As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village.
Buddha Dhammapada, Verse 49, Flowers (300 BCE) Translated by F. Max Müller
Source checked by an editor
When and why it was written
- When
- From the chapter on flowers in the Dhammapada.
- Why
- The verse describes how a monk should live among householders, taking only what he needs.
What it means
The bee takes what it needs and leaves the flower whole. The image asks for a way of living among others that does no harm.
It is a gentle measure for any day: did I take only what I needed, and leave things as well as I found them?
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
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Dhammapada by Traditional (Pali Canon), 300 BCE
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