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Thag 10.1 Kāḷudāyittheragāthā: Kāḷudāyī

[Note: Kāḷudāyī, as a layperson, was sent by the Buddha’s father, Sudhodana, to invite the Buddha to return to Kapilavatthu. The fist nine verses were spoken by Ven. Kāḷudāyī to the Buddha after going forth. Upon returning to Kapilavatthu, Sudhodhana did not recognize Ven. Kāḷudāyī, so he spoke the last verse. The notion of disciples being “children” of the Buddha is found throughout the suttas.]

“The trees are now crimson, venerable sir,
they’ve shed their foliage, and are ready to fruit.
They’re splendid, as if aflame;
great hero, this season is full of flavor.

The blossoming trees are delightful,
wafting their scent all around, in all directions.
They’ve shed their leaves and wish to fruit,
hero, it is time to depart from here.

It is neither too hot nor too cold,
venerable sir, it’s a pleasant season for traveling.
Let the Sākiyans and Koliyans see you,
heading west across the Rohiṇī river.

In hope, the field is plowed;
the seed is sown in hope;
in hope, merchants travel the seas,
carrying rich cargoes.
The hope that I stand for:
may it succeed!

Again and again, they sow the seed;
again and again, the king of the heavens sends rain;
again and again, farmers plow the field;
again and again, grain is produced for the nation.

Again and again, the beggars wander,
again and again, the donors give.
Again and again, when the donors have given,
again and again, they take their place in heaven.

A hero of vast wisdom purifies seven generations
of the family in which they’re born.
Sakya, I believe you’re the king of kings,
since you fathered the one who is truly called a sage.

The father of the great seer is named Suddhodana;
and the Buddha’s mother is named Māyā.
Having borne the Bodhisatta in her belly,
she rejoices in the heaven of the thirty-three.

When she died and passed away from here,
she was blessed with heavenly sensual pleasures;
enjoying the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
Gotamī is surrounded by those hosts of gods.”

“I’m the son of the Buddha, the incomparable Aṅgīrasa, the unaffected,
the bearer of the unbearable.
You, Sakya, are my father’s father;
Gotama, you are my grandfather in the Dhamma.”


Read this translation of Theragāthā 10.1 Kāḷudāyittheragāthā: Kāḷudāyī 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.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, Norsk, සිංහල, or Tiếng Việt. Learn how to find your language.

Thag 3.10 Sāṭimattiyattheragāthā: Sāṭimattiya

In the past you had faith,
today you have none.
What’s yours is yours alone—
I’ve done nothing wrong.In the past you had faith,
today you have none.
What’s yours is yours alone—
I’ve done nothing wrong.

Faith is impermanent, fickle:
or so I have seen.
Passions wax and wane:
why would a sage waste away on that account?

The meal of a sage is cooked
bit by bit in this family or that.
I’ll walk for alms,
for my legs are strong.


Note: To better understand the context for these verses, you might like to read the commentary’s background story:

Reborn in this Buddha-age in the kingdom of Magadha as a brahmin’s son, he having the essential conditions entered the Order among the forest bhikkhus, and through study and practice acquired sixfold abhiññā. Thereupon he instructed bhikkhus, and preached to many folk on the Refuges and the Precepts. One family in particular he converted to faith and trust; and in that house he was greatly welcomed, the only daughter, a pretty, lovely girl, respectfully providing him with food.

One day Māra, plotting to disturb and disgrace him, took his shape, and going to the maiden, grasped her hand. But she, feeling that this was no human touch, loosed her hand. But the others in the house saw it and lost faith in the Thera. He, knowing nothing, perceived next day their changed manner. And discerning that Māra had been at work, he vowed to loose the dead dog from their neck, and made them tell him what had happened. And the housemaster, hearing his explanation, begged his forgiveness, and declared he himself would wait upon him. The Thera told the matter in these verses.

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids, M.A. Read the whole translation here: Theragāthā: Psalms of the Brethren.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 3.10 Sāṭimattiyattheragāthā: Sāṭimattiya by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation onSuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bahasa Indonesia, 日本語, Norsk, සිංහල, or Tiếng Việt. Learn how to find your language.

Thag 1.7 Bhalliyattheragāthā: Bhalliya

He has swept away the army of the King of Death,
as a fragile bridge of reeds by a great flood.
Victorious since his fears have vanished:
tame and steadfast, he has become extinguished.

