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Khuddaka Nikāya - The Minor Texts

Theragatha - The Verses of the Senior Monks

Chapter 10: Groups of Ten Verses

  • Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato and Jessica Walton
Kāḷudāyi

527"The trees are now crimson, venerable sir,
They’ve shed their foliage, and are ready to fruit.
They’re splendid, as if on fire;
Great hero, this period is full of flavour.

528The 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.

529It is neither too hot nor too cold,
Venerable sir, it’s a pleasant season for travelling.
Let the Sākiyas and Koḷiyas see you,
Facing west as you cross the Rohiṇī river.

530In hope, the field is ploughed;
The seed is sown in hope;
In hope, merchants travel the seas,
Carrying rich cargoes.
The hope that I stand for:
May it succeed!

531Again and again, they sow the seed;
Again and again, the king of gods sends rain;
Again and again, farmers plough the field;
Again and again, grain is produced for the nation.

532Again and again, the beggars wander,
Again and again, the donors give,
Again and again, when the donors have given,
Again and again, they go to their place in heaven.

533A 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.

534The father of the great sage is named Suddhodana;
But the Buddha’s mother is named Māyā.
Having borne the Bodhisatta in her womb,
She rejoices in the heaven of the Thirty-Three.

535When she died and passed away from here,
She was blessed with divine sensual pleasures;
Rejoicing in the five kinds of sensual pleasures,
Gotamī is surrounded by those hosts of gods."

536"I’m the son of the Buddha, the incomparable Angīrasa, the poised —
I bear the unbearable.
You, Sakya, are my father’s father;
Gotama, you are my grandfather in the Dhamma."

Ekavihāriya

537If no-one else is found
In front or behind,
It’s extremely pleasant,
Dwelling alone in a forest grove.

538Come now, I’ll go alone
To the wilderness praised by the Buddha.
It’s pleasant for a monk
Dwelling alone and resolute.

539Alone and self-disciplined,
I’ll quickly enter the delightful forest,
Which gives joy to meditators,
And is frequented by rutting elephants.

540In Sītavana, so full of flowers,
In a cool mountain cave,
I’ll bathe my limbs
And walk meditation alone.

541When will I dwell alone,
Without a companion,
In the great wood, so delightful,
My task complete, free of defilements?

542This is what I want to do:
May my wish succeed!
I’ll make it happen myself:
No-one can do someone else’s duty.

543Fastening my armour,
I’ll enter the forest.
I won’t leave here
Until I have attained the end of defilements.

544As the cool breeze blows
With fragrant scent,
I’ll split ignorance apart,
Sitting on the mountain-peak.

545In a forest grove covered with blossoms,
In a cave so very cool,
I take pleasure in Giribbaja,
Happy with the happiness of freedom.

546My intentions are fulfilled
Like the moon on the fifteenth day.
With the utter ending of all defilements,
Now there is no more rebirth into any state of existence.

Mahākappina

547If you’re prepared for the future,
Both the good and the bad,
Then those who look for your weakness,
Whether enemies or well-wishers, will find none.

548One who has fulfilled, developed,
And gradually consolidated
Mindfulness of breathing
As taught by the Buddha:
They light up the world,
Like the moon freed from a cloud.

549Yes, my mind is clean,
Measureless, and well-developed;
It is broken through and uplifted —
It radiates in every direction.

550The wise person lives on
Even after loss of wealth;
But without gaining wisdom
Even a rich person doesn’t really live.

551Understanding questions what is learned;
Understanding grows fame and reputation;
A person who has understanding
Finds happiness even among sufferings.

552It’s not something just for today;
It isn’t incredible or astonishing.
When you’re born, you die —
What’s astonishing about that?

553For anyone who is born,
Death always follows after living.
Everyone who is born here dies here;
Such is the nature of living beings.

554The things that are useful for the living
Are of no use for the dead —
Not fame, not celebrity,
Not praise by ascetics and brahmins;
For the dead, there is only weeping.

555And weeping impairs the eye and the body;
Complexion, health, and intelligence decline.
Your enemies rejoice;
But your well-wishers are not happy.

