Text of the meditation
People reap what they sow. If a person is troubled, perplexed, sorrowful or unhappy, let them ask: "What mental seeds have I been sowing? What seeds am I sowing? What is my attitude toward others? What seeds of trouble and sorrow and unhappiness have I sown, that I should reap these bitter weeds?" Let them seek within and find, and having found, let them abandon all the seeds of self, and from now on sow only the seeds of Truth.
Let them learn the simple truths of wisdom from the farmer, and sow broadcast the seeds of kindness, gentleness and love. The way to obtain peace and blessedness is to scatter peaceful and blessed thoughts, words and deeds.
James Allen (1864–1912), Book of Meditations for Every Day in the Year (1913) – public-domain text, gently modernised.
The original 1913 text is in the public domain.