That is how this verse was recited by the senior venerable Bhalliya.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 1.7 Bhalliyattheragāthā: Bhalliya 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.

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Thag 6.8 Migajālattheragāthā: Migajāla

It was well-taught by the Clear-eyed One,
the Buddha, kinsman of the Sun,
who has transcended all fetters,
and destroyed all rolling-on.

Emancipating, it leads across,
drying up the root of craving,
and, having cut off the poisonous root, the slaughterhouse,
it leads to quenching.

By breaking the root of unknowing,
it smashes the mechanism of deeds,
and drops the thunderbolt of knowledge
on the taking up of consciousnesses.

It informs us of our feelings,
releasing us from grasping,
contemplating with understanding
all states of existence as a pit of burning coals.

It’s very sweet and very deep,
holding birth and death at bay;
it is the noble eightfold path—
the stilling of suffering, bliss.

Knowing deed as deed
and result as result;
seeing dependently originated phenomena
as if they were in a clear light;
leading to the great sanctuary and peace,
it’s excellent at the end.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 6.8 Migajālattheragāthā: Migajāla 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.

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Thag 5.8 Vakkalittheragāthā: Vakkali

“Struck by a wind ailment
while dwelling in a forest grove,
you’ve entered a tough place for gathering alms—
how will you get by, monk?”

“Pervading this bag of bones
with abundant rapture and happiness,
putting up with what’s tough,
I’ll dwell in the forest.

Developing mindfulness meditation,
the faculties and the powers,
developing the factors of awakening,
I’ll dwell in the forest.

Having seen those who are energetic, resolute,
always staunchly vigorous,
harmonious and united,
I’ll dwell in the forest.

Recollecting the Buddha—
the best, the tamed, the serene—
tireless all day and night
I’ll dwell in the forest.”


Read this translation of Theragāthā 5.8 Vakkalittheragāthā: Vakkali 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.

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Thag 15.2 Udāyittheragāthā: Udāyī

[Here the Arahant Udāyī praises the Supreme Buddha. Here “giant” is the translation of the word “nāga.”]

Awakened as a human being,
self-tamed and immersed in samādhi,
following the spiritual path,
he loves peace of mind.

Revered by people,
gone beyond all things,
even the gods revere him;
so I’ve heard from the perfected one.

He has transcended all fetters,
and escaped from entanglements.
Delighting to renounce sensual pleasures,
he’s freed like gold from stone.

That giant outshines all,
like the Himalaya beside other mountains.
Of all those named “giant”,
he is truly named, supreme.

I shall extol the giant for you,
for he does nothing monstrous.
Gentleness and harmlessness
are two feet of the giant.

Mindfulness and awareness
are his two other feet.
Faith is the giant’s trunk,
and equanimity his white tusks.

Mindfulness is his neck, his head is wisdom—
investigation and thinking about principles.
His belly is the sacred hearth of the Dhamma,
and his tail is seclusion.

Practicing absorption, enjoying the breath,
he is serene within.
The giant is serene when walking,
the giant is serene when standing,

the giant is serene when lying down,
and when sitting, the giant is serene.
The giant is restrained everywhere:
this is the accomplishment of the giant.

He eats blameless things,
he doesn’t eat blameworthy things.
When he gets food and clothes,
he avoids storing them up.

Having severed all bonds,
fetters large and small,
wherever he goes,
he goes without concern.

A white lotus,
fragrant and delightful,
sprouts in water and grows there,
but the water doesn’t cling to it.

Just so the Buddha is born in the world,
and lives in the world,
but the world doesn’t stick to him,
as water does not stick to the lotus.

A great blazing fire
dies down when the fuel runs out.
And when the coals have gone out
it’s said to be “extinguished”.

This simile is taught by the discerning
to express the meaning clearly.
Great giants will understand
what the giant taught the giant.

Free of greed, free of hate,
free of delusion, undefiled;
the giant, giving up his body,
undefiled, will be fully extinguished.



Read this translation of Theragāthā 15.2 Udānaāyittheragāthā: Udāyī 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.

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Thag 17.2 From… Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta—Part 3

“Calm and still,
thoughtful in counsel, not restless—
he shakes off bad qualities
as the wind shakes leaves off a tree.

Calm and still,
thoughtful in counsel, not restless—
he plucks off bad qualities
as the wind plucks leaves off a tree.

Calm and free of despair,
clear and unclouded,
of good morals, intelligent:
one would make an end of suffering.”

