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Thag 3.14 Gotamattheragāthā: Gotama (2nd)

Transmigrating, I went to hell,
and to the ghost realm time and again.
Many times I dwelt long
in the animal realm, so full of pain.

I was also reborn as a human,
and from time to time I went to heaven.
I’ve stayed in realms of form and formlessness,
among the neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient, and the non-percipient.

I know well these states of existence are worthless—
conditioned, unstable, always in motion.
When I understood this self-made chain,
mindful, I found peace.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 3.14 Gotamattheragāthā: Gotama (2nd) by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Thag 7.2 Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheragāthā: Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya

Bhaddiya has plucked out craving, root and all,
and in a jungle thicket
on the far side of the Wild Mango Monastery,
he practices absorption; he is truly well-favoured.

Some delight in clay drums,
in arched harps, and in cymbals.
But here, at the foot of a tree,
I delight in the Buddha’s teaching.

If the Buddha were to grant me one wish,
and I were to get what I wished for,
I’d choose for the whole world
constant mindfulness of the body.

Those who’ve judged me on appearance,
and those swayed by my voice,
are full of desire and greed;
they don’t know me.

Not knowing what’s inside,
nor seeing what’s outside,
the fool shut in on every side,
gets carried away by a voice.

Not knowing what’s inside,
but seeing what’s outside,
seeing the fruit outside,
they’re also carried away by a voice.

Understanding what’s inside,
and seeing what’s outside,
of unobstructed vision,
they don’t get carried away by a voice.


The Buddha praised this monk in SN 21.6: Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyasutta

Read this translation of Theragāthā 7.2 Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheragāthā: Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Thig 2.3 Sumaṅgalamātātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Sumaṇgala’s Mother

“Well released, well released,
I am well released and free from the pestle.
I am shielded from my shameless husband
and from the kettle that hisses like a water snake.

Hiss! Hiss! I destroy
passion and aversion.
Having gone to the root of a tree,
‘O bliss!’ I happily meditate.”


Arahant Bhaddiya was also known to cry out “O bliss” at the root of a tree. Read his story in Ud 2.10 Bhaddiya Sutta.

Read this translation of Therīgāthā 2.3 Sumaṅgalamātātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Sumaṇgala’s Mother by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Thag 19.1 Tālapuṭattheragāthā: Tālapuṭa

[NOTE: Today will be the last very long selection for the month. Unlike the deep confidence that was shown by yesterday’s elder, Arahant Sumedhā, here we see the tremendous struggle that many disciples have faced when trying to practice the Dhamma to the end goal.]


Oh, when will I stay in a mountain cave,
alone, with no companion,
discerning all states of existence as impermanent?
This hope of mine, when will it be?

Oh, when will I stay happily in the forest,
a sage wearing a torn robe, dressed in ocher,
unselfish, with no need for hope,
with greed, hate, and delusion destroyed?

Oh, when will I stay alone in the wood,
fearless, discerning this body as impermanent,
a nest of death and disease,
oppressed by death and old age; when will it be?

Oh, when will I live, having grasped the sharp sword of wisdom
and cut the creeper of craving that tangles around everything,
the mother of fear, the bringer of suffering?
When will it be?

Oh, when will I, seated on the lion’s throne,
swiftly grasp the sword of the sages,
forged by wisdom, of fiery might,
and swiftly break Māra and his army? When will it be?

Oh, when will I be seen striving in the assemblies
with those who are virtuous, poised, respecting the Dhamma,
seeing things as they are, with faculties subdued?
When will it be?

Oh, when will I focus on my own goal at the Mountainfold,
free of oppression by laziness, hunger, thirst,
wind, heat, insects, and reptiles?
When will it be?

Oh, when will I, serene and mindful,
understand the four truths,
that were realized by the great hermit,
and are so very hard to see? When will it be?

Oh, when will I, devoted to serenity,
see with understanding the infinite sights,
sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts
as burning? When will it be?

Oh, when will I not be distraught
because of criticism,
nor elated because of praise?
When will it be?

Oh when will I discern the aggregates
and the infinite varieties of phenomena,
both internal and external, as no more than
wood, grass, and creepers? When will it be?

Oh, when will the rain clouds in season
freshly wet me in my robe in the forest,
walking the path trodden by the sages?
When will it be?

Oh, when will I rise up, intent on attaining the deathless,
hearing, in the mountain cave,
the cry of the crested peacock in the forest?
When will it be?

Oh, when will I cross the Ganges, Yamunā,
and Sarasvatī rivers, the Pātāla country,
and the dangerous Baḷavāmukha sea,
by psychic power unimpeded? When will it be?

Oh, when will I be devoted to absorption,
rejecting entirely the signs of beauty,
splitting apart desire for sensual stimulation,
like an elephant that wanders free of ties? When will it be?

Oh, when will I realize the teaching of the great hermit
and be content, like a poor person in debt,
harassed by creditors, who finds a hidden treasure?
When will it be?

For many years you begged me,
“Enough of living in a house for you!”
Why do you not urge me on, mind,
now that I’ve gone forth as an ascetic?

Didn’t you entice me, mind:
“On the Mountainfold, the birds with colorful wings,
greeting the thunder, Mahinda’s voice,
will delight you as you meditate in the forest?”

In my family circle, friends, loved ones, and relatives;
and in the world, sports and play, and sensual pleasures;
all these I gave up when I entered this life:
and even then you’re not content with me, mind!

This is mine alone, it doesn’t belong to others;
when it is time to don your armor, why lament?
Observing that all this is unstable,
I went forth, seeking the deathless state.

The methodical teacher, supreme among people,
great physician, guide for those who wish to train, said:
“The mind fidgets like a monkey,
so it’s very hard to control if you are not free of lust.”

Sensual pleasures are diverse, sweet, delightful;
an ignorant ordinary person is bound to them.
Seeking to be reborn again, they wish for suffering;
led on by their mind, they’re relegated to hell.

“Staying in the grove resounding with cries
of peacocks and herons, and adorned by leopards and tigers,
abandon concern for the body, without fail!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Develop the absorptions and spiritual faculties,
the powers, awakening factors, and immersion;
realize the three knowledges in the teaching of the Buddha!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Develop the eightfold path for realizing the deathless,
emancipating, plunging into the end of all suffering,
and cleansing all defilements!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Reflect properly on the aggregates as suffering,
and abandon that from which suffering arises;
make an end of suffering in this very life!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Properly discern that impermanence is suffering,
that emptiness is non-self, and that misery is death.
Uproot the wandering mind!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Bald, unsightly, accursed,
seek alms amongst families, bowl in hand.
Devote yourself to the word of the teacher, the great hermit!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Wander the streets well-restrained,
unattached to families and sensual pleasures,
like the full moon on a bright night!”
So you used to urge me, mind.

“Be a wilderness-dweller and an alms-eater,
one who lives in charnel grounds, a rag-robe wearer,
one who never lies down, always delighting in ascetic practices.”
So you used to urge me, mind.

Mind, when you urge me to the impermanent and unstable,
you’re acting like someone who plants trees,
then, when they’re about to fruit,
wishes to cut down the very same trees.