556So you should wish that those who stay in your family
Have understanding and learning,
And do their duty though the power of understanding,
Just as you’d cross a full river by boat.

Cūḷapanthaka

557My progress was slow,
I was despised in the past;
My brother turned me away,
Saying, "Go home now".

558Turned away at the gate
Of the Saṅgha’s monastery,
I stood there sadly,
Longing for the teaching.

559Then Blessed One came
And touched my head.
Taking me by the arm,
He brought me into the Saṅgha’s monastery.

560The teacher, out of compassion,
Gave me a foot-wiping cloth, saying:
"Focus your awareness
Exclusively on this clean cloth."

561After I had listened to his words,
I dwelt delighting in his teaching,
Practising samādhi
For the attainment of the highest goal.

562I know my past life;
My divine eye is clarified;
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
And fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

563I, Panthaka, created a thousand
Images of myself,
And sat in the delightful mango grove
Until the time for the meal offering was announced.

564Then the teacher sent to me
A messenger to announce the time.
When the time was announced,
I flew to him through the air.

565I paid homage to the teacher’s feet,
And sat to one side.
When he knew I was seated,
The teacher received the offering.

566Recipient of gifts from the whole world,
Receiver of sacrifices,
Field of merit for humanity,
He received the offering.

Kappa

567Filled with different kinds of dirt,
A great producer of dung,
Like a stagnant cesspool,
A great boil, a great wound,

568Full of pus and blood,
Sunk in a toilet-pit,
Trickling with fluids
This putrid body always oozes.

569Bound by sixty tendons,
Coated with a fleshy coating,
Clothed in a jacket of skin,
This putrid body is worthless.

570Held together by a skeleton of bones,
And bound by sinews;
It assumes postures
Due to a complex of many things.

571We set out in the certainty of death,
In the presence of the king of death;
And having discarded the body right here,
A person goes where he likes.

572Enveloped by ignorance,
Tied by the four ties,
This body is sinking in the flood,
Caught in the net of underlying tendencies.

573Yoked with the five hindrances,
Afflicted by thought,
Accompanied by the root of craving,
Hidden by delusion.

574So the body goes on,
Propelled by the mechanism of deeds.
But existence ends in perishing;
Separated, the body perishes.

575Those blind, unawakened people
Who think of this body as theirs,
Swell the horrors of the charnel-ground,
And take up rebirth again in some state of existence.

576Those who avoid this body,
Like a snake smeared with dung,
They expel the root of rebirth,
And realise nibbāna, without defilements.

Vangantaputtaupasena

577In order to go on retreat,
A monk should stay in lodgings
That are secluded and quiet,
Frequented by beasts of prey.

578Having gathered scraps from rubbish heaps,
Cemeteries and streets,
And making an outer robe from them,
He should wear that coarse robe.

579Humbling his mind,
A monk should walk for alms
From family to family without exception,
With sense doors guarded, well-restrained .

580He should be content even with coarse food,
Not hoping for lots of flavours.
The mind that is greedy for flavours
Doesn’t delight in jhāna.

581With few wishes, content,
A sage should live secluded.
Socializing with neither
Householders nor the homeless.

582He should appear
To be stupid or dumb;
A wise person would not speak overly long
In the midst of the Saṅgha.

583He would not insult anyone,
And would avoid causing harm.
Restrained in accordance with the Pātimokkha,
He would eat in moderation.

584Skilled in the arising of thought,
He would grasp well the character of the mind.
He would be devoted to practicing
Serenity and insight at the right time.

585Though 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.

586For a monk who dwells in this way,
Longing for purification,
All his defilements wither away,
And he attains nibbāna.

(Apara) Gotama

587You should understand your own purpose,
And consider the teachings carefully,
As well as what’s appropriate,
For one who has entered the ascetic life.