“Some householders, and even some renunciants,
are not to be trusted.
Some who were good later become bad;
while some who were bad become good.”

“Sensual desire, ill will,
dullness and drowsiness,
restlessness, and doubt:
these are the five mental stains for a monk.”

“Whether they’re honored
or not honored, or both,
their immersion doesn’t waver
as they live diligently.

They persistently practice absorption
with subtle view and discernment.
Rejoicing in the ending of grasping,
they’re said to be a true person.”

“The oceans and the earth,
the mountains and the wind—
none of these can compare
with the Teacher’s magnificent liberation.”

“The senior monk who keeps the wheel rolling,
he is very wise and serene.
Like earth, like water, like fire,
he is neither attracted nor repelled.

He has attained the perfection of wisdom,
so intelligent and thoughtful.
He is bright, but seems to be dull;
he always wanders, quenched.”

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

“Persist with diligence:
this is my instruction.
Come, I’ll be fully extinguished—
I am everywhere free.”


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 17.2 Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta 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.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, Norsk, සිංහල, or Tiếng Việt. Learn how to find your language.

Thag 17.2 From… Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta—Part 2

“Whether in the village or the wilderness,
in a valley or the uplands,
wherever the perfected ones live
is a delightful place.”

“The wilderness is so lovely!
Though most people don’t like it,
those free of greed are happy there,
as they don’t seek sensual pleasures.”

“Regard one who sees your faults
as a guide to a hidden treasure.
Stay close to one so wise and astute
who corrects you when you need it.
Sticking close to such an impartial person,
things get better, not worse.”

“Advise and instruct;
curb wickedness:
for you shall be loved by the good,
and disliked by the bad.”

“The Blessed One, the Buddha, the seer
was teaching Dhamma to another.
As he taught the Dhamma,
I lent an ear to get the meaning.

My listening wasn’t wasted:
I’m freed, without defilements.”

“Not for knowledge of past lives,
nor even for clairvoyance;
not for psychic powers, or reading the minds of others,
nor for knowing people’s passing away and being reborn;
not for purifying the power of clairaudience,
did I have any wish.”

“His only shelter is the foot of a tree;
shaven, wrapped in his outer robe,
the senior monk foremost in wisdom,
Upatissa himself practices absorption.

When in a meditation free of placing the mind,
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.”

“I don’t long for death;
I don’t long for life;
I will lay down this body,
aware and mindful.

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

“Both what came before and what follows after
are nothing but death, not freedom from death.
Practice, don’t perish—
don’t let the moment pass you by.

Just like a frontier city,
is guarded inside and out,
so you should ward yourselves—
don’t let the moment pass you by.
For if you miss your moment
you’ll grieve when sent to hell.”


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 17.2 Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta 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.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, Norsk, සිංහල, or Tiếng Việt. Learn how to find your language.

Thag 17.2 From… Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta—Part 1

“One who’s mindful as per their conduct and mindfulness,
diligent as per their intentions and meditation,
happy inside, serene, solitary, contented:
that is what they call a mendicant.

When eating fresh or dried food,
one shouldn’t be overly replete.
A mendicant should wander mindfully,
with empty stomach, taking limited food.

Four or five mouthfuls before you’re full,
drink some water;
this is enough for a resolute mendicant
to live in comfort.

If they cover themselves with a robe
that’s allowable and fit for purpose;
this is enough for a resolute mendicant
to live in comfort.

When sitting cross-legged,
the rain doesn’t fall on the knees;
this is enough for a resolute mendicant
to live in comfort.”

“When you’ve seen happiness as suffering,
and suffering as a dart,
and that there’s nothing between the two—
what keeps you in the world? What would you become?

Thinking, ‘May I have nothing to do with those of bad wishes,
lazy, lacking energy,
unlearned, lacking regard for others’—
what keeps you in the world? What would you become?”

“An intelligent, learned person,
steady in ethics,
devoted to serenity of heart—
let them stand at the head.”

“A beast who likes to proliferate,
enjoying proliferation,
fails to win extinguishment,
the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

But one who gives up proliferation,
enjoying the state of non-proliferation,
wins extinguishment,
the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”…


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 17.2 Sāriputtattheragāthā: Sāriputta 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.

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Thag 1.71 Vacchapālattheragāthā: Vacchapāla

For one who sees the meaning so very subtle and fine;
who is skilled in thought and humble in manner;
who has cultivated mature ethics,
it’s not hard to gain extinguishment.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 1.71 Vacchapālattheragāthā: Vacchapāla 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.