Incorporeal mind, far-traveler, lone-wanderer:
I won’t do your bidding any more.
Sensual pleasures are suffering, painful, and very dangerous;
I’ll wander with my mind focused only on quenching.

I didn’t go forth due to bad luck or shamelessness,
or due to a whim or banishment,
nor for the sake of a livelihood;
it was because I agreed to the promise you made, mind.

“Having few wishes, abandoning disparagement,
the stilling of suffering: these are praised by good people.”
So you used to urge me, mind,
but now you keep on with your old habits!

Craving, ignorance, the loved and unloved,
pretty sights, pleasant feelings,
and the delightful kinds of sensual stimulation:
I’ve vomited them all, and I won’t swallow them back.

I’ve done your bidding everywhere, mind!
For many births, I’ve done nothing to upset you,
yet this self-made chain is your show of gratitude!
For a long time I’ve transmigrated in the suffering you’ve created.

Only you, mind, make a brahmin;
you make an aristocrat or a royal hermit.
Sometimes we become traders or workers;
and life as a god is also on account of you.

You alone make us demons;
because of you we’re born in hell.
Then sometimes we become animals,
and life as a ghost is also on account of you.

Come what may, you won’t betray me again,
dazzling me with your ever-changing display!
You play with me like I’m mad—
but how have I ever failed you, mind?

In the past my mind wandered
how it wished, where it liked, as it pleased.
Now I’ll carefully guide it,
as a trainer with a hook guides a rutting elephant.

The teacher willed that this world appear to me
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.

Things have changed, mind!
Nothing could make me return to your control!
I’ve gone forth in the teaching of the great hermit,
those like me don’t come to ruin.

Mountains, oceans, rivers, the earth;
the four quarters, the intermediate directions, below and in the sky;
the three realms of existence are all impermanent and troubled—
where can you go to find happiness, mind?

Mind, what will you do to someone who has made the ultimate commitment?
Nothing could make me a follower under your control, mind;
there’s no way I’d touch a bellows with a mouth open at each end;
curse this mortal frame flowing with nine streams!

You’ve ascended the mountain peak, full of nature’s beauty,
frequented by boars and antelopes,
a grove sprinkled with fresh water in the rains;
and there you’ll be happy in your cave-home.

Peacocks with beautiful necks and crests,
colorful tail-feathers and wings,
crying out at the resounding thunder:
they’ll delight you as you meditate in the forest.

When the sky has rained down, and the grass is four inches high,
and the grove is full of flowers like a cloud,
in the mountain cleft, like the fork of a tree, I’ll lie;
it will be as soft as cotton-buds.

I’ll act as a master does:
let whatever I get be enough for me.
And that’s why I’ll make you as supple
as a tireless worker makes a cat-skin bag.

I’ll act as a master does:
let whatever I get be enough for me.
I’ll control you with my energy,
as a skilled trainer controls an elephant with a hook.

Now that you’re well-tamed and reliable,
I can use you, like a trainer uses a straight-running horse,
to practice the path so full of grace,
cultivated by those who take care of their minds.

I shall strongly fasten you to a meditation subject,
as an elephant is tied to a post with firm rope.
You’ll be well-guarded by me, well-developed by mindfulness,
and unattached to rebirth in all states of existence.

You’ll use understanding to cut the follower of the wrong path,
curb them by practice, and settle them on the right path.
And when you have seen the cause of suffering arise and pass away,
you’ll be an heir to the greatest teacher.

Under the sway of the four distortions, mind,
you dragged me around like a bull in a pit;
but now you won’t associate with the great sage of compassion,
the cutter of fetters and bonds?

Like a deer roaming free in the colorful forest,
I’ll ascend the lovely mountain wreathed in cloud,
and rejoice to be on that hill, free of folk—
there is no doubt you’ll perish, mind.

The men and women who live under your will and command,
whatever pleasure they experience,
they are ignorant and fall under Māra’s control;
loving life, they’re your disciples, mind.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 19.1 Tālapuṭattheragāthā by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Thig 16.1 Sumedhātherīgāthā: Sumedhā

[Note: The selection today is especially long and rich in Dhamma teachings. At the end of the verses below you will find links to the various teachings she mentions. If you are new to reading the suttas, you may like to invest time reviewing these references first to get the full impact of her words. Or you can just jump right in to her verses and explore the suttas later.]

In Mantāvatī city, Sumedhā,
the daughter of King Koñca’s chief queen,
was converted by those
who practice the Buddha’s teaching.

She was virtuous, a brilliant speaker,
learned, and trained in the Buddha’s instructions.
She went up to her mother and father and said:
“Pay heed, both of you!

I delight in extinguishment!
No life is eternal, not even that of the gods;
what then of sensual pleasures, so hollow,
offering little gratification and much anguish.

Sensual pleasures are bitter as the venom of a snake,
yet fools are infatuated by them.
Sent to hell for a very long time,
they are beaten and tortured.

Those who grow in wickedness
always sorrow in the underworld due to their own bad deeds.
They’re fools, unrestrained in body,
mind, and speech.

Those witless, senseless fools,
obstructed by the origin of suffering,
are ignorant, not understanding the noble truths
when they are being taught.

Most people, mum, ignorant of the truths
taught by the excellent Buddha,
look forward to the next life,
longing for rebirth among the gods.

Yet even rebirth among the gods
in an impermanent state is not eternal.
But fools are not scared
of being reborn time and again.

Four lower realms and two other realms
may be gained somehow or other.
But for those who end up in a lower realm,
there is no way to go forth in the hells.

May you both grant me permission to go forth
in the dispensation of him of the ten powers.
Living at ease, I shall apply myself
to giving up rebirth and death.

What’s the point in hope, in a new life,
in this useless, hollow body?
Grant me permission, I shall go forth
to make an end of craving for a new life.

A Buddha has arisen, the time has come,
the unlucky moment has passed.
As long as I live I’ll never betray
my ethical precepts or my celibate path.”

Then Sumedhā said to her parents:
“So long as I remain a lay person,
I’ll refuse to eat any food,
until I’ve fallen under the sway of death.”

Upset, her mother burst into tears,
while her father, though grieved,
tried his best to persuade her
as she lay collapsed on the longhouse roof.

“Get up child, why do you grieve so?
You’re already betrothed to be married!
King Anīkaratta the handsome
is in Vāraṇavatī: he is your betrothed.

You shall be the chief queen,
wife of King Anīkaratta.
Ethical precepts, the celibate path—
going forth is hard to do, my child.

As a royal there is command, wealth, authority,
and the happiness of possessions.
Enjoy sensual pleasures while you’re still young!
Let your wedding take place, my child!”

Then Sumedhā said to him:
“Let this not come to pass! Existence is hollow!
I shall either go forth or die,
but I shall never marry.

Why cling to this rotting body so foul,
stinking of fluids,
a horrifying water-bag of corpses,
always oozing, full of filth?

Knowing it like I do, what’s the point?
A carcass is vile, smeared with flesh and blood,
food for birds and swarms of worms—
why have we been given it?

Before long the body, bereft of consciousness,
is carried out to the charnel ground,
to be tossed aside like an old log
by relatives in disgust.

