01.08 Mittā Therī (8)

Norman

8. Mittā, having gone forth in faith, be one who delights in friends (mitta); develop good mental states for the attainment of rest-from-exertion.

Weingast

Full of trust you left home,

and soon learned to walk the Path—

making yourself a friend to everyone

and making everyone a friend.

When the whole world is your friend,

fear will find no place to call home.

And when you make the mind your friend,

you’ll know what trust

really means.

Listen.

I have followed this Path of friendship to its end.

And I can say with absolute certainty—

it will lead you home.

Other

1 comment

  1. Weingast evidently enjoys this one, as he has quoted himself on twitter and reddit. The first verse is vaguely adapted from the Pali, the remainder is invention. The Dhamma is not the Buddha’s. In the Buddha’s teaching, good friendship is essential because you have people to support you, show what is right and wrong, and teach you the Dhamma. It is thus an essential support for higher practices leading to enlightenment. In Weingast’s teachings, those higher practices have vanished, and friendship itself will lead you “home”.

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