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Ways of the World
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(to deal with). Water, at first cool ( when poured ) over hands, turns otherwise while drinking.
958. Rare indeed are those having manifold merits. Even a man with a single (outstanding ) merit is not found everywhere. Lucky if we come across men, who (though without merits ) have at least no faults. We would (hail and ) praise even a man with but a rare fault.
959. Behaviour, impolite, lends grace to public beauties. Smoke alone is preferred to a blaze in the case of fragrant pieces of wood.
960. In the sphere of mutual dealings ( vayahārapaha), men with a few faults in them are good and great. How otherwise (iharā) is intimate association possible with those, who are (perfect), uncommon (and extraordinary) ?
961. Of what use is the qualification on account of qualities for those who cannot rise to eminence ? It may be, this ( eminence) is not possible because of its being overshadowed by other people's good deeds. Yet their qualification is there.
962. Those alone are (genuine ) faults, which are heard (being talked about ) even after the man is dead. And those are alone real qualities ( high and noble ), which are ( lauded and ) recognised even during his life-time.
963. Observe (ņieha) men's complexion (of countenance) only in their open dealings. Why (talk) of ( what he has in ) his heart ? The flash of gems ( teuggama), shooting outside, is not ( seen in the interior ) of gems, if broken into pieces (bhamgammi).
964. Some there are to whom merits are on par with faults; some, who only look out for faults and some others, who are averse as much to faults as to merits. There are, however, none who can detect merits as well as faults and then pick up only merits.
965. A certain man (in the course of dealings ) appears to darken (sāmāamta) (in his face ), as it were; but then ( taha vi ) he is quite pure at heart. It is only the greenish (raw) mangofruit, which develops (yellow colour to mark ) its highest stage of ripenesss (pariņāmaparamattha ).
966. Although looking quite clean and pure (outwardly) in his action, a man is exactly the same that he basically is (i. e.
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