Page:Henry Mulford Tichenor - The Buddhist Philosophy of Life.djvu/18

 16 empty are their pleasures, how vain are their endeavors! Hollow like the plantain-tree, without contents like the bubble.

The world is full of evil and sorrow, because it is full of lust. Men follow after delusion rather than truth. Rather than truth they follow error, which is pleasing to look upon in the beginning, but in the end causes tribulation and unhappiness.

The truth remains hidden from him who is in the bondage of hate and lust. Nirvana remains incomprehensible to those beclouded with worldly interests.

Conquerors are those who have conquered self and the passions of self; victors are those who control their own minds and abstain from evil.

He who fills his lamp with water will not dispel the darkness, and he who tries to build a fire with rotten wood will fail.

Sensuality is enervating; the self-indulgent man is a slave to his passions; pleasure seeking becomes degrading. But to satisfy the necessities of life is not evil. To keep the body in good health is a duty. Otherwise we cannot trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our minds strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus-flower, but does not wet its petals.

There is a middle path, that keeps aloof from extremes.

He who recognizes the existence of suffering, its cause, its remedy, has found the four noble truths. He will walk in the right path. Right views will be the torch to light his way. Right