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Lot Essay
The poem may be translated:
In its original state, the mind is a void; it responds nimbly to external things.
To grasp it there is an essential principle, and that principle is vision.
Restrain yourself and treat others with propriety; in the long run you become attuned to Sincerity.
In man there is an innate constancy which is inherited from Nature.
Beguiled by intellect and changing together with external things, he then lost his equilibrium.
Noble are the enlightened ones, who know where to stop and retain their tranquility.
Ward off temptations, persist in Sincerity, do not lend your ears to talk of impurity.
When one's mind stirs, he speaks to express the thoughts:
Hold back impulsive words and careless babble, that the inner state may concentrate and rest unperturbed.
Never utter that which contradicts the laws of the sages; when you do speak out let it be in awe.
Men of wisdom detect motivation in its hidden instance, for they keep Sincerity in their thought.
Men of will carry out their actions with perseverance; they hold fast to principle through their performance.
Go in accord with Reason: you will prosper; indulge in desires: you will be in danger.
Keep this constantly in mind even in hurried moments, and discipline yourself feverishly.
Practice turns the habit into second nature, thus one may attain the state of both the sages and the virtuous.
In its original state, the mind is a void; it responds nimbly to external things.
To grasp it there is an essential principle, and that principle is vision.
Restrain yourself and treat others with propriety; in the long run you become attuned to Sincerity.
In man there is an innate constancy which is inherited from Nature.
Beguiled by intellect and changing together with external things, he then lost his equilibrium.
Noble are the enlightened ones, who know where to stop and retain their tranquility.
Ward off temptations, persist in Sincerity, do not lend your ears to talk of impurity.
When one's mind stirs, he speaks to express the thoughts:
Hold back impulsive words and careless babble, that the inner state may concentrate and rest unperturbed.
Never utter that which contradicts the laws of the sages; when you do speak out let it be in awe.
Men of wisdom detect motivation in its hidden instance, for they keep Sincerity in their thought.
Men of will carry out their actions with perseverance; they hold fast to principle through their performance.
Go in accord with Reason: you will prosper; indulge in desires: you will be in danger.
Keep this constantly in mind even in hurried moments, and discipline yourself feverishly.
Practice turns the habit into second nature, thus one may attain the state of both the sages and the virtuous.