When they’ve tossed it away in the charnel ground,
to be eaten by others, your own parents
bathe themselves, disgusted;
what then of people at large?

They’re attached to this hollow carcass,
this mass of sinews and bone;
this rotting body
full of saliva, tears, feces, and pus.

If anyone were to dissect it,
turning it inside out,
the unbearable stench
would disgust even their own mother.

Properly examining
the aggregates, elements, and sense fields
as conditioned, rooted in birth, suffering—
why would I wish for marriage?

Let three hundred sharp swords
fall on my body everyday!
Even if the slaughter lasted 100 years
it’d be worth it if it led to the end of suffering.

One who understands the Teacher’s words
would put up with this slaughter:
‘Long for you is transmigration
being killed time and time again.’

Among gods and humans,
in the realm of animals or that of demons,
among the ghosts or in the hells,
endless killings are seen.

The hells are full of killing,
for the corrupt who have fallen to the underworld.
Even among the gods there is no shelter,
for no happiness excels extinguishment.

Those who are committed to the dispensation
of him of the ten powers attain extinguishment.
Living at ease, they apply themselves
to giving up rebirth and death.

On this very day, dad, I shall renounce:
what’s to enjoy in hollow riches?
I’m disillusioned with sensual pleasures,
they’re like vomit, made like a palm stump.”

As she spoke thus to her father,
Anīkaratta, to whom she was betrothed,
approached from Vāraṇavatī
at the time appointed for the marriage.

Then Sumedhā took up a knife,
and cut off her hair, so black, thick, and soft.
Shutting herself in the longhouse,
she entered the first absorption.

And as she entered it there,
Anīkaratta arrived at the city.
Then in the longhouse, Sumedhā
well developed the perception of impermanence.

As she investigated in meditation,
Anīkaratta quickly climbed the stairs.
His limbs adorned with gems and gold,
he begged Sumedhā with joined palms:

“As a royal there is command, wealth, authority,
and the happiness of possessions.
Enjoy sensual pleasures while you’re still young!
Sensual pleasures are hard to find in the world!

I’ve handed royalty to you—
enjoy riches, give gifts!
Don’t be sad;
your parents are upset.”

Sumedhā, having no use for sensual pleasures,
and having done away with delusion, spoke right back:
“Do not take pleasure in sensuality!
See the danger in sensual pleasures!

Mandhātā, king of four continents,
foremost in enjoying sensual pleasures,
died unsated,
his desires unfulfilled.

Were the seven jewels to rain from the sky
all over the ten directions,
there would be no sating of sensual pleasures:
people die insatiable.

Like a butcher’s knife and chopping block,
sensual pleasures are like a snake’s head.
They burn like a fire-brand,
they resemble a skeleton.

Sensual pleasures are impermanent and unstable,
they’re full of suffering, a terrible poison;
like a hot iron ball,
the root of misery, their fruit is pain.

Sensual pleasures are like fruits of a tree,
like lumps of meat, painful,
they trick you like a dream;
sensual pleasures are like borrowed goods.

Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes;
a disease, a boil, misery and trouble.
Like a pit of glowing coals,
the root of misery, fear and slaughter.

Thus sensual pleasures have been explained
to be obstructions, so full of suffering.
Please leave! As for me,
I have no trust in a new life.

What can someone else do for me
when their own head is burning?
When stalked by old age and death,
you should strive to destroy them.”

She opened the door
and saw her parents with Anīkaratta,
sitting crying on the floor.
And so she said this:

“Transmigration is long for fools,
crying again and again at that with no known beginning—
the death of a father,
the killing of a brother or of themselves.

Remember the ocean of tears, of milk, of blood—
transmigration with no known beginning.
Remember the bones piled up
by beings transmigrating.

Remember the four oceans
compared with tears, milk, and blood.
Remember bones piled up high as Mount Vipula
in the course of a single eon.

Transmigration with no known beginning
is compared to this broad land of India;
if divided into lumps the size of jujube seeds,
they’d still be fewer than his mother’s mothers.

Remember the grass, sticks, and leaves,
compare that with no known beginning:
if split into pieces four inches in size,
they’d still be fewer than his father’s fathers.

Remember the one-eyed turtle and the yoke with a hole
blown in the ocean from east to west—
sticking the head in the hole
is a metaphor for gaining a human birth.

Remember the form of this unlucky body,
insubstantial as a lump of foam.
See the aggregates as impermanent,
remember the hells so full of anguish.

Remember those swelling the charnel grounds
again and again in life after life.
Remember the threat of the marsh crocodile!
Remember the four truths!

When the deathless is there to be found,
why would you drink the five bitter poisons?
For every enjoyment of sensual pleasures
is so much more bitter than them.

When the deathless is there to be found,
why would you burn for sensual pleasures?
For every enjoyment of sensual pleasures
is burning, boiling, bubbling, seething.

When there is freedom from enmity,
why would you want your enemy, sensual pleasures?
Like kings, fire, robbers, flood, and people you dislike,
sensual pleasures are very much your enemy.

When liberation is there to be found,
what good are sensual pleasures that kill and bind?
For though unwilling, when sensual pleasures are there,
they are subject to the pain of killing and binding.

As a blazing grass torch
burns one who grasps it without letting go,
sensual pleasures are like a grass torch,
burning those who do not let go.

Don’t give up abundant happiness
for the trivial joys of sensual pleasure.
Don’t suffer hardship later,
like a catfish on a hook.

Deliberately control yourself among sensual pleasures!
You’re like a dog fixed to a chain:
sensual pleasures will surely devour you
as hungry outcasts would a dog.

Harnessed to sensual pleasure,
you undergo endless pain,
along with much mental anguish:
relinquish sensual pleasures, they don’t last!

When the unaging is there to be found,
what good are sensual pleasures in which is old age?
All rebirths everywhere
are bonded to death and sickness.

This is the ageless, this is the deathless!
This is the ageless and deathless, the sorrowless state!
Free of enmity, unconstricted,
faultless, fearless, without tribulations.

This deathless has been realized by many;
even today it can be obtained
by those who properly apply themselves;
but it’s impossible if you don’t try.”

So said Sumedhā,
lacking delight in conditioned things.
Soothing Anīkaratta,
Sumedhā cast her hair on the ground.

Standing up, Anīkaratta
raised his joined palms to her father and begged:
“Let go of Sumedhā, so that she may go forth!
She will see the truth of liberation.”

Released by her mother and father,
she went forth, afraid of grief and fear.
While still a trainee nun she realized the six direct knowledges,
along with the highest fruit.

The extinguishment of the princess
was incredible and amazing;
on her deathbed, she declared
her several past lives.

“In the time of the Buddha Koṇāgamana,
we three friends gave the gift
of a newly-built dwelling
in the Saṅgha’s monastery.

Ten times, a hundred times,
a thousand times, ten thousand times,
we were reborn among the gods,
let alone among humans.

We were mighty among the gods,
let alone among humans!
I was queen to a king with the seven treasures—
I was the treasure of a wife.

That was the cause, that the origin, that the root,
that was the acceptance of the dispensation;
that first meeting culminated in extinguishment
for one delighting in the teaching.

