Be alert and make an effort to develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
Be without aversion or attachment toward beings, however weak or strong they may be. Compare yourself to others in such terms as:
Just as I am, so are they.
Just as they are, so am I.
The impulse “I want” and the impulse “I’ll have” — lose them. That is where most people get stuck — without those, one with vision should set out on the path and cross over hell.
This is what I’ve been given: that’s good.
I haven’t been given anything: that’s fine.
Be razor sharp. Keep your tongue relaxed so the top is resting on the roof of your mouth and your stomach is quiet and appetite restrained.
Let go of the chained mind, the states involving attachment. Do not spend much time thinking about irrelevancies. No defilements, no ties, no dependency: only dedication to the practices of a pure life.
Listen to the sound of the water. Listen to the water running through chasms and rocks. It is the minor streams that make a loud noise; the great waters flow silently. The hollow resounds and the full is still. Foolishness is like a half-filled pot; the wise man is a lake full of water.
Adapted from the Nalaka Sutta (Sutta Nipata 3.11), based on the translations by H.Saddhatissa and K.R. Norman. Additional variations can be found Karashima and Marciniak’s The Questions of Nālaka in the Mahāvastu, Suttanipāta and the Fobenxingji jing.