Why Mahayana Rocks!

Considering the harm others do to you

As created by your former deeds, do not anger.

Act such that further suffering will not be created.

And your own faults will disappear.

---Nagarjuna

On Friendship

People who are not friendly toward you

Are not your friends

The same can be said about you vis-ά-vis them

Mastronarde Chpt 16, p.119, 3.1

1. ὲνθάδε οί μὲν καλοὶ ἀγαθοὶ τὴν πατρίδα βλάπτειν καὶ πλουτον λαμβάνειν οὐκ ἤθελον, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀδικεισθαι ὑπὸ των πονηρων εβουλοντο . τοις δε πυνηροις, οι αει αρχης τε και πλουτου επεθυμουν, τοτε εξην τησδε της χωρας κρατειν. Τους μεν γαρ στρατηγους αποκτεινουσι, τους δε ῥήτορας εις το ιερον απαγουσι και εκει φυλαττουσιν. επειτα το πληθος περι των πραγματων βοuλευεσθαι εκωλουν.

trans: there were, on the one hand, those good and noble ones who were not willing to take the wealth and harm the country, but they were planning not to be done wrong by the base and evil ones. For these were the evil ones who always wanted wealth and power (and opposed the good and noble ones). And it was thus possible that the evil ones to rule the land, to kill the generals, and take the rhetoricians and lock them in the temple. Thus the masses blocked (even) the planning of these things (before they happened).

2. ταυτα τα δεινα εκ του γεροντος αι του Δημοσθενους θυγατερες ακουουσι και αυτικα τους νεανιας ἤτουν ηγεισθαι εκ της χωρας εκεινης, εν ἠ ησαν θηρες τε και ορνιθες βλαβεροι.

trans: The daughters of Demosthenes heard these terrible things from the old man and at once asked the young men to lead him out of that land—into a land where there were wild beasts and birds.

3. ἔπειτα ὁ Παυσανίας τοις Αθνηαίς παρεκελεύετο κήρυκας πέμπειν περὶ της εἰρνης---οι δε επειθοντο.

trans: then Pausanias urged heralds be sent to the Athenians concerning peace—and they were believed.

4. επει δε ησαν επι ταις θυραις ταις Τισσαφερνους, οι μεν στρατηγοι εις την σκηνην ἔρχονται, οι δε στρατιωται επι ταις θυραις ἔμενον. Μετα δε ου μακρον χρονον εκεινοι τε ηρουντο και οθτοι εκπτοντο. Επειτα δε οι βαρβαροι δια του πεδιου ηλαυνον και τους Ελληνας απεκτεινον.
trans: when they were at the doors of Tissapherenes (a Persian ruler) the generals went into the tent, but the soldiers remained at the doors. After a long while the former were seized and the latter were pummeled. Then the Barbarians (Persians) drove across the plain and killed the Greeks.

Mastronarde Chpt 15

1. τίς ἐστιν ὁ ῥητωρ; Δημοσθένης, ὃς τὸ πλῆθος πείθει τὰς τριήρεις τοῖς πλουσίοις ἐπιτρέπειν καὶ τέλη εἰσφέρειν.
2.τι χρη ποιειν; οι μεν γαρ των Ελληνων εν τη των βαρβαρων χωρα μαχεςθαι φοβουνται, οι δε τω των Αθηναιων στρατηγω πειθεσθαι ουκ εθελοθσιν
3.ο πατηρ και η ματηρ την τε θυγατερα και υπ εκεινης φιλουνται.
4. τιν αγωνα παρασκευαζουσιν οι κριται: τινες νεαναι γερα φερονται;
5. ανοσιον εστι μη εχειν χαριν των αγαθων εργων α υπερ της δημοκρατιας εκενοι πραττουσιν.

1. who is the rhetor? Demosthenes, who urges the masses to turn over the war ships to the majority and to public service.
2. what should one do? On the one hand the Greeks fear being battled in the land of the Barbarians; on the other they do not desire to be commanded by the general of the Athenians.
3. the mother and father love the daughter and are loved by her.
4. which contest are the judges preparing for? Which youths (will) win prizes?
5. it is profane not to grasp the favor of good deeds which under democracy the latter provides for.

Greek with Mastronarde

I am certain that not many care, but I am working my way back through Mastronarde's An Introduction To Attic Greek (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993). I have decided to put on my blog the translations I make for the "sentences for reading" for the chapters I am doing. Why? 1) Mmaybe somebody has a similar interest. 2) I like to start what I finish. And by putting these transations up here it gives me one more reason to keep pushing on through this book. I have made it public, in a sense; and if I don't stick to it I will lose face (at least that how I hope the motivating illusion will work).

oh yeah, and if anybody knows how to type the accents in Unicode (which may not be possible since it seems to be a program desigined for for modern Greek) then please let me know.

chapter 14, p 105. Section III.


1. δια τας καλος ορνιθας ου φοβουμεθα τον προς εκεινος πολεμον.

2. κακον λειπειν την ασπιδα, αλλ’ αγαθον σωζειν την ψυχην.

3. μετα ταυτα υδωρ φεροθσιν οι γεροντες τοις νεανιας οι υπερ της πατριδος μαχονται.

4. οι φυλακες ους οι πολεμιοι αιροθσιν αποθνησκουσιν.

5. δει τον Ηρακλεα κρατειν τον τ’εν Νεμεα λεοντα τους τε γιγαντες τα τε καθ’ Ελλαδα τερατα.

translation

1. Because of the good omen we do not fear war against them.
2. The bad abandon hope, but the good preserve life.
3. Because of these things, the old men carry water to the young men who make war on behalf of the country.
4. The guards seize the enemies who are dying.
5. It is necessary for Heracles to control the lions in Nemea as well as the giants and monsters of Greece.