To guard your home by mysterious ceremonies is not enough, you must guard it by good deeds. With good deeds you should turn to your parents in the east, your teachers in the south, your wife and children in the west and your friends in the north. Above you, worship the spirit, and below you, honor all that serve you.
-Majjhima Nikaya
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"Your home" refers to the mind.
"To guard your home by mysterious ceremonies" means the personal religious rites and practices to protect the mind from anger, fear, desire, passions.
"Guard it by good deeds" means "guard the mind by mindful action known as 'good deeds.'" Good deeds are done out of respect for self and others.
Thus the Buddhist devotee respect her parents, her teachers, her husband and children, and friends. She also worships the spirit (the spiritual life) according to her circumstances, whether it is through church attendence or a quiet walk in the forest.
And above all she honors all that serve her, whether it is the mailman who brings her mail or the waitress serving her dinner in a restaurant or a dear friend confiding in her.
In that way she is practising good deeds.
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