Tirukural – Chapter 102
Chapter 102: Possession of Modesty
Verse 1015
A man stands handcuffed before a judge who is deciding his fate.A friend in the foreground is waiting for the judgment, sad because he sympathizes with his friend’s sorrowful situation. A Goddess places her hand on the friend’s head, honoring his modesty and compassion.
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Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 1011
For fair-faced maidens, modesty means bashfulness,
but the deeper modesty shies away from shameful karmas.
Verse 1012
Food, clothing and such do not differ much among people;
what distinguishes good men from others is modesty.
Verse 1013
All life clings to a body;
perfect goodness clings to all that is modest.
Verse 1014
Is not modesty a jewel adorning perfect men?
Without it, is not their strut an awful blemish to behold?
Verse 1015
The world decrees that men who are as ashamed
by others’ disgrace as by their own are modesty’s fondest home.
Verse 1016
The great would rather hold themselves behind
modesty’s barricade than breach it to acquire the vast world.
Verse 1017
Those who prize unpretentiousness will forsake life to preserve it.
But they never forsake modesty for the sake of life.
Verse 1018
If a man does not feel ashamed of what makes others feel ashamed,
virtue itself will be ashamed of him.
Verse 1019
Failing to observe good conduct, one sets his family on fire.
Living in shamelessness, he incinerates everything good.
Verse 1020
The movements of men devoid of modesty mock life,
like wooden puppets suspended on a string.
Tirukural – Chapter 101
Chapter 101: Wealth That Benefits No One
Verse 1009
A man has chosen a lonely life so that he might acquire a great storehouse of wealth. This he has done, but now he must protect his treasure, and so he locks himself in a vault. He is alone, without close friends or family. Despite his efforts, two thieves are walking away with his belongings.
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Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 1001
He who has amassed great wealth but does not enjoy it
is reckoned as dead, like his unused heap.
Verse 1002
Believing wealth is everything, yet giving away nothing,
the miser himself will be possessed by a miserable birth.
Verse 1003
The mere sight of men who lust after wealth,
caring nothing for renown, is a burden to the Earth.
Verse 1004
What could a man, unloved by even a single soul,
imagine he might leave to posterity?
Verse 1005
Amid millions heaped high, a man remains poor
if he neither gives away his wealth nor enjoys it himself.
Verse 1006
Vast wealth can be a wretched curse to one who
neither gladdens himself in its worth nor gives to the worthy.
Verse 1007
The wealth of a greedy man who gives nothing to the needy
is like the beauty of a maiden growing old unwed.
Verse 1008
The wealth of a man whom no heart loves
is like fruits on a poisonous tree in the heart of a village.
Verse 1009
He who casts out love and dharma and chooses self-denial
so wealth can pile high will see it seized by strangers.
Verse 1010
The short-lived poverty of a benevolent rich man
is like the temporary dryness of a bountiful rain cloud.
Gurudeva Quote of the Day Calendar
For decades it has been one of the most popular little books from Himalayan Academy. It is "an eternal calendar," meaning it is designed in such a way that it never becomes obsolete. It's good from year to year. This is a new edition, inspired by devotees in Tucson, Arizona. They wanted the calendar to be available to all members, and to have Bodhinatha quotes included. So we added Bodhinatha photos and quotes, and also Yogaswami quotes. It's a rich collection of lofty thoughts and insights, with 365 quotes in all, and 52 photos, one for each week. The dedication notes it was produced especially for Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's 80th Jayanti, October 15, 2022.
Tirukural – Chapter 100
Chapter 100: Possession of Courtesy
Verse 999
It's a lovely day and one man enjoys the sky, the mountains and a nearby temple. Nature’s beauties bring a smile to his face and a joy in his heart. Another man has blindfolded himself with discontent, and his day is anything but bright. He cannot smile, and his world is nothing but darkness.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 991
They say if a man is easily accessible to everyone,
the virtue of courtesy will be easily accessible to him.
Verse 992
Loving kindness and birth in a good family--
these two are said to confer on one a gracious manner.
Verse 993
Resemblance among humans is not that their bodies look alike.
Real similarities come from similar traits of courtesy.
Verse 994
The world commends the civility of those
who combine fruitful effort and kindly benevolence.
Verse 995
Disparaging words are painful even when uttered in jest.
Hence, knowers of human nature are courteous even to enemies.
Verse 996
The world exists because civilized men exist.
Without them, it would collapse into mere dust.
Verse 997
Though their minds are as sharp as a wood rasp,
men without human decency are as wooden as a tree.
Verse 998
It is disgraceful to be discourteous towards others,
even to unfriendly fellows who treat you unjustly.
Verse 999
To those who cannot smile in joy, this wide world
lies engulfed in darkness, even in broad daylight.
Verse 1000
Great wealth amassed by men who lack sweet courtesy
is like good milk turned sour in an unclean vessel.
Pillaiyar Kulam Building Expansion Update
Tirukural – Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Perfect Goodness
Verse 989
A massive storm has struck the seashore causing waves and winds that have destroyed a man's home. Even amid this tragedy and loss, he stands firmly on the ground, his legs apart as he faces the storm with profound courage and stoic acceptance.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 981
It is said that all good things are natural to those
who know their duty and walk the path of perfect goodness.
Verse 982
Perfect men hold as good their own good character.
They count no other goodness so genuinely good.
Verse 983
Love, modesty, propriety, a kindly eye and truthfulness--
these are the five pillars on which perfect goodness rests.
Verse 984
Penance is the goodness that refrains utterly from killing.
Perfection is the goodness that refuses to utter others' faults.
Verse 985
Humility is the strength of the strong
and the instrument the wise use to reform their foes.
Verse 986
The touchstone of perfect character is
accepting with dignity defeat from one's inferiors.
Verse 987
Of what gain is perfect goodness if it does not do good to all,
even to those who have done painful things to others?
Verse 988
Deprived of all else, one remains undisgraced
if still endowed with strength of character.
Verse 989
Destiny's last days may surge with oceanic change,
yet perfectly good men remain, like the shore, unchanged.
Verse 990
Should the perfect virtue of perfect men ever diminish,
this mighty Earth would bear our burdensome weight no more.
Tirukural – Chapter 98
Chapter 98: Greatness
Verse 972
Here we see nine vignettes of life experiences which determine the greatness or the meanest of a man. From top to bottom there is a student studying diligently, a man working hard in the field, a lazy fellow, a priest who is worshiping in the temple, a farmer tilling his rice fields, a thief breaking into another person’s home, scholar teaching his students, a father mediating an argument with his neighbors and, finally, a criminal who has been imprisoned.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 971
The aspiration for glorious achievement is the light of life.
Disgrace is the dark thought that says, "I can live without it."
Verse 972
All men who live are alike at birth.
Diverse actions define their distinction and distinctiveness.
Verse 973
Lowly men are never high, even when elevated.
High souls are never low, even when downtrodden.
Verse 974
Like chastity in a woman, greatness is guarded
by being true to one's own self.
Verse 975
A man possessing greatness possesses the power
to effectively perform uncommonly difficult deeds.
Verse 976
"We will befriend great men and become like them."
Such thoughts seldom intrude upon small minds.
Verse 977
When small-minded men do achieve some distinction,
it only serves to augment their arrogance.
Verse 978
Greatness is always humbly self-effacing,
while pettiness adorns itself with words of praise.
Verse 979
Greatness abides in the absence of arrogance.
Smallness proudly parades its fulsome haughtiness.
Verse 980
Greatness conceals by silence the weaknesses of others.
Pettiness promptly proclaims such things to all.
Tirukural – Chapter 97
Chapter 97: Honor
Verse 970
A man has been brought to a judge in a secure courthouse. The judge finds him guilty and offers him two choices of punishment, shown by the two fingers he holds up. The accused does not see honor in either of those choices, and he holds up a third finger on his hand to indicate he is choosing death instead of dishonoring his innocence.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 961
Shun any actions that will diminish honor,
even if they are vital for the preservation of life.
Verse 962
Those who honorably pursue glory never act ingloriously,
even if glorious fame is to be gained.
Verse 963
Cultivate modesty in the midst of good fortune,
but in times of adversity preserve your dignity.
Verse 964
Honorable men fallen from high status
are like useless hair fallen from the head.
Verse 965
Unworthy acts, though mustard-seed small, will bring down
a man, though he towers like a mountain.
Verse 966
It offers neither Earth's renown nor Heaven's refuge,
so why do men run after and stand by those who revile them?
Verse 967
Better to die right where you stand, the saying goes,
than to live running after those who despise you.
Verse 968
Will any medicine preserve the body of the high-born man
whose honor has already perished?
Verse 969
Shorn of its hair, the yak will refuse to live.
Such men do exist who prefer death to the loss of honor.
Verse 970
The world will extol and exalt honorable men
who exult in death rather than endure dishonor.
Tirukural – Chapter 96
Appendix
The Qualities of People
Chapter 96: Nobility
Verse 960
An accomplished artist, whose masterpiece is behind him, has just received a trophy and monetary awards for his achievement. He is enjoying the accolades of the crowd who have come to the event. He shows his nobility by pressing his hands together and honoring all present in true humility.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 951
An innate sense of right and shying away from wrong
are found together only in the nobly born.
Verse 952
Men of noble birth will never fall away from these three:
correct conduct, truthfulness and modesty.
Verse 953
Four traits define the true gentleman: a smiling face,
a generous hand, a courteous demeanor and kindly words.
Verse 954
Though millions upon millions could be gained by it,
men nobly born would never commit a demeaning deed.
Verse 955
Though their means of charitableness may be cut off,
venerable families will never be severed from propriety.
Verse 956
Those committed to their family's flawless fame
dare not commit deceitful, dishonorable deeds.
Verse 957
In high-born men, blemishes are clearly seen,
just as the moon's elevation makes it more visible.
Verse 958
When a man with good background lacks loving affection,
doubts arise whether he arose from that family.
Verse 959
The nature of a soil is known by the seedlings it sprouts.
The nature of a man's family is known by the words he speaks.
Verse 960
Those desiring greatness must desire modesty. Those seeking
their family's honor must seek to be respectful to all.
Tirukural – Chapter 95
Chapter 95: Medicine
Verse 945
Above, a householder is taking his lunch on a banana leaf. He is eating wholesome rice and curry with lots of fresh vegetables. Behind him a family elder who has followed this diet his whole life is smiling and physically fit. Below, a less controlled man is eating and drinking over abundantly. His diet is alcohol, fish and meat. Nearby, an elder in his household, who is following this diet, is suffering from many ailments.
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Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 941
Disease is but deficiency or excess of three life forces,
defined by writers of scientific texts as air, fire and water.
Verse 942
The body requires no medicine if you eat
only after the food you have already eaten is digested.
Verse 943
Once digestion is complete, eat with moderation;
that is the way to prolong the life of the body.
Verse 944
Assured the last meal has digested and sensing a keen appetite,
savor only foods that are fully agreeable.
Verse 945
Life remains unharmed when one eats with restraint,
refraining from foods that have proven disagreeable.
Verse 946
The pleasures of health abide in the man who eats moderately.
The pains of disease dwell with him who eats excessively.
Verse 947
The thoughtless glutton who gorges himself beyond the limits
of his digestive fires will be consumed by limitless ills.
Verse 948
Diagnose the illness, trace its cause,
seek the appropriate remedy and apply it skillfully.
Verse 949
An accomplished doctor prescribes a remedy after considering
the patient's nature, the disease's nature and the time of year.
Verse 950
Medicine consists of a patient, a physician, a prescription
and a nurse--each of these having four parts.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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