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The Dhammapada · 3 of 3 · tr. F. Max Müller

Chapter III, Section 1c

I translate it therefore in a more general sense, let him not return or turn away from the battle, let him watch Mâra, even after he is vanquished, let him keep up a constant fight against the adversary, without being attached to anything or anybody.] p. 15 an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly-directed mind will do us greater mischief. 43. Not a mother, not a father will do so much, nor any other relative; a well-directed mind will do us greater service. [43. See Beal, Dhammapada, p. 73.]
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Themes
Detachment Gelassenheitpraxis

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The instruction to keep up a constant fight against the adversary without being attached to anything aligns with the practice of radical letting-go.

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Good Thought Word Deedethics

The Zoroastrian triad of right thought, right speech, and right action as the foundation of ethical life; truth-in-living.

The passage explicitly contrasts the service of a well-directed mind with the mischief caused by a wrongly-directed one, reflecting the Zoroastrian triad of right thought.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The instruction to 'watch Mâra' implies a disciplined inward attention required for spiritual vigilance.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The statement that a well-directed mind does greater service than even a mother or father uses reversal to emphasize the value of mental state over familial ties.

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Renunciation Of Wealthethics

The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.

The passage explicitly instructs not to be attached to anything or anybody, emphasizing detachment from material and personal attachments.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The text emphasizes the importance of directing one's mind correctly as a path to liberation from evil.

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