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Blessing One: Not Associating 
with Fools 1 
a manual 
of peace: 
38 Steps towards 
Enlightened Living 
2 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
A Dhammakaya Foundation 
Paperback 
First Edition 2005 
Published by the Dhammakaya 
Foundation 
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Department of International 
Relations 
23/2 Moo 7., Khlong Sam, 
Khlong Luang 
Patumthani 12120 Thailand 
Tel. (+66 02) 524 0257-63 
Copyright © 2005 by the 
Dhammakaya Foundation 
All Rights Reserved. No portion 
of this book may be reproduced, 
stored in a retrieval system or 
transmitted, in any form or by any 
means, electronic, mechanical, 
photocopying, recording or 
otherwise, 
without the prior and express 
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written consent of the publisher 
National Library of Thailand 
Cataloging in Publication Data 
Dhammakaya Foundation 
A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
Bangkok: Dhammakaya 
Foundation, 2005 
466p. 
1. Buddhism 
I. Title 
294.315 
ISBN 974-93135-5-0 
Printed in Thailand by : 
Craftsman Press Co.,Ltd 
487/42 Soi Wattanasilp, 
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Rajprarop Road, 
Makkasan, Rajthevee, Bangkok, 
Thailand 
Tel: +66-2-2533009, 2533298 
Blessing One: Not Associating 
with Fools 3 
May the meritorious fruits 
accruing 
from the study of this book 
be dedicated for the benefit of 
George, Annie, Alice, Lilian, 
Richard, Harry, Alfred George, 
Arthur, Norman, Ivan (nee 
Lee) & Evelyn Ayre, Ellen Mary 
Stokell, Hannah Carr, George 
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& Charles F. Lee, Elizabeth, 
John & Margaret Curry, Anne 
Fenwick, Annie Jarman, Dennis 
George, Dennis Arthur & 
Malcolm Woods, Emily Mary 
Casbon, William Jabez & Ethel 
Dawes, Moses Edmund, Gladys, 
Hilda, Cecil, Reginald and 
Marie Heaton wherever they 
have been reborn. 
4 Contents 
Contents 5 
Preface to the First Edition 
 
7 
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The Manual of Peace in Action 
 
10 
Abbreviations 
 
18 
Orientation 
 
19 
BLESSING GROUP I.: 
TURNING YOUR BACK ON 
UNWHOLESOMENESS 
 
25 
1. Not Associating with Fools 
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2 
7 
2. Associating with the Wise 
37 
3. Expressing Respect to those 
worth of respect 
 
51 
BLESSING GROUP II.: 
TURNING TOWARDS 
WHOLESOMENESS 
 
65 
4. Living in an Amenable Location 
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67 
5. Having done Good Deeds in 
one's 
past 
 
77 
6. Setting Oneself up properly in 
life 
 
91 
BLESSING GROUP III.: 
SETTING ONESELF UP IN 
LIFE 
 
101 
7. Artfulness in Knowledge 
 
1 
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03 
8. Artfulness in Application 
113 
9. Artfulness in Usage 
 
 119 
10. Artfulness in Speech 
 
 131 
BLESSING GROUP IV.: 
HARMONY IN THE FAMILY 
LIFE 
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139 
11. Cherishing our parents 
..141 
12. Raising our children 
 
 153 
13. Cherishing our husband or wife 
 
165 
14. Not Leaving one's work 
undone 
177 
BLESSING GROUP V.: 
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BECOMING A PILLAR OF 
SOCIETY 
 
183 
15. Generosity 
 
 185 
16. Dhamma Practice 
 
 197 
17. Looking after one's extended 
family 
205 
18. Blameless Work 
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213 
Contents 
6 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
BLESSING GROUP VI.: 
PREPARATION OF MIND 
 
223 
19. Abstaining from 
Unwholesomeness 
 
225 
20. Restraint from Drinking 
Intoxicants 
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233 
21. Non-recklessness in the 
Dhamma 
2 
43 
BLESSING GROUP VII.: 
INSTILLING ONESELF WITH 
BASIC 
VIRTUES 
251 
22. Respect 
 
253 
23. Humility 
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261 
24. Contentment 
 
269 
25. 
Gratitude 
 
281 
26. Listening Regularly to 
Dhamma Teachings 
 
291 
BLESSING GROUP VIII.: 
INSTILLING ONESELF WITH 
HIGHER 
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VIRTUES 
301 
27. Patience 
 
303 
28. Openness to Criticism 
.... 311 
29. The Sight of a True Monk 
 
3 
21 
30. Regular Discussion of the 
Dhamma 
 
331 
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BLESSING GROUP IX.: 
PRACTICE FOR THE 
ERADICATION OF 
DEFILEMENTS 
34 
5 
31. The Practice of Austerities 
34 
7 
32. Practising the Brahma-Faring 
 
357 
33. Seeing the Four Noble Truths 
 
371 
34. The Attainment of Nirvana 
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38 
5 
BLESSING GROUP X : THE 
FRUITS OF HAVING 
PRACTISED UNTIL 
REACHING AN END OF 
DEFILEMENTS 
393 
35. A Mind Invulnerable to 
Worldly Vicissitudes 
 
395 
36. Sorrowlessness 
 
403 
37. Freedom from Subtle 
Defilements 
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 411 
38. The Blissful Mind 
 
421 
INDICES 
I. General Index 
 
425 
II. Pali Index 
 
449 
III. Index of Similes 
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454 
IV. Index of Illustrated Examples 
456 
Preface 7 
Preface to the First 
Edition 
How this book should be used 
Most problems in the world can be 
traced back to the 
habits of the people inhabiting the 
world 
the things 
we do, say and think until having 
become used to it. 
These habits can either be good or 
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bad. Supposing 
you have good habits, the sort of 
things which you 
do, say and think again and again 
will be the things 
that bring you happiness in life —
especially the habit 
of being responsible for human 
dignity on a personal 
level, human dignity of others in 
society and 
responsibility for fair economics. 
All the thirty-eight 
virtues discussed in this Manual of 
Peace need to 
become our habits if they are to be 
of any use to us — 
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