No.154 - Safe Refuge

To sacred hills, woods and groves,
To sacred trees and shrines
Do people go, gripped by fear.

But they are not safe refuges,
Not the best refuge.
Not by going there
Is one freed from all suffering.

But whoever takes refuge
In the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha
Will understand with wisdom
The Four Noble Truths:

Suffering, its cause, its overcoming,
And the Noble Eightfold Path
Leading to its overcoming.

And this is a safe refuge,
The best refuge.
Having taken refuge here,
One is freed from all suffering.

Dhammapada 1

No.153 - Reflections

"What do you think about this?" said the Lord. "What is the purpose of a mirror?"
"It is for the purpose of reflection, sir," replied Rahula.
"Even so, an action to be done by body, speech or mind should only be done after careful reflection."

Majjhima Nikaya I.415