Liber Iovis - Chapter 6

Verses

Verse 8

The student said, Teacher, Jupiter is called Guru. Shall I bow to the planet? The teacher said, Bow first to the ignorance that invented distance.

Verse 9

The student asked, Is greatness holy? The teacher said, A mountain is great to an ant. Brahman is not great, for there is no second thing beside which to measure It.

Verse 10

Brihaspati teaches the gods, but the Self needs no teacher. Teaching is the thorn used to remove the thorn called confusion.

Verse 11

When wisdom expands you, discard the expansion also. The sky does not become larger when a cloud learns its name.

Verse 12

You seek a benefic in the heavens. Find first the one who divides heaven from witness.

Verse 13

Prosperity is useful until you must guard it. Knowledge is useful until you must defend being knowledgeable.

Verse 14

The king asked the sage for a kingdom without enemies. The sage gave him no kingdom.

Verse 15

Do not confuse abundance with fullness. A cup can overflow because it is small.

Verse 16

The cat beside the teacher opened one eye. The student asked what doctrine it followed. The teacher said, Apparently none, and see how little it suffers from commentary.

Verse 17

Guru is heavy, they say. Good. Let knowledge become heavy enough to sink through the person who claims to own it.

Verse 18

When the lesson ends, teacher and student vanish together. What remains was never enrolled.