So say those who have faith in the words
of the one unrivaled in wisdom.
They’re disillusioned with being reborn,
and being disillusioned they become dispassionate.”


Here are links to the many references Arahant Sumedhā makes throughout her verses:

“… in the dispensation of him of the ten powers.
MN 12: Mahāsīhanādasutta

A Buddha has arisen, the time has come, the unlucky moment has passed.
AN 8.29: Akkhaṇasutta

I’ll refuse to eat any food, until I’ve fallen under the sway of death.
See when the householder Raṭṭhapāla did this.

Let three hundred sharp swords fall on my body everyday! Even if the slaughter lasted 100 years it’d be worth it if it led to the end of suffering.
SN 56.35: Sattisatasutta

Mandhātā, king of four continents, foremost in enjoying sensual pleasures, died unsated, his desires unfulfilled.
Ja 258 The Story about (the Ancient King) Mandhātu

“…They burn like a fire-brand, they resemble a skeleton.
MN 54: Potaliyasutta

Remember the ocean of tears, of milk, of blood— transmigration with no known beginning. Remember the bones piled up by beings transmigrating.
SN 15.3: Assusutta
SN 15.4: Khīrasutta
SN 15.13: Tiṁsamattasutta
SN 15.10: Puggalasutta

Transmigration with no known beginning is compared to this broad land of India…”
SN 15.2: Pathavīsutta

Remember the grass, sticks, and leaves, compare that with no known beginning…”
SN 15.1: Tiṇakaṭṭhasutta

Remember the one-eyed turtle and the yoke with a hole blown in the ocean from east to west
SN 56.48: Dutiyachiggaḷayugasutta

Remember the form of this unlucky body, insubstantial as a lump of foam.
SN 22.95: Pheṇapiṇḍūpamasutta

Remember the threat of the marsh crocodile!
AN 4.122: Ūmibhayasutta

“You’re like a dog fixed to a chain…”
SN 22.99: Gaddulabaddhasutta


Read this translation of Therīgāthā 16.1 Sumedhātherīgāthā: Sumedhā by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net or SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 10.2 Ekavihāriyattheragāthā: Ekavihāriya


If no-one else is found
in front or behind,
it’s extremely pleasant
to be dwelling alone in a forest grove.

Come now, I’ll go alone
to the wilderness praised by the Buddha.
It’s pleasant for a mendicant
to be dwelling alone and resolute.

Alone and self-disciplined,
I’ll quickly enter the delightful forest,
which gives joy to meditators,
and is frequented by rutting elephants.

In Sītavana, so full of flowers,
in a cool mountain cave,
I’ll bathe my limbs
and walk mindfully alone.

When will I dwell alone,
without a companion,
in the great wood, so delightful,
my task complete, free of defilements?

This is what I want to do:
may my wish succeed!
I’ll make it happen myself,
for no-one can do another’s duty.

Fastening my armor,
I’ll enter the forest.
I won’t leave
without attaining the end of defilements.

As the cool breeze blows
with fragrant scent,
I’ll split ignorance apart,
sitting on the mountain-peak.

In a forest grove covered with blossoms,
in a cave so very cool,
I take pleasure in the Mountainfold,
happy with the happiness of freedom.

I’ve got all I wished for
like the moon on the fifteenth day.
With the utter ending of all defilements,
now there’ll be no more future lives.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 10.2 Ekavihāriyattheragāthā: Ekavihāriya by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thig 5.10 Paṭācārātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Paṭācārā

“With plows young men plough the field,
sowing seeds in the earth.
As they nourish wife and children,
young men find wealth.

I have perfect morality,
I follow the teaching of the Teacher,
I am not lazy nor conceited,
so why have I not attained Nirvana?

After washing the feet,
I observed the water,
and noticed the foot-washing water
flowing from top to bottom.

From there I sought one-pointedness of mind,
like a good thoroughbred horse.
Later, I took the lamp,
and entered my dwelling.
I checked the bed
and took a seat on a mat.

I took the needle
and pulled out the wick.
My emancipation of mind
was like the going out of the lamp.”


You can also read the life story of Arahant Paṭācārā in the commentary to Dhammapada verse 113.

Read this translation of Therīgāthā 5.10 Paṭācārātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Paṭācārā by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 7.4 Sopākattheragāthā: Sopāka (2nd)

I saw the supreme person
walking mindfully in the shade of the terrace,
so I approached,
and bowed to the supreme among men.

Arranging my robe over one shoulder
and clasping my hands together,
I walked alongside that stainless one,
supreme among all beings.

The wise one, expert in questions,
questioned me.
Brave and fearless,
I answered the teacher.

When all his questions were answered,
the Realized One congratulated me.
Looking around the mendicant Saṅgha,
he said the following:

“It is a blessing for the people of Aṅga and Magadha
that this person enjoys their
robe and almsfood,
requisites and lodgings,
their respect and service—
it’s a blessing for them,” he declared.

“Sopāka, from this day on
you are invited to come and see me.
And Sopāka, let this
be your ordination.”

At seven years old
I received ordination.
I bear my final body—
oh, the excellence of the teaching!


“Supreme person,” “the supreme among men,” “stainless one,” etc are all names of the Buddha.

There is a great story involving Ven. Sopāka and three other seven year old arahants in the background story to Dhammapada verse 406.

For thoughts on young people with wisdom, read SN 3.1, Dahara Sutta.

Read this translation of Theragāthā 7.4 Sopākattheragāthā: Sopāka (2nd) by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 17.1 Phussattheragāthā: Phussa


(Note: the weekend selections may be longer this month)

Seeing many who inspire confidence,
evolved and well-restrained,
the hermit Paṇḍarasagotta
asked the one known as Phussa:

“In future times,
what desire and motivation
and behavior will people have?
Please answer my question.”

“Listen to my words,
Paṇḍarasa the hermit,
and remember them carefully,
I will describe the future.

In the future many will be
angry and hostile,
offensive, stubborn, and devious,
jealous, holding divergent views.

Imagining they understand the depths of the teaching,
they remain on the near shore.
Superficial and disrespectful towards the teaching,
they lack respect for one another.

In the future
many dangers will arise in the world.
Idiots will defile
the Dhamma that was taught so well.

Though bereft of good qualities,
unlearned prattlers, too sure of themselves,
will become powerful
in running Saṅgha proceedings.

Though possessing good qualities,
the conscientious and unbiased, acting in the proper spirit,
will become weak
in running Saṅgha proceedings.

In the future, fools will accept
money, gold, and silver,
fields and land, goats and sheep,
and bonded servants, male and female.

Fools looking for fault in others,
but unsteady in their own ethics,
will wander about, insolent,
like cantankerous beasts.

They’ll be arrogant,
wrapped in robes of blue;
deceivers and flatterers, pompous and fake,
they’ll wander as if they were noble ones.

With hair sleeked back with oil,
fickle, their eyes painted with eye-liner,
they’ll travel on the high-road,
wrapped in robes of ivory color.

The deep-dyed ocher robe,
worn without disgust by the free,
they will come to loathe,
besotted by white clothes.

They’ll want lots of possessions,
and be lazy, lacking energy.
Weary of the forest,
they’ll stay within villages.