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Thag 12.1 Sīlavattheragāthā: Sīlava

One should train just in ethical conduct,
for in this world, when ethical conduct is
cultivated and well-trained,
it provides all success.

Wishing for three kinds of happiness—
praise, prosperity,
and to delight in heaven after passing away—
the wise would take care of their ethics.

The well-behaved have many friends,
because of their self-restraint.
But one lacking ethics, of bad conduct,
drives away their friends.

A person whose ethics are bad has
ill-repute and infamy.
A person whose conduct is ethical always has
a good reputation, fame, and praise.

Ethical conduct is the starting point and foundation;
the mother at the head
of all good things:
that’s why you should purify your ethics.

Ethics provide a boundary and a restraint,
an enjoyment for the mind;
the ford where all the Buddhas cross over:
that’s why you should purify your ethics.

Ethics are the matchless power;
ethics are the ultimate weapon;
ethics are the best ornament;
ethics are a marvelous coat of armor.

Ethics are a mighty bridge;
ethics are the unsurpassed scent;
ethics are the best perfume,
that float from place to place.

Ethics are the best provision;
ethics are the unsurpassed supply for a journey;
ethics are the best vehicle
that take you from place to place.

In this life they’re criticized;
after departing they grieve in a lower realm;
a fool is unhappy everywhere,
because they are unsteady in ethics.

In this life they’re renowned;
after departing they’re happy in heaven;
a wise one is happy everywhere,
because they are steady in ethics.

Ethical conduct is best in this life,
but one with wisdom is supreme.
Someone with both virtue and wisdom
is victorious among men and gods.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 12.1 Sīlavattheragāthā: Sīlava Sīlavattheragāthā 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. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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Thag 1.37 Kumāputtasahāyakattheragāthā: Kumāputtasahāyaka

Some travel to different countries,
wandering undisciplined.
If they lose their meditation,
what will such rotten conduct achieve?
So you should dispel pride,
practicing absorption undistracted.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 1.37 Kumāputtasahāyakattheragāthā: Kumāputtasahāyaka 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.

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Thag 1.83 Sīhattheragāthā: Sīha

Meditate diligently, Sīha,
tireless all day and night.
Develop skillful qualities,
and quickly discard this bag of bones.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 1.83 Sīhattheragāthā: Sīha 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.

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Thag 15.1 From… Aññāsikoṇḍaññattheragāthā: Koṇḍañña Who Understood

…Just as a rain cloud would settle
the dust blown up by the wind,
so thoughts settle down
when seen with wisdom.

All conditions are impermanent—
when this is seen with wisdom
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.

All conditions are suffering—
when this is seen with wisdom
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.

All things are not-self—
when this is seen with wisdom
one grows disillusioned with suffering:
this is the path to purity.…”


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 15.1 Aññāsikoṇḍaññattheragāthā: Koṇḍañña Who Understood 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.

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Thag 10.6 Vaṅgantaputtaupasenattheragāthā: Upasena son of Vaṅgantā

In order to go on retreat,
a monk should stay in lodgings
that are secluded and quiet,
frequented by beasts of prey.

Having gathered scraps from rubbish heaps,
cemeteries and streets,
and making an outer robe from them,
one should wear that coarse robe.

Humbling their heart,
a mendicant should walk for alms
from family to family indiscriminately,
with sense doors guarded, well-restrained.

They should be content even with coarse food,
not hoping for lots of flavors.
The mind that’s greedy for flavors
doesn’t enjoy absorption.

With few wishes, content,
a sage should live secluded,
mixing with neither
householders nor the homeless.

They should present themselves
as if stupid or dumb;
an astute person would not speak overly long
in the midst of the Saṅgha.

They would not insult anyone,
and would avoid causing damage.
Restrained in the monastic code,
they would eat in moderation.

Expert in the arising of thought,
they would grasp well the pattern of the mind.
They would be devoted to practicing
serenity and discernment at the right time.

Though endowed with energy and perseverance,
and always devoted to meditation,
a wise person would not be too sure of themselves,
until they have attained the end of suffering.

For a mendicant who meditates in this way,
longing for purification,
all their defilements wither away,
and they realize quenching.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 10.6 Vaṅgantaputtaupasenattheragāthā: Upasena son of Vaṅgantā 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.

