passage beyond death.
- The wise person is urged to embrace homeless life, abandon attachment, and cleanse the mind.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The comparison makes steadiness a defining mark of wisdom. Other people's approval or criticism does not control the wise person's state of mind.
Quick check
What do wise people shape, according to the comparison with skilled workers?
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