Being unrestrained, they’ll keep company with
those who get lots of stuff,
and who always enjoy wrong livelihood,
following their example.

They won’t respect those
who don’t get lots of stuff,
and they won’t associate with the wise,
even though they’re very amiable.

Disparaging their own banner,
which is dyed the color of copper,
some will wear the white banner
of those who follow other paths.

Then they’ll have no respect
for the ocher robe.
The mendicants will not reflect
on the nature of the ocher robe.

This awful lack of reflection
was unthinkable to the elephant,
who was overcome by suffering,
injured by an arrow strike.

Then the six-tusked elephant,
seeing the deep-dyed banner of the perfected ones,
straight away spoke these verses
connected with the goal.

One who, not free of stains themselves,
would wear the robe stained in ocher,
bereft of self-control and truth:
they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

One who’s purged all their stains,
steady in ethics,
possessing truth and self-control:
they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.

Devoid of virtue, unintelligent,
wild, doing what they like,
their minds astray, indolent:
they are not worthy of the ocher robe.

One accomplished in ethics,
free of greed, serene,
their heart’s intention pure:
they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.

The conceited, arrogant fool,
who has no ethics at all,
is worthy of a white robe—
what use is an ocher robe for them?

In the future, monks and nuns
with corrupt hearts, lacking regard for others,
will disparage those
with hearts of loving-kindness.

Though trained in wearing the robe
by senior monks,
the unintelligent will not listen,
wild, doing what they like.

With that kind of attitude to training,
those fools won’t respect each other,
or take any notice of their mentors,
like a wild colt with its charioteer.

Even so, in the future,
this will be the practice
of monks and nuns
when the latter days have come.

Before this frightening future arrives,
be easy to admonish,
kind in speech,
and respect one another.

Have hearts of love and compassion,
and please do keep your precepts.
Be energetic, resolute,
and always staunchly vigorous.

Seeing negligence as fearful,
and diligence as a sanctuary,
develop the eightfold path,
realizing the deathless state.”


The Buddha also makes an important reference to the time when the Sangha will be corrupted in this passage in MN 142: Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta, where he says that even a gift given to the Sangha at that time will be fruitful.

Read this translation of Theragāthā 17.1 Phussattheragāthā: Phussa by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

There are two stories where an elephant recites the two verses mentioned above. They are verses 9 & 10 in the Dhammapada. The first, and shorter of the two, can be found in the commentary to those verses. The second is found in the commentary to Ja 514, The Story about (Lake) Chaddanta,

Thig 14.1 Subhājīvakambavanikātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Subhā of Jīvaka’s Mango Grove

Bhikkhunī Subhā was going
to Jīvaka’s charming mango grove.
A rogue obstructed her,
so Subhā said this to him:

“Have I done something to offend you,
that you stand there holding me back?
Because it is not proper, friend,
for a layperson to touch one who has gone forth.

This is serious, according to my teacher’s instructions.
The One Faring Well has made the trainings clear.
I am on the path of complete purity, I am flawless,
why do you stand there holding me back?

Your mind is turbulent, mine is not,
your mind is dirty, mine is not.
My mind is flawless and liberated in every way,
why do you stand there holding me back?”

“Young and innocent girl,
what can going forth do for you?
Put down that ochre robe,
come enjoy yourself in this flowering forest.

Sweet winds blow everywhere,
from trees full of flower-pollen.
Early Spring is a pleasant season—
come enjoy yourself in this flowering forest.

Trees tipped with flowers
murmur in the wind.
But how can you enjoy yourself,
if you descend into the forest alone?

Surrounded by a multitude of beasts and snakes,
wild and agitated elephants;
you want to go without a companion
into this lonely, dreadful, and immense forest?

Like a shiny golden doll,
like a nymph amongst beautiful vines,
you will stand out
wearing the finest linen from Kāsi.

I will be under your control,
if we live together in the forest.
Because there is no one more dear to me than you,
creature with the soft eyes of a dryad.

If you were to say to me:
‘Come, let’s live a pleasant household life!’
you would live in a sheltered palace
and have women attending you.

You would wear the finest linen from Kāsi,
as well as garlands and makeup.
I would adorn you
with lots of gold, jewels, and pearls.

You would rest on a fabulous bed with a beautiful blanket,
freshly washed and dyed,
on a brand-new mattress upholstered with wool and
scented with sandalwood.

But if you live the chaste and holy life,
then like a blue lotus that rises above the water
but is not touched by anyone,
you will wither away all alone.”

“What do you consider of value here,
in this carcass – full of corpses,
bound for the cemetery, destined to break apart?
What have you seen that makes you so deranged?”

“Your eyes are like a symphony,
like a dryad in the mountains.
Seeing your eyes
fills me with sensual desire.

Your eyes are like lotus flowers
in a face that shines like pure gold.
Seeing your eyes,
my excitement grows ever more.

Even when we are far apart,
I will remember your long lashes and pure eyes,
because there is no one more dear than you,
with the soft eyes of a dryad.”

“You want to walk where there is no path,
you want to take the moon as a toy,
you want to jump over Mount Meru,
you chase after a disciple of the Buddha.

There is nothing in this world, even with all its devas
which I could now have craving for.
I do not know what it could be like,
since it has been completely uprooted by the path.

Cast away like burning coal,
destroyed like a worthless bowl of poison.
I do not see what it could be like,
since it has been completely uprooted by the path.

One who has not contemplated,
or has not been close to the Teacher,
may be enticed by you,
but I am one who knows, so you are wasting your time here.

Whether I am reviled or respected,
whether there is pleasure or pain, my mindfulness is stable.
Knowing that conditioned things are not beautiful,
my mind is never stained.

I am a female disciple of the one faring well,
I travel with the Eightfold Path as my vehicle.
Free from influences, with darts removed,
I enjoy going to an empty dwelling.

I have seen well-painted
wooden puppets of children,
bound with sticks and strings
like a group of little dancers.

But when those sticks and strings are removed,
when everything is untied, non-functional, splayed out,
one could not find anything in its parts,
so where could the mind settle?

Likewise my body parts
do not function without those mindstates;
this being the case,
where could the mind settle?

It’s like seeing a painting on a wall
made with orpiment;
if your vision of it is distorted,
you misperceive it as a human being.

It is like a supreme illusion,
like a golden tree in a dream.
Blind one, you are getting close to something as meaningless
as a marionette amidst a group of people.

Spinning in a blood-red hole,
engulfed in pus and tears,
here watery tumors are born,
various eye-components balled up together.”

She pulled out that charming eye,
and with a mind of non-attachment, she said:
“Well then, take your eye,”
and she gave it to that man.

In that moment his lust dissipated,
and he apologized:
“May you be well living the holy life,
this will not happen again.

Assailing such a person,
is like embracing a blazing fire,
or picking up a poisonous snake.
May you be well, forgive me.”

The bhikkhunī was let go, and from there
she went to the excellent Buddha.
Seeing the characteristic of excellent merit,
her eye was restored.


If you liked this sutta, you may enjoy the suttas found in the Māra Saṁyutta, SN5, where arahant bhikkhunis do battle with Māra.