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Thag 1.36 Kumāputtattheragāthā: Kumāputta

Learning is good, living well is good,
the homeless life is always good.
Questions on the meaning, actions that are skillful:
this is the ascetic life for one who has nothing.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 1.36 Kumāputtattheragāthā: Kumāputta 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.

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Thag 3.11: The Verses of Arahant Upāli (249-251)

A newly ordained monk who entered the Buddha’s path out of faith, abandoning the home life, should practice right livelihood. He should be energetic and associate with noble friends.

A newly ordained monk who entered the Buddha’s path out of faith, abandoning the home life, should live in the midst of monks. He should learn the code of conduct well.

A newly ordained monk who entered the Buddha’s path out of faith, abandoning the home life, should be skilled in recognising what is allowable and unallowable. He should live without focusing on craving.

These verses were said by Arahant Upāli.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 3.11: The Verses of Arahant Upāli (249-251) by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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You can find the entire translation of the Theragāthā: Verses of Arahant Monks available on SuttaFriends.org.

Thag 16.4 Raṭṭhapāla

[Note: We can find the context for these verses in the Middle Length Discourses sutta MN 82 On Raṭṭhapāla. If you have time, it is a wonderful story and helps to illuminate the verses.]

Look at the image beautified,
a heap of festering wounds, shored up:
ill, but the object
     of many resolves,
where there is nothing
     lasting or sure.

Look at the form beautified
with earrings & gems:
          a skeleton wrapped in skin,
          made attractive with clothes.

Feet reddened with henna,
a face smeared with powder:
          enough to deceive a fool,
          but not a seeker for the further shore.

Hair plaited in eight pleats,
eyes smeared with unguent:
          enough to deceive a fool,
          but not a seeker for the further shore.

Like a newly painted unguent pot—
a putrid body adorned:
          enough to deceive a fool,
          but not a seeker for the further shore.

The hunter set out the snares,
but the deer didn’t go near the trap.
Having eaten the bait,
               we go,
leaving the hunters
               to weep.

The hunter’s snares are broken;
the deer didn’t go near the trap.
Having eaten the bait,
               we go,
leaving the hunters
               to grieve.

* * *


I see in the world
     people with wealth
who, from delusion,
     don’t make a gift
     of the treasure they’ve gained.
Greedy, they stash it away,
hoping for even more
sensual pleasures.

A king who, by force,
has conquered the world
and rules over the earth
to the edge of the sea,
dissatisfied with the ocean’s near shore,
     longs for the ocean’s
     far shore as well.

Kings & others
     —plenty of people—
go to death with craving
     unabated. Unsated,
they leave the body behind,
having not had enough
of the world’s sensual pleasures.

One’s relatives weep
& pull out their hair.
‘Oh woe, our loved one is dead,’ they cry.
Carrying him off,
wrapped in a piece of cloth,
they place him
     on a pyre,
     then set him on fire.

So he burns, poked with sticks,
in just one piece of cloth,
leaving all his possessions behind.
They are not shelters for one who has died—
     not relatives,
     friends,
     or companions.

Heirs take over his wealth,
while the being goes on,
in line with his kamma.
No wealth at all
follows the dead one—
     not children, wives,
     dominion, or riches.

Long life
can’t be gotten with wealth,
nor aging
warded off with treasure.
The wise say this life
is next to nothing—
     impermanent,
     subject to change.

The rich & the poor
touch the touch of Death.
The foolish & wise
are touched by it, too.
But while fools lie as if slain by their folly,
the wise don’t tremble
when touched by the touch.

Thus the discernment by which
one attains to mastery,
is better than wealth—
for those who haven’t reached mastery
go from existence to existence,
     out of delusion,
     doing bad deeds.

One goes to a womb
& to the next world,
falling into the wandering on
     —one thing
     after another—
while those of weak discernment,
     trusting in one,
also go to a womb
& to the next world.

Just as an evil thief
caught at the break-in
     is destroyed
     by his own act,
so evil people
—after dying, in the next world—
     are destroyed
     by their own acts.

Sensual pleasures—
     variegated,
     enticing,
     sweet—
in various ways disturb the mind.
Seeing the drawbacks in sensual objects:
that’s why, O king, I went forth.

Just like fruits, people fall
     —young & old—
at the break-up of the body.
Knowing this, O king,
     I went forth.
The contemplative life is better
          for sure.

