Brahma­datta

For one without anger, tamed, living calmly,
Liberated by right knowledge,
At peace, poised:
Where would anger come from?
One who gets angry at an angry person
Just makes things worse.
One who doesn’t get angry at an angry person
Wins a battle hard to win.
When you know that the other is angry,
You act for the good of both
Yourself and the other,
If you are mindful, and stay calm.
Those who are unskilled in Dhamma
Consider one who heals both
Oneself and the other
To be a fool.
If anger arises in you,
Reflect on the simile of the saw;
If craving for flavours arises in you,
Remember the simile of the son’s flesh.
If your mind runs
Among sensual pleasures and rebirth in various states of existence,
Quickly curb it with mindfulness,
As one would curb a greedy cow eating corn.