Read this translation of Therīgāthā 14.1 Subhājīvakambavanikātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Subhā of Jīvaka’s Mango Grove by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net or SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 6.5 Mālukyaputtattheragāthā: Māluṅkyaputta (1st)

When a person lives heedlessly,
craving grows in them like a parasitic creeper.
They jump from life to life, like a monkey
greedy for fruit in a forest grove.

Whoever is beaten by this wretched craving,
this attachment to the world,
their sorrow grows,
like grass in the rain.

But whoever prevails over this wretched craving,
so hard to get over in the world,
their sorrows fall from them,
like a drop from a lotus-leaf.

I say this to you, good people,
all those who have gathered here:
dig up the root of craving,
as you’d dig up the grass in search of roots.
Don’t let Māra break you again and again,
like a stream breaking a reed.

Act on the Buddha’s words,
don’t let the moment pass you by.
For if you miss your moment
you’ll grieve when sent to hell.

Negligence is always dust;
dust follows right behind negligence.
Through diligence and knowledge,
pluck out the dart from yourself.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 6.5 Mālukyaputtattheragāthā: Māluṅkyaputta (1st) by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thig 5.2 Vimalātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Vimalā

“Intoxicated with this beautiful body,
as well as glory and success,
relying on my youth,
I despised anyone who was not my equal.

Dressed up in flashy outfits,
prattling on,
I stood at the entrance of the pleasure house,
like a hunter setting traps.

I showed off my assets,
I often exposed my private parts,
I deceived people in many ways,
and I made fun of many a person.

Today I walk for alms,
with a shaven-head, wrapped in the outer robe.
Seated at the root of a tree,
I attain the absence of thought.

All attachments have been cut off,
both divine and human.
Having cast away all influences,
I have become cool and quenched.”


Read this translation of Therīgāthā 5.2 Vimalātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Vimalā by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 6.9 Purohita Putta Jentattheragāthā: Jenta, the High Priest’s Son

I was drunk with the pride of birth
and wealth and authority.
I wandered about intoxicated
with my own gorgeous body.

No-one was my equal or my better—
or so I thought.
I was such an arrogant fool,
stuck up, waving my own flag.

I never paid homage to anyone:
not even my mother or father,
nor others esteemed as respectable.
I was stiff with pride, lacking regard for others.

When I saw the foremost leader,
the most excellent of charioteers,
shining like the sun,
at the fore of the mendicant Saṅgha,

I discarded conceit and vanity,
and, with a clear and confident heart,
I bowed down with my head
to the most excellent of all beings.

The conceit of superiority and the conceit of inferiority
have been given up and eradicated.
The conceit “I am” is cut off,
and every kind of conceit is destroyed.


To learn about a prince who didn’t overcome his pride, read Pv 4.7 Rājaputta Sutta: The Son of a King from the Petavatthu.

Read this translation of Theragāthā 6.9 Purohitaputtajentattheragāthā: Jenta, the High Priest’s Son by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thig 3.4 Dantikātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Dantikā

“Having ventured out from my day’s abiding
at Vulture’s Peak Mountain,
I saw an elephant going in and out
the river by the shore.

A man took a pole with a hook,
and said to him: ‘give me your foot.’
The elephant held out his foot,
and the man mounted him.

Once I saw the untamed tamed,
brought under human control,
from there I sought one-pointedness of mind—
this is why I went to the forest.”


Read this translation of Therīgāthā 3.4 Dantikātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Dantikā by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thig 12.1: The Verses of Arahant Nun Puṇṇā

[Maid Puṇṇā:] I am a maid who carries water. Fearing punishment and the insults of my house owner, I have always gone down to the river to get water, even in the coldest of weather. I didn’t want to get blamed for any error.

But, Brāhmin, who do you fear that makes you go down to the river every morning and evening? It’s so cold that your body shivers.

[Brāhmin:] Puṇṇā, why do you ask me this when you already know the answer? When I’m at the river, I am washing away evil and performing wholesome deeds.

Whoever young or old has committed any evil action is able to be freed from evil by bathing in water.

[Maid Puṇṇā:] Brāhmin, you have no idea about the results of kamma. Who is the ignorant person who taught that you can be freed from evil by bathing in water? He doesn’t know and doesn’t see the results of kamma.

Now listen. If your opinion is true, then all frogs, turtles, alligators, crocodiles and all water creatures will absolutely go to heaven.

If your opinion is true, then all sheep butchers, pig butchers, fishermen, animal abusers, thieves, executioners, and other evil doers are all able to be freed from their evil actions by bathing in water.

If these rivers wash away the evil you previously did, then won’t it wash away your merit too? In that case you would be without merit too!

Brāhmin, every day you go down to the river fearing evil, don’t you? In that case, just don’t do bad things. Don’t let the cold strike your skin!

[Brāhmin:] Oh wise girl! I had entered upon the wrong path, but you have guided me onto the noble path by rescuing me from this pointless bathing. I will give you this piece of cloth as a gift.

[Puṇṇā:] Keep the piece of cloth for yourself. I don’t want it. If you are afraid of suffering, if suffering is unpleasant to you, do not commit evil actions either openly or in secret. But if you commit or will commit evil actions, then there is no escape from suffering, even if you try to run away and hide from the result. If you are afraid of suffering, if suffering is unpleasant for you, then go for refuge to the Buddha who has an unshaken mind, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. Observe the precepts. These will definitely lead to your well-being.

[Brāhmin:] I will go for refuge to the Buddha who has an unshaken mind, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. I will observe the precepts. These will definitely lead to my well-being.

Previously, I was called Brahmabandhu because I was born into the clan of Brāhmins. But now I am truly a Brāhmin. I attained the Triple Knowledge. I achieved Nibbāna. I entered wholesomeness and I am washed clean.

These verses were said by Arahant nun Puṇṇā.


Read this translation of Therīgāthā 12.1: The Verses of Arahant Nun Puṇṇā (236-251) by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net by Bhikkhu Sujato or Bhikkhuni Soma. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

You can find the entire translation of the Therīgāthā: Verses of Arahant Nuns available on SuttaFriends.org.

Thag 18.1 From… Mahākassapattheragāthā: Mahākassapa

“You shouldn’t live for the adulation of a following;
it turns your mind, making it hard to get immersion.
Seeing that popularity is suffering,
you shouldn’t consent to a following.

A sage should not visit respectable families;
it turns your mind, making it hard to get immersion.
If you’re eager and greedy for flavors,
you’ll miss the goal that brings such happiness.

They know it really is a bog,
this homage and veneration in respectable families.
Honor is a subtle dart, hard to extract,
and hard for a sinner to give up.”

“I came down from my lodging
and entered the city for alms.
I courteously stood by
while a leper ate.

With his putrid hand
he offered me a morsel.
Putting the morsel in my bowl,
his finger dropped off right there.

Sitting by a wall,
I ate that lump of rice.
I did not feel any disgust
while eating or afterwards.

Anyone who makes use of
leftovers for food,
fermented urine as medicine,
the root of a tree as lodging,
and cast-off rags as robes,
is at ease in any quarter.”

