Wiser by Day
Kind Mind · Lesson 1 of 6 · Free
Start close to home
Practise goodwill, starting with yourself and moving outward.
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Read the recording transcriptThe lesson
Welcome. Goodwill is a skill, and like any skill it can be practised. Over six short days, we'll practise it, starting with the person closest to you, yourself, and moving outward. Today, we simply begin.
If a man hold himself dear, let him watch himself carefully; during one at least out of the three watches a wise man should be watchful.Traditionally attributed to the Buddha · Dhammapada, verse 157
F. Max Müller, 1881
The verse begins with an ordinary premise: if you hold yourself dear. It treats self-regard as natural, and then asks what follows. What follows is attention. We look after what we cherish by watching over it. The watches in the verse are old divisions of the night, so the idea is simple: for at least some part of each day, be on your own side, and pay attention. Not harshly. The way a good friend would.
Try it for yourself
A short reflection
Rest a hand on your lap or your chest, if that's comfortable. Silently offer yourself a plain wish, such as: may I be well. Or: may I be at ease. Use whichever wording feels true enough. You don't need to feel anything special. If the words feel odd, that's fine. Keep them gentle, and return to your breath. Take two and a half minutes.
One question to write about
What wording felt true enough, if any?
You can reflect without writing. Nothing you think or write on this page is collected.
Recording transcript
This text follows the recorded narration. Source credits for the quoted passage appear above.
Welcome. Goodwill is a skill, and like any skill it can be practised. Over six short days, we'll practise it, starting with the person closest to you, yourself, and moving outward. Today, we simply begin. From the Dhammapada, a collection of early Buddhist verses, in Max Müller's translation of 1881. If a man hold himself dear, let him watch himself carefully; during one at least out of the three watches a wise man should be watchful. Traditionally attributed to the Buddha, Dhammapada, verse 157. The verse begins with an ordinary premise: if you hold yourself dear. It treats self-regard as natural, and then asks what follows. What follows is attention. We look after what we cherish by watching over it. The watches in the verse are old divisions of the night, so the idea is simple: for at least some part of each day, be on your own side, and pay attention. Not harshly. The way a good friend would. Rest a hand on your lap or your chest, if that's comfortable. Silently offer yourself a plain wish, such as: may I be well. Or: may I be at ease. Use whichever wording feels true enough. You don't need to feel anything special. If the words feel odd, that's fine. Keep them gentle, and return to your breath. Take two and a half minutes. What wording felt true enough, if any? That's enough for today. Tomorrow, we turn toward other people.