* * *

     Out of conviction,
     I went forth
equipped with the Victor’s message.
Blameless was my going-forth:
Debtless I eat my food.

Seeing sensuality as burning,
          gold as a knife,
     pain in the entry into the womb
     & great danger in hells—
seeing this peril, I was then dismayed—
pierced (with dismay),
then calmed
on attaining the end of the effluents.
The Teacher has been served by me;
the Awakened One’s bidding,
               done;
the heavy load,       laid down;
the guide to becoming,   uprooted.

And the goal for which I went forth
from home life into homelessness
I’ve reached:
               the end
               of all fetters.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 16.4 Raṭṭhapāla by Bhikkhu Ṭhanissaro on DhammaTalks.org.

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Thag 1.93 Erakattheragāthā: Eraka

Sensual pleasures are suffering, Eraka!
Sensual pleasures aren’t happiness, Eraka!
One who enjoys sensual pleasures
enjoys suffering, Eraka!
One who doesn’t enjoy sensual pleasures
doesn’t enjoy suffering, Eraka!


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Thag 1.35 Sāmaññakānittheragāthā: Sāmaññakāni

Seeking happiness, they find it through this practice.
They get a good reputation and grow in fame,
those who develop the direct route:
the noble eightfold path to realize the deathless.


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Thag 16.3 Telakānittheragāthā: Telakāni

Note: In these verses the monk Telākani relates his struggles on the path to enlightenment using beautiful similes and metaphors. You may find that the translation on SuttaFriends.org gives more information on the meaning behind them. The Buddha is the teacher he talks about as the one who truly offers him help.


For a long time, sadly,
though I keenly contemplated the teaching,
I gained no peace of mind.
So I asked this of ascetics and brahmins:

“Who has crossed over the world?
Whose attainment culminates in the deathless?
Whose teaching do I accept
to understand the ultimate goal?

I was hooked inside,
like a fish gulping bait;
bound like the demon Vepaciti
in Mahinda’s trap.

Dragging it along, I’m not free
from grief and lamentation.
Who will free me from bonds in the world,
so that I may know awakening?

What ascetic or brahmin
points out what is frail?
Whose teaching do I accept
to sweep away old age and death?

Tied up with uncertainty and doubt,
secured by the power of pride,
stiff as a mind beset by anger;
the arrow of covetousness,

propelled by the bow of craving,
is stuck in my twice-fifteen ribs—
see how it stands in my breast,
breaking my strong heart.

Speculative views are not abandoned,
they are sharpened by memories and intentions;
and pierced by this I tremble,
like a leaf blowing in the wind.

Having arisen within,
what belongs to me burns quickly,
in that place where the body always heads
with its six sense-fields of contact.

I don’t see a healer
who can pull out my dart of doubt
without a lance
or some other blade.

Without knife or wound,
who will pull out this dart
that’s stuck inside me,
without harming any part of my body?

He really would be the Lord of the Dhamma,
the best one to cure the damage of poison;
when I have fallen into deep waters,
he would give me his show me the shore.

I’ve plunged into a lake,
and I can’t wash off the mud and dirt.
It’s full of fraud, jealousy, pride,
and dullness and drowsiness.

Like a thunder-cloud of restlessness,
like a rain-cloud of fetters;
lustful thoughts are winds
that sweep off a person with bad views.

The streams flow everywhere;
a weed springs up and remains.
Who will block the streams?
Who will cut the weed?”

“Venerable sir, build a dam
to block the streams.
Don’t let your mind-made streams
cut you down suddenly like a tree.”

That is how the teacher whose weapon is wisdom,
surrounded by the Saṅgha of seers,
was my shelter when I was full of fear,
seeking the far shore from the near.

As I was being swept away,
he gave me a strong, simple ladder,
made of the heartwood of Dhamma,
and he said to me: “Do not fear.”

I climbed the tower of mindfulness meditation,
and checked back down
at people delighting in identity,
as I’d obsessed over in the past.

When I saw the path,
as I was embarking on the ship,
without fixating on the self,
I saw the supreme landing-place.

The dart that arises in oneself,
and that which stems from the conduit to rebirth:
he taught the supreme path
for the canceling of these.

For a long time it had lain within me;
for a long time it was fixed in me:
the Buddha cast off the knot,
curing the damage of poison.


Note: “Deathless” is a term for Nibbāna. SN 11.4 Vepacitti tells the story of the asura being captured by Sakka (Mahinda)

Read this translation of Theragāthā 16.3 Telakānittheragāthā: Telakāni 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.