“Where some have fallen to ruin
while climbing the mountain,
there Kassapa ascends;
an heir of the Buddha,
aware and mindful,
owing to his psychic powers.

Returning from almsround,
Kassapa ascends the mountain,
and practices absorption without grasping,
with fear and dread given up.

Returning from almsround,
Kassapa ascends the mountain,
and practices absorption without grasping,
quenched amongst those who burn.

Returning from almsround,
Kassapa ascends the mountain,
and practices absorption without grasping,
his task completed, free of defilements.”

“Strewn with garlands of the musk-rose tree,
these regions are so delightful, so lovely,
echoing with the trumpeting of elephants:
these rocky crags delight me!

Glistening, they look like blue storm clouds,
with waters cool and streams so clear,
and covered all in ladybugs:
these rocky crags delight me!

Like the peak of a blue storm cloud,
or like a fine bungalow, lovely,
echoing with the trumpeting of elephants:
these rocky crags delight me!

The rain comes down on the lovely flats,
in the mountains frequented by hermits.
Echoing with the cries of peacocks,
these rocky crags delight me!

It’s enough for me,
who loves absorption and is resolute, to be mindful.
It’s enough for me,
a resolute monk who loves the goal.

It’s enough for me,
a resolute monk who loves comfort.
It’s enough for me,
resolute and poised, loving meditation.

Covered with flowers of flax,
like the sky covered with clouds,
full of flocks of many different birds,
these rocky crags delight me!

Empty of householders,
frequented by herds of deer,
full of flocks of many different birds,
these rocky crags delight me!

The water’s clear and the rocks are broad,
monkeys and deer are all around;
festooned with dewy moss,
these rocky crags delight me!”

“Even the music of a five-piece band
can never give such pleasure
as when, with unified mind,
you rightly discern the Dhamma.”

“Don’t get involved in lots of work,
avoid people, and don’t try to acquire things.
If you’re eager and greedy for flavors,
you’ll miss the goal that brings such happiness.

Don’t get involved in lots of work,
avoid what doesn’t lead to the goal.
The body gets worn out and fatigued,
and when you ache, you won’t find serenity.”

“You won’t see yourself
by merely reciting words,
wandering stiff-necked
and thinking, ‘I’m better than them.’

The fool is no better,
but they think they are.
The wise don’t praise
pompous people.

Whoever is not affected
by the modes of conceit—
‘I am better’, ‘I’m not better’,
‘I am worse’, or ‘I am the same’—

with such understanding, poised,
steady in ethics,
and devoted to serenity of mind:
that is who the wise praise.”

“Whoever has no respect
for their spiritual companions
is as far from the true teaching
as the earth is from the sky.

Those whose conscience and shame
are always rightly established,
thrive in the spiritual life;
for them, there are no future lives.

When a mendicant who is haughty and fickle
wears rags from the rubbish-heap,
that doesn’t make them shine:
they’re like a monkey in a lion skin.

But if they are steady and stable,
alert, with senses restrained,
then, wearing rags from the rubbish-heap, they shine
like a lion in a mountain cave.” …


To learn more about the dangers of honour and praise, the suttas in the Lābhasakkārasaṁyutta are useful, especially SN 17.3: Kummasutta and SN 17.5: Mīḷhakasutta.

Legend says that Arahant Mahākassapa loved to live on Gurpa Hill, about 16km from Bodhgaya. That might be the place he is talking about in these verses. If you ever go on pilgrimage in India, it is a less popular, but very inspiring, place to visit.

Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 18.1 Mahākassapattheragāthā: Mahākassapa by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thig 5.1 Aññataratherīgāthā: Verses of a Certain Unknown Elder

“For twenty-five years,
since I had gone forth,
I had not experienced serenity of mind,
not even for a split second.

I had not attained peace of mind,
I was overflowing with lust,
and with my arms in the air, crying aloud,
I entered the monastery.

I approached a bhikkhunī,
who I had confidence in.
She taught me the Dhamma:
the aggregates, elements, and sense domains.

Having heard that Dhamma,
I sat down on one side.
I know my past lives,
I have purified my divine eye.

I am able to read the minds of others,
and I have purified the ear element.
I have attained psychic powers,
and reached the destruction of the influences.
I have realized the six special knowledges,
and completed the teaching of the Buddha.”



Read this translation of Therīgāthā 5.1 Aññataratherīgāthā: Verses of a Certain Unknown Elder by Ayya Soma on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net or SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

Thag 4.8 Rāhulattheragāthā: Rāhula

I am known as “Fortunate Rāhula”,
because I’m accomplished in both ways:
I am the son of the Buddha,
and I am seer of truths.

Since my defilements have ended,
since there are no more future lives—
I’m perfected, worthy of offerings,
master of the three knowledges, seer of the deathless.

Blinded by sensual pleasures, trapped in a net,
they are smothered over by craving;
bound by the Kinsman of the Negligent,
like a fish caught in a funnel-net trap.

Having thrown off those sensual pleasures,
having cut Māra’s bond,
and having plucked out craving, root and all:
I’m cooled, extinguished.


To learn about the triple knowledges, read Itv 99 Tevijja Sutta: The Triple Knowledge.

“Kinsman of the Negligent” is another name for Māra.

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Thig 6.6 Mahāpajāpatigotamītherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Mahāpajāpati Gotamī

“Homage to you, Buddha, Hero!
Best of all beings,
who released me and many others
from suffering.

All suffering is fully understood,
craving, its cause, has been made to wither,
the Eightfold Path has been developed,
and cessation has been attained by me.

In the past I was a mother, a child, a father, a brother,
and a grandmother.
Not knowing the truth of how things are,
I came back again and again, not finding what I was looking for.

I have seen the Magnificent One,
indeed, this is my last body.
Destroyed is rebirth in saṁsāra,
now there is no coming back to any state of being.

See the disciples on the path—
established in energy, self-directed,
always making a sincere effort:
this is paying homage to the Buddhas!

Indeed, for the benefit of many beings,
Māyā gave birth to Gotama.
Pierced is sickness and death,
dispelled is the mass of suffering.”


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Thag 5.9 Vijitasenattheragāthā: Vijitasena

I’ll cage you, mind,
like an elephant in a stockade.
Born of the flesh, that net of the senses,
I won’t urge you to do bad.

Caged, you won’t go anywhere,
like an elephant who can’t find an open gate.
Demon-mind, you won’t wander again and again,
bullying, in love with wickedness.

Just as a strong trainer with a hook
takes a wild, newly captured elephant
and wins it over against its will,
so I’ll win you over.

Just as a fine charioteer, skilled in the taming
of fine horses, tames a thoroughbred,
so I’ll tame you,
firmly established in the five powers.

I’ll bind you with mindfulness;
devout, I shall tame you;
kept in check by harnessed energy,
mind, you won’t go far from here.


To learn about the five powers, see AN 5.14: Vitthatasutta.

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Thig 2.9 Abhayātherīgāthā: Abhayā

Abhayā, the body is fragile,
yet ordinary people are attached to it.
I’ll lay down the body,
aware and mindful.

Though subject to so many painful things,
I have, through my love of diligence,
reached the ending of craving,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.


