Buddha on The Elephant

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Elephant".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is twenty-third in the series.

The image is Babar.

Directions:

Like the elephant,
Withstanding arrows of war,
So I shall endure.

Strong as elephants,
Steadfast like trees in water,
We shall not re-move.

Many lack morals
So to withstand oppression
You must be well-trained.

The trained elephant
Is the noble seat of kings,
Abiding in peace.

Mules, horses from Sindh
And elephants are noble
When tamed – man more so.

No means of transport
Can take you to the pure land,
None but your tamed self.

Great Dhanapala
In a rut goes wild, won’t eat
And yearns for his home.

The stupid in sloth
And gluttony fall asleep
Like ignorant pigs.

In the past this mind
Wandered as and where it liked
At its own pleasure.

Now I’ll tame this mind
With wisdom as a keeper
Tames an elephant.

Arise and delight
In mindfulness and guard well
Your mind from the mud.

Like the elephant
That pulls itself from a rut,
Make a great effort.

If one finds a friend
Wise, virtuous, steadfast and true,
One should live with him.

Joyful and mindful,
One overcomes all dangers
In good company.

If one has no friend
Wise, virtuous, steadfast and true,
One should live alone.

Alone like the king
Who relinquished his kingdom,
Live in the forest.

Like the elephant
Matanga, who roams alone,
Live in the forest.

Better live alone,
Carefree, doing no wrong, than
In bad company.

Without fellowship,
One should live without burden,
Free like Matanga.

It’s good to have friends
Who help you in need, happy
To see you happy.

It’s good to make do
With what is available
And be contented.

It’s good to be just,
Free from regret at life’s end,
Rid of all sorrow.

In this world, it’s good
To dote upon one’s mother
And serve one’s father.

In this world, it’s good
To provide food and shelter
For wisdom and grace.

It’s good till old age
To have virtue and strong faith,
To stay ever true.