588Good friendship in the community,
Undertaking lots of training,
Listening well to the teacher —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

589Respect for the Buddha,
Reverence for the Dhamma as it really is,
Esteem for the Saṅgha —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

590Devotion to good conduct and resort,
A livelihood that is pure and blameless,
And settling the mind —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

591A pleasing manner in things that should be done,
And those that should be avoided;
Devotion to the higher mind —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

592Wilderness lodgings
Remote, with little noise,
Fit for use by a sage —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

593Ethics, learning,
Investigation of Dhamma as it really is,
And penetration of the truths —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

594Developing the perceptions
Of impermanence, non-self, and unattractiveness,
And displeasure with the whole world —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

595Developing the factors of awakening,
The bases for psychic power, the spiritual faculties and powers,
And the noble eight-fold path —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

596A sage should abandon craving,
With defilements split apart, root and all,
They should live liberated —
This is appropriate for an ascetic.

Kāḷudāyittheragāthā

527 p_19Th1_830"Aṅgārino dāni dumā bhadante,
Phalesino chadanaṁ vippahāya;
Te accimantova pabhāsayanti,
Samayo mahāvīra bhāgī rasānaṁ.

528p_19Th1_831Dumāni phullāni manoramāni,
Samantato sabbadisā pavanti;
Pattaṁ pahāya Kālo ito pakkamanāya vīra.

529p_19Th1_832Nevātisītaṁ na panātiuṇhaṁ,
Sukhā utu addhaniyā bhadante;
Passantu taṁ sākiyā koḷiyā ca,
Pacchāmukhaṁ rohiniyaṁ tarantaṁ.

530p_19Th1_833Āsāya kasate khettaṁ,
bījaṁ āsāya vappati;
Āsāya vāṇijā yanti,
samuddaṁ dhanahārakā;
Yāya āsāya tiṭṭhāmi,
sā me āsā samijjhatu.

531p_19Th1_834Punappunaṁ ceva vapanti bījaṁ,
Punappunaṁ vassati devarājā;
Punappunaṁ khettaṁ kasanti kassakā,
Punappunaṁ dhaññamupeti raṭṭhaṁ.

532p_19Th1_835Punappunaṁ yācanakā caranti,
Punappunaṁ dānapatī dadanti;
Punappunaṁ dānapatī daditvā,
Punappunaṁ saggamupenti ṭhānaṁ.

533 p_19Th1_836Yasmiṁ kule jāyati bhūripañño;
Maññāmahaṁ sakkati devadevo,

534p_19Th1_837Suddhodano nāma pitā mahesino,
Buddhassa mātā pana māyanāmā;
Yā bodhisattaṁ parihariya kucchinā,
Kāyassa bhedā tidivamhi modati.

535p_19Th1_838Sā gotamī kālakatā ito cutā,
Dibbehi kāmehi samaṅgibhūtā;
Sā modati kāmaguṇehi pañcahi,
Parivāritā devagaṇehi tehi".

536p_19Th1_839"Buddhassa puttomhi asayhasāhino,
Aṅgīrasassappaṭimassa tādino;
Pitupitā mayhaṁ tuvaṁsi sakka,
Dhammena me gotama ayyakosī"ti.

Ekavihāriyattheragāthā

537p_19Th1_841"Purato pacchato vāpi,
aparo ce na vijjati;
Atīva phāsu bhavati,
ekassa vasato vane.

538p_19Th1_842Handa eko gamissāmi,
araññaṁ buddhavaṇṇitaṁ;
pahitattassa bhikkhuno.

539p_19Th1_843Yogi-pītikaraṁ rammaṁ,
mattakuñjarasevitaṁ;
Eko attavasī khippaṁ,
pavisissāmi kānanaṁ.

540p_19Th1_844Supupphite sītavane,
sītale girikandare;
Gattāni parisiñcitvā,
caṅkamissāmi ekako.

541p_19Th1_845Ekākiyo adutiyo,
ramaṇīye mahāvane;
Kadāhaṁ viharissāmi,
katakicco anāsavo.

542p_19Th1_846Evaṁ me kattukāmassa,
adhippāyo samijjhatu;
Sādhayissāmahaṁyeva,
nāñño aññassa kārako.

543p_19Th1_847Esa bandhāmi sannāhaṁ,
pavisissāmi kānanaṁ;
Na tato nikkhamissāmi,
appatto āsavakkhayaṁ.

544p_19Th1_848Mālute upavāyante,
sīte Avijjaṁ dālayissāmi,
nisinno nagamuddhani.

545p_19Th1_849Vane kusumasañchanne,
pabbhāre nūna sītale;
Vimuttisukhena sukhito,
ramissāmi giribbaje.

546 p_19Th1_850Sohaṁ paripuṇṇasaṅkappo,
cando Sabbāsavaparikkhīṇo,
natthi dāni punabbhavo"ti.

Mahākappinattheragāthā

547p_19Th1_852"Anāgataṁ yo Hitañca atthaṁ ahitañca taṁ dvayaṁ;
Viddesino tassa hitesino vā,
Randhaṁ na passanti samekkhamānā.

548p_19Th1_853paripuṇṇā subhāvitā;
Anupubbaṁ paricitā,
yathā buddhena desitā;
Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
abbhā muttova candimā.

549p_19Th1_854Odātaṁ vata me cittaṁ,
appamāṇaṁ subhāvitaṁ;
Nibbiddhaṁ paggahītañca,
sabbā obhāsate disā.

550p_19Th1_855Jīvate vāpi sappañño,
api vittaparikkhayo;
Paññāya ca alābhena,
vittavāpi na jīvati.

551p_19Th1_856Paññā sutavinicchinī,
Paññā kittisilokavaddhanī;
Paññāsahito naro idha,
Api dukkhesu sukhāni vindati.

552p_19Th1_857Nāyaṁ ajjatano dhammo,
nacchero napi abbhuto;
Yattha jāyetha mīyetha,
tattha kiṁ viya abbhutaṁ.

553p_19Th1_858Anantaraṁ hi jātassa,
jīvitā maraṇaṁ dhuvaṁ;
Jātā jātā marantīdha,
evaṁdhammā hi pāṇino.

554p_19Th1_859Na hetadatthāya matassa hoti,
Yaṁ jīvitatthaṁ paraporisānaṁ;
Matamhi ruṇṇaṁ na yaso na lokyaṁ,
Na vaṇṇitaṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇehi.

555p_19Th1_860Cakkhuṁ sarīraṁ Nihīyati vaṇṇabalaṁ matī ca;
Ānandino tassa disā bhavanti,
Hitesino nāssa sukhī bhavanti.

556 p_19Th1_861Tasmā hi iccheyya kule vasante,
Medhāvino ceva bahussute ca;
Yesaṁ hi paññāvibhavena kiccaṁ,
Taranti nāvāya nadiṁva puṇṇan"ti.

Cūḷapanthakattheragāthā

557p_19Th1_863"Dandhā mayhaṁ gatī āsi,
paribhūto pure ahaṁ;
Bhātā ca maṁ paṇāmesi,
‘gaccha dāni tuvaṁ gharaṁ’.

558p_19Th1_864Sohaṁ paṇāmito santo,
saṁghārāmassa koṭṭhake;
Dummano tattha aṭṭhāsiṁ,
sāsanasmiṁ apekkhavā.

559p_19Th1_865Bhagavā tattha sīsaṁ mayhaṁ parāmasi;
Bāhāya maṁ gahetvāna,
saṁghārāmaṁ pavesayi.

560p_19Th1_866Anukampāya me satthā,
pādāsi pādapuñchaniṁ;
‘Etaṁ suddhaṁ adhiṭṭhehi,
ekamantaṁ svadhiṭṭhitaṁ’.

561p_19Th1_867Tassāhaṁ vacanaṁ sutvā,
vihāsiṁ sāsane rato;
Samādhiṁ paṭipādesiṁ,
uttamatthassa pattiyā.

562p_19Th1_868Pubbenivāsaṁ jānāmi,
dibbacakkhu visodhitaṁ;
Tisso vijjā anuppattā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ.

563p_19Th1_869Sahassakkhattumattānaṁ,
nimminitvāna panthako;
Nisīdambavane ramme,
yāva

564p_19Th1_870Tato me satthā pāhesi,
dