(no subject)

[forgottenmagia]

Those who fail to distinguish
The nonessential from the essential
And the essential from the nonessential,
Will, in feeding on wrong thoughts,
Fail to attain the essential.

On the other hand, those who correctly perceive
The essential as essential
And the nonessential as nonessential
Will, in feeding on right thoughts,
Attain the essential.

For the doer of evil there is only grief,
Here as well as hereafter.
In both states he experiences grief,
Seeing his own unwholesome acts.

For the doer of good deeds there is rejoicing,
Here as well as hereafter.
Joy and more joy are his,
As he sees his own right action.

The doer of evil reaps suffering,
Here and hereafter,
In both states remembering, "I have committed evil."
Not only here, but hereafter, he experiences more suffering.
Because he has gone to a state of suffering.

The doer of good deeds reaps happiness,
Here and hereafter,
In both states remembering, "I have gone good deeds."
And there is more joy,
Because he has gone to a blissful state.

- Shantideva's writings