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Thag 1.86 Nāgitattheragāthā: Arahant Nāgita

Elsewhere there are many other doctrines;
those paths don’t lead to quenching like this one does.
For the Buddha himself instructs the Saṅgha;
the Teacher shows the palms of his hands.


Note: Showing “the palms of his hands” refers to the fact that the Buddha did not have hidden teachings. See also Iti 100. “Lead to quenching” is a translation of the Pāli “nibbānagamo.”

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Thag 7.5 Sarabhaṅgattheragāthā: Sarabhaṅga

I broke the reeds off with my hands,
made a hut, and stayed there.
That’s how I became known
as “Reed-breaker”.

But now it’s not appropriate
for me to break reeds with my hands.
The training rules have been laid down for us
by Gotama the renowned.

Previously, I, Sarabhaṅga,
didn’t see the disease in its entirety.
But now I have seen the disease,
as I’ve practiced what was taught
     by he who is beyond the gods.

Gotama traveled by that straight road;
the same path traveled by Vipassī,
by Sikhī, Vessabhū,
Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, and Kassapa.

These seven Buddhas have plunged into the ending,
free of craving, without grasping,
having become Dhamma, poised.
They have taught this Dhamma

out of compassion for living creatures—
suffering, origin, path,
and cessation, the ending of suffering.
In these four noble truths,

the endless suffering of transmigration
finally comes to an end.
When the body breaks up,
and life comes to an end,
there are no future lives;
I’m everywhere well-freed.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 7.5 Sarabhaṅgattheragāthā: Sarabhaṅga 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.

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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 grain.


NOTE: The simile of the saw can be found at the very end of the MN 21 Kakacūpama Sutta. The simile of the child’s flesh can be found at SN 12.63 Puttamaṁsasutta.

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Thag 21.1 From… Vaṅgīsattheragāthā: Vaṅgīsa

“Speak only such words
that do not hurt yourself
nor harm others;
such speech is truly well spoken.

Speak only pleasing words,
words gladly welcomed.
Pleasing words are those
that bring nothing bad to others.

Truth itself is the undying word:
this is an eternal truth.
Good people say that the teaching and its meaning
are grounded in the truth.

The words spoken by the Buddha
for realizing the sanctuary, extinguishment,
for making an end of suffering:
this really is the best kind of speech.”


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 21.1 Vaṅgīsattheragāthā: Vaṅgīsa 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.

Thag 16.4 From… Raṭṭhapāla Theragāthā

…A king who conquered the earth by force,
ruling the land from sea to sea,
unsatisfied with the near shore of the ocean,
would still yearn for the further shore.

Not just the king, but others too,
reach death not rid of craving.
They leave the body still wanting,
for in this world sensual pleasures never satisfy.

Relatives lament, their hair disheveled,
saying ‘Ah! Alas! They’re not immortal!’
They take out the body wrapped in a shroud,
heap up a pyre, and burn it there.

It’s poked with stakes while being burnt,
in just a single cloth, all wealth gone.
Relatives, friends, and companions
can’t help you when you’re dying.

Heirs take your riches,
while beings fare on according to their deeds.
Riches don’t follow you when you die;
nor do children, wife, wealth, nor kingdom.

Longevity isn’t gained by riches,
nor does wealth banish old age;
for the wise say this life is short,
it’s perishable and not eternal.

The rich and the poor feel its touch;
the fool and the wise feel it too.
But the fool lies stricken by their own folly,
while the wise don’t tremble at the touch.

Therefore wisdom’s much better than wealth,
since by wisdom you reach consummation in this life.
But if because of delusion you don’t reach consummation,
you’ll do evil deeds in life after life.…


Read the entire translation of Theragāthā 16.4 Raṭṭhapālattheragāthā: Raṭṭhapāla 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 3.7 Vāraṇattheragāthā: Vāraṇa

Anyone among men
who harms other creatures:
that person will fall
both from this world and the next.

But someone with a mind of love,
compassionate for all creatures:
a person like that
makes much merit.

One should train in following good advice,
in attending closely to ascetics,
in sitting alone in hidden places,
and in calming the mind.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 3.7 Vāraṇattheragāthā: Vāraṇa 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.

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.


Read this translation of Theragāthā 14.1 Khadiravaniyarevatattheragāthā: Khadiravaniyarevata 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.

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.


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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

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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.