[358] 12.
Whence could anger arise for one free from anger (akkodha),
for the tamed one of righteous living,
for one liberated through perfect knowledge,
for one at peace, the steadfast one (tādī)?
Whoever returns anger to one who is angry
becomes thereby the worse of the two;
not returning anger to the angry one,
he wins a battle hard to win.
He pursues the good of both,
his own and the other's,
who, knowing the other to be enraged,
mindfully keeps his peace.
Of those who heal both,
themselves and the other,
people think, "They are fools" —
those who are unskilled in the Dhamma.
If anger should arise, reflect upon the simile of the saw;
if craving (taṇhā) for tastes should arise, recall the simile of the son's flesh.
If your mind (citta) runs off among sensual pleasures and existences,
restrain it swiftly with mindfulness (sati),
as one restrains a wayward beast that feeds upon the growing crops.
The Elder Brahmadatta.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.