Dear friends of mine gave me a very special gift on my 50th Birthday, The Shambhala Pocket Classic, Teachings of The Buddha, edited by Jack Kornfield. I opened to this page today after a morning spent in grasping comfort and seeking a salve against uncertainty and fear:
A person of wisdom should be truthful, without arrogance, without deceit, not slanderous and not hateful. The wise person should go beyond the evil of greed and miserliness.
To have your mind set on calmness, you must take power over sleepiness, drowsiness and lethargy. There is no place for laziness and no recourse to pride.
Do not be led into lying, do not be attached to forms. You must see through all pride and fare along without violence.
Do not get excited by what is old, do not be contented with what is new. Do not grieve for what is lost or be controlled by desire.
(adapted from the Sutta-nipata, translated by H. Saddhatissa)