The Precepts of Ptah-Hotep, part 5/5
If you hear those things which I have said to
you, your wisdom will be fully advanced. Although they are the means which are
suitable for arriving at the maat, and it is that which makes them precious,
their memory would recede from the mouth of men. But thanks to the beauty of
their arrangement in rhythm all their words will now be carried without alteration
over this earth eternally. That will create a canvass to be embellished,
whereof the great will speak, in order to instruct men in its sayings. After
having listened to them the pupil will become a master, even he who shall have
properly listened to the sayings because he shall have heard them. Let him win
success by placing himself in the first rank; that is for him a position
perfect and durable, and he has nothing further to desire forever. By knowledge
his path is assured, and he is made happy by it on the earth. The wise man is
satiated by knowledge; he is a great man through his own merits. His tongue is
in accord with his mind; just are his lips when he speaks, his eyes when he
gazes, his ears when he hears. The advantage of his son is to do that which is
just without deceiving himself.
To attend therefore profits the son of him who
has attended. To attend is the result of the fact that one has attended. A
teachable auditor is formed, because I have attended. Good when he has
attended, good when he speaks, he who has attended has profited, and it is
profitable to attend to him who has attended. To attend is worth more than
anything else, for it produces love, the good thing that is twice good. The son
who accepts the instruction of his father will grow old on that account. What
Ptah loves is that one should attend; if one attends not, it is abhorrent to
Ptah. The heart makes itself its own master when it attends and when it does
not attend; but if it attends, then his heart is a beneficent master to a man.
In attending to instruction, a man loves what he attends to, and to do that
which is prescribed is pleasant. When a son attends to his father, it is a
twofold joy for both; when wise things are prescribed to him, the son is gentle
toward his master. Attending to him who has attended when such things have been
prescribed to him, he engraves upon his heart that which is approved by his
father; and the recollection of it is preserved in the mouth of the living who
exist upon this earth.
When a son receives the instruction of his
father there is no error in all his plans. Train your son to be a teachable man
whose wisdom is agreeable to the great. Let him direct his mouth according to
that which has been said to him; in the docility of a son is discovered his
wisdom. His conduct is perfect while error carries away the unteachable.
Tomorrow knowledge will support him, while the ignorant will be destroyed.
As for the man without experience who listens
not, he effects nothing whatsoever. He sees knowledge in ignorance, profit in
loss; he commits all kinds of error, always accordingly choosing the contrary
of what is praiseworthy. He lives on that which is mortal, in this fashion. His
food is evil words, whereat he is filled with astonishment. That which the
great know to be mortal he lives upon every day, flying from that which would
be profitable to him, because of the multitude of errors which present
themselves before him every day.
A son who attends is like a follower of Horus;
he is happy after having attended. He becomes great, he arrives at dignity, he
gives the same lesson to his children. Let none innovate upon the precepts of
his father; let the same precepts form his lessons to his children.
"Verily," will his children say to him, "to accomplish what you
say works marvels." Cause therefore that to flourish which is just, in
order to nourish your children with it. If the teachers allow themselves to be
led toward evil principles, verily the people who understand them not will
speak accordingly, and that being said to those who are docile they will act
accordingly. Then all the world considers them as masters and they inspire
confidence in the public; but their glory endures not so long as would please
them. Take not away then a word from the ancient teaching, and add not one; put
not one thing in place of another; beware of uncovering the rebellious ideas
which arise in you; but teach according to the words of the wise. Attend if you
wish to dwell in the mouth of those who shall attend to your words, when you
have entered upon the office of master, that your words may be upon our lips .
. . and that there may be a chair from which to deliver your arguments.
Let your thoughts be abundant, but let your
mouth be under restraint, and you shall argue with the great. Put yourself in
unison with the ways of your master; cause him to say: "He is my
son," so that those who shall hear it shall say "Praise be to her who
has borne him to him!" Apply yourself while you speak; speak only of perfect
things; and let the great who shall hear you say: "Twice good is that
which issues from his mouth!"
Do that which your master bids you. Twice good
is the precept of his father, from whom he has issued, from his flesh. What he
tells us, let it be fixed in our heart; to satisfy him greatly let us do for
him more than he has prescribed. Verily a good son is one of the gifts of Ptah,
a son who does even better than he has been told to do. For his master he does
what is satisfactory, putting himself with all his heart on the part of right.
So I shall bring it about that your body shall be healthful, that the Pharaoh
shall be satisfied with you in all circumstances and that you shall obtain
years of life without default. It has caused me on earth to obtain one hundred
and ten years of life, along with the gift of the favor of the Pharoah among
the first of those whom their works have ennobled, satisfying the Pharoah in a
place of dignity.
It is finished, from its beginning to its end,
according to that which is found in writing.
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