THE FIRST . If having been taught the truth , you do not follow it , you are like someone returning empty-handed from a land rich in precious gems .
THE SECOND . If having been a monk , you return to the life of a householder , you are like a moth flying into a flame .
THE THIRD . If you live with a wise teacher , and yet remain ignorant , you are like someone dying of thirst on the shore of a lake .
THE FOURTH . If you flout the moral percepts you have been given , you are like a sick person who refuses to take medicine .
THE FIFTH . If you preach religion , but do not practise it , you are like a parrot .
THE SIXTH . If you give to the poor money which you have obtained by robbery and deceit , you are like lightning striking the surface of water .
THE SEVENTH . If you pretend to be patient , you are like a cat stalking a mouse .
THE EIGHT . If you do good merely to obtain respect , you are exchanging a precious gem for a piece of goat’s dung .
THE NINTH . If you are clever in expounding religion , but have had no spiritual experiences , you are like a rich man who has lost the key to his treasury .
THE TENTH . If you try to explain teachings which you do not understand yourself , you are like a blind man leading the blind .
