A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.

If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.

Monks, one thing, if practiced and made much of, conduces to great thrill, great profit, great security after the toil, to mindfulness and self-possession, to the winning of knowledge and insight, to pleasant living in this very life, to the realization of the fruit of release by knowledge. What is that one thing: It is mindfulness centered on the body.

Why do what you will regret? Why bring tears upon yourself? Do only what you do not regret, And fill yourself with joy.

We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes unexpectedly. How can we bargain with it?

Transient are conditioned things. Try to accomplish your aim with diligence.