Chapter 12

If you hold yourself dear, watch over yourself carefully; a wise person should stay alert during at least one of the three watches of the night.

Let each person first set themselves straight in what is right, and only then teach others; in this way the wise will not bring suffering on themselves.

If you live the way you teach others to live, then, having mastered yourself, you can guide others; but mastering oneself is truly difficult.

You are your own master—who else could be? With yourself well mastered, you gain a master that few ever find.

The evil a person does, born of themselves and bred by themselves, crushes the fool the way a diamond shatters a precious stone.

One whose wickedness is overwhelming drags themselves into the very state their enemy would wish for them, just as a creeping vine pulls down the tree it has wrapped itself around.

Harmful actions, and ones that hurt ourselves, are easy to do; what is helpful and good is very hard to do.

The fool who scorns the teaching of the worthy ones (Arahats), of the noble ones (Ariyas), of the virtuous, and follows false doctrine instead, produces fruit that destroys them, like the fruit of the Katthaka reed.

By oneself evil is done; by oneself one suffers. By oneself evil is left undone; by oneself one is made pure. Purity and impurity belong to oneself alone—no one can purify another.

Let no one neglect their own duty for the sake of another’s, however great that other duty may be; once you have discerned your own duty, always attend to it.