This precious human birth

Buddha-Suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water, and a man were
to toss a yoke(ring) with a single hole there. A wind from the east would push it west, a
wind from the west would push it east. A wind from the north would push it south, a wind
from the south would push it north.
And suppose a blind sea-turtle were there. It would come to the surface once every one
hundred years. Now what do you think: would that blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface
once every one hundred years, stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?
Monks-"It would be a sheer coincidence, lord, that the blind sea-turtle, coming to the
surface once every one hundred years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single
hole.
Buddha-"It's likewise a sheer coincidence that one obtains the human state.
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Prayer
May suffering ones be suffering free
And the fear struck fearless be.
May the grieving shed all grief
And may all beings find relief.
May all beings share this merit
That we have thus acquired
For the acquisition of
All kind of happiness.
May beings inhabiting space and earth
Devas and Nagas of mighty power
Share in this merit of ours.
May they long protect
the Buddhas Dispensation.
Sdhu! Sdhu! Sdhu!
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Dhammapada verses
Mind is the forerunner of (all evil) states. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or
acts with wicked mind, suffering follows one, even as the wheel follows the hoof of the draught-
ox.

Mind is the forerunner of (all good) states. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or
acts with pure mind, affection follows one, even as one's shadow that never leaves.
*****
Though a person recites sacred texts, but doesnt act accordingly, that heedless person is like a
cowherd who counts others cows. They have no share in the fruits of the holy life.
Though a person recites the sacred texts very little, but acts in accordance with the teaching,
they give up lust, hatred and delusion. They truly know what is good and this leads to a mind
that is free from suffering. They cling to nothing here and in the future. In this way, one shares
the fruits of the holy life
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Overcome anger by non anger,
Conquer evil by goodness,
Conquer the niggardly with a gift
And the liar with truth
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The world is held in bondage by delusion
And only appears to be capable .
To a fool, held in bondage by his acquisitions,
Enveloped in a mass of darkness,
It appears as if it were eternal;
But for one who sees there is nothing.
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The Simile of the Saw (Majjhima Nikya,
sutta MN-21, the Kakacpama Sutta)

HOW SHOULD WE TRAIN?
It says: There are these five courses of speech that others may use when they address
you: Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or untrue, gentle or harsh, connected
with good or with harm, spoken with a mind of loving-kindness or with inner hate. When
others address you their speech may be timely or untimely;when others address you
their speech may be true or untrue; when others
address you their speech may be gentle or harsh; when others address you their
speech may be connected with good or with harm; when others address you their
speech may be connected with loving-kindness or with inner hate.
You should train thus: My mind will remain unaffected, and I shall utter no evil words; I
shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of lovingkindness,without inner
hate. I shall abide pervading that person with a mind imbued with loving-kindness; and
starting with them, I shall abide pervading loving-kindness to the all-encompassing
world with a mind that is abundant, exalted,
immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.

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Kamma alone is the real refuge of all beings. Whatever wholesome or unwholesome
actions are done by beings bodily, verbally, or mentally, they become the heirs of that
kamma.

Beings are the heirs of their own kamma.