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Thag 14.1 Khadiravaniyarevatattheragāthā: Khadiravaniyarevata

Since I’ve gone forth
from the lay life to homelessness,
I’m not aware of any intention
that is ignoble and hateful.

“May these beings be killed!
May they be slaughtered! May they suffer!”—
I’m not aware of having any such intentions
in all this long while.

I have been aware of loving-kindness,
limitless and well-developed;
gradually consolidated
as it was taught by the Buddha.

I’m friend and comrade to all,
compassionate for all beings!
I develop a mind of love,
always delighting in harmlessness.

Unfaltering, unshakable,
I gladden the mind.
I develop the divine meditation,
which sinners do not cultivate.

Having entered a meditation state without thought,
a disciple of the Buddha
is at that moment blessed
with noble silence.

As a rocky mountain
is unwavering and well grounded,
so when delusion ends,
a monk, like a mountain, doesn’t tremble.

To the man who has not a blemish
who is always seeking purity,
even a hair-tip of evil
seems as big as a cloud.

As a frontier city
is guarded inside and out,
so you should ward yourselves—
don’t let the moment pass you by.

I don’t long for death;
I don’t long for life;
I await my time,
like a worker waiting for their wages.

I don’t long for death;
I don’t long for life;
I await my time,
aware and mindful.

I’ve served the teacher
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
The heavy burden is laid down,
the conduit to rebirth is eradicated.

I’ve attained the goal
for the sake of which I went forth
from the lay life to homelessness—
the ending of all fetters.

Persist with diligence:
this is my instruction.
Come, I’ll be fully extinguished—
I’m liberated in every way.


divine meditation: Brahmavihāra (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity)

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Thig 13.2 Rohinītherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Rohinī

“You fall asleep talking about ‘contemplatives’,
you wake up talking about ‘contemplatives’,
you only praise contemplatives,
surely you will become a contemplative.

Abundant food and drink
you offer to contemplatives.
Rohinī, now I ask:
what is so dear to you about contemplatives?

They’re idle and lazy,
living on what is given by others,
longing for sweet sensual pleasures,
what is so dear to you about contemplatives?”

“For a very long time indeed, father,
you have asked me about contemplatives.
For you, I will speak in praise of their
wisdom, morality, and commitment.

Industrious, not lazy,
doers of the best deeds,
they give up passion and aversion,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

The three roots of evil
they shake off, the ones whose actions are pure,
they have abandoned all evil,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

They do pure bodily actions,
as well as verbal actions,
and pure mental actions,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Spotless as a pearl,
they are pure internally and externally.
Full of bright qualities,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Very learned, knowing the Dhamma by heart,
Noble Ones, living a life of Dhamma,
they expound the meaning of the Dhamma,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Very learned, knowing the Dhamma by heart,
Noble Ones, living a life of Dhamma,
mindful, with one-pointed minds,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Going afar, mindful,
giving counsel without conceit,
they clearly know the end of suffering,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

From whichever village they set out,
they never look back,
they wander without longing,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

They do not deposit things in storerooms,
nor do they have pots and pans.
Seeking complete perfection,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

They do not take up gold,
silver or money,
they are nourished by the present moment,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.

Monastics from different clans,
and from different provinces,
they hold each other dear,
because of this, contemplatives are dear to me.”

“Madam, it surely was for our benefit,
that you were born in this clan, Rohinī,
very devout, and with faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma,
and the Sangha.

You clearly know this
incomparable field of merit.
These contemplatives
will receive donations from us as well.

Charity will be established here by us,
and it will be abundant.”
“If you are afraid of suffering,
if you dislike suffering,

go for refuge to the Buddha,
Dhamma, and Sangha.
Take up the moral practices,
for your own sake.”

“I go for refuge to the Buddha,
Dhamma, and Sangha.
Having taken up the moral practices,
it will be for my sake.”

“Before I was a kinsman of Brahmā,
now I am a brahmin.
Possessing three superhuman knowledges, I am one who has attained the highest knowledge,
I am one who has bathed.”


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Thag 6.12 Brahmadattattheragāthā: Brahmadatta

From where would anger come for one free of anger,
tamed, living justly,
freed by right knowledge,
peaceful and poised?

When you get angry at an angry person
you just make things worse for yourself.
When you don’t get angry at an angry person
you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry,
you act for the good of both
yourself and the other
if you’re mindful and stay calm.

People unfamiliar with the teaching
consider one who heals both
oneself and the other
to be a fool.

If anger arises in you,
reflect on the simile of the saw;
if craving for flavors arises in you,
remember the simile of the child’s flesh.

If your mind runs off
to sensual pleasures and future lives,
quickly curb it with mindfulness,
as one would curb a greedy cow eating corn.


For the simile of the saw, read MN 21. For the simile of the child’s flesh, read SN 12:63.

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Thig 6.7 Guttātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Guttā

“Guttā, why did you go forth?
You have left behind child, wealth, and all that is dear.
Practice in this way,
do not be controlled by the mind.

Sentient beings are misguided by the mind,
enjoying the realm of Māra.
Fools wander along in saṁsāra,
running through countless births.

Interest in sensual pleasures, ill will,
attachment to self-identity,
clinging to rites and rituals,
and the fifth is doubt—

once you abandon these fetters,
Bhikkhunī,
you will not return
to the near shore again.

Once you forsake passion, conceit, ignorance,
and restlessness,
having cut off the fetters,
you will bring suffering to an end.

Once you have discarded birth in saṁsāra,
having fully understood how existence is renewed,
seeing the Dhamma, without cravings,
you will walk in peace.”


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Thag 3.5 Mātaṅgaputta

     It’s too cold,
     too hot,
     too late in the evening—
people who say this,
shirking their work:
          The moment passes them by.

Whoever regards cold & heat
as no more than grass,
doing his manly duties,
     won’t fall away
     from ease.

With my chest
I push through wild grasses—
     spear-grass,
     ribbon-grass,
     rushes—
cultivating a heart
               bent on seclusion.


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Thig 3.2 Uttamātherīgāthā: Uttamā


Four or five times
I left my dwelling.
I had failed to find peace of heart,
or any control over my mind.

I approached a nun
in whom I had faith.
She taught me the Dhamma:
the aggregates, sense fields, and elements.

When I had heard her teaching,
in accordance with her instructions,
I sat cross-legged for seven days without moving,
given over to rapture and bliss.
On the eighth day I stretched out my feet,
having shattered the mass of darkness.


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Thag 6.3 Mahānāgattheragāthā: Mahānāga

Whoever has no respect
for their spiritual companions
falls away from the true teaching,
like a fish in a little puddle.

Whoever has no respect
for their spiritual companions
doesn’t thrive in the true teaching,
like a rotten seed in a field.

Whoever has no respect
for their spiritual companions
is far from quenching,
in the teaching of the Dhamma king.

Whoever does have respect
for their spiritual companions
doesn’t fall away from the true teaching,
like a fish in plenty of water.

Whoever does have respect
for their spiritual companions
thrives in the true teaching,
like a fine seed in a field.

Whoever does have respect
for their spiritual companions
is close to quenching
in the teaching of the Dhamma king.


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