“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.”
Note: Vulture’s Peak Mountain, Gijjhakūṭa Pabbata is located outside of the city of Rajagaha. It was a very popular place for monastics to live and spend time.
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