"Machines are geared to work by ropes; So too this body is, in fact, Directed by a mental pull Whene'er it stand or sit or act. 23 "No independent self is here That could intrinsic forces prove To make man act without a cause, To make him stand or walk or move. 24 "He only who utterly abandons all thought of the ego escapes the snares of the Evil One; he is out of the reach of Māra. 25 "Thus says the pleasure-promising tempter: 26 "So long as to the things Called 'mine' and 'I' and 'me' Thine anxious heart still clings, My snares thou canst not flee." 27 "The faithful disciple replies: 28 "Naught's mine and naught of me, The self I do not mind! Thus Māra, I tell thee, My path thou canst not find." 29 "Dismiss the error of the self and do not cling to possessions which are transient but perform deeds that are good, for deeds are enduring and in deeds your karma continues. 30 "Since then, O bhikkhus, there is no self, there can not be any after life of a self. Therefore abandon all thought of self. But since there are deeds and since deeds continue, be careful with your deeds. 31 "All beings have karma as their portion: they are heirs of their karma; they are sprung from their karma; their karma is their kinsman; their karma is their refuge; karma allots beings to meanness or to greatness. 32 "Assailed by death in life's last throes On quitting all thy joys and woes What is thine own, thy recompense? What stays with thee when passing hence? What like a shadow follows thee And will Beyond thine heirloom be? 33 "T'is deeds, thy deeds, both good and bad; Naught else can after death be had. Thy deeds are thine, thy recompense; They are thine own when going hence; They like a shadow follow thee And will Beyond thine heirloom be. 34 "Let all then here perform good deeds, For future weal a treasure store; There to reap crops from noble seeds, A bliss increasing evermore." 35 XLI. THE GOAL. And the Blessed One thus addressed the bhikkhus: 1 "It is through not understanding the four noble truths, O bhikkhus, that we had to wander so long in the weary-path of samsāra, both you and I. 2