Let's keep our integrity intact

 

Dhammapada verse 84 by lynnjkelly

He is indeed virtuous, wise, and righteous who neither for his own sake nor for the sake of another (does any wrong), who does not crave for sons, wealth, or [power], and does not desire success by unjust means. (translated by Acariya Buddharakkhita)

Unlike many of the verses in the Dhammapada, this one seems to be addressed not to monastics but to laypeople. I've substituted the word "power" for "kingdoms", on advice from my in-house Pali scholar.

The first takeway could be that we cannot accomplish anything good if we are doing harm along the way. One example might be a teacher or parent acting unnecessarily harshly to "teach someone a lessson". In such cases, the only lesson learned is that bullying is the way of the world. Another example is trying to gain wealth by unethical means, even if we have a legitimate need for funds. 

In ancient India, sons were considered a form of wealth, along with farms, cattle, and bonded servants. When one is in a position of power, the temptation may be present to preserve and increase one's assets through means that are not entirely fair to all parties.

It's interesting, too, that the case of doing wrong in order to benefit someone other than oneself is mentioned. So, making appeals on false grounds in order to help a person, or a cause one desires to advance, is explicitly condemned. In short, if the means are corrupt, the ends cannot be good; the means can't justify the ends.

There is also a clear reference to right livelihood in this verse, mostly by way of describing wrong livelihood. It invites us to consider whether we want something so badly that we start imagining or investigating ways to acquire it that might not otherwise occur to us -- cheating on an exam, for example, or getting a desired result through bribery.

It will always be wise to keep our integrity intact. We can only do this with continuous mindfulness of our motives and actions.