Do not succumb to rain,
Do not succumb to a gale,
Do not succumb to snow or cracking heat.

With a strong body, unselfish,
Without temper, cultivate a quiet joy.

Eat four meals a day:
Brown rice, miso, vegetables.

Let others win the race,
Watch and listen with care.
Hold on to your memories, learn from them,
Struggle to understand.

In the shade of a pine glade, live in a simple hut.

When a child is sick in the East, care for him.
When a mother collapses in the West, carry her rice sheaves.
When a man lays dying in the South, offer your ear, ease his fear.
When a fight breaks out in the North, take neither side.
Convince them that quarrels are a waste of time.

Empathise with those who live with hunger,
Walk with modest steps in the cold summer.

Accept no praise,
Endure bitter criticism,
Be dismissed by all your peers.

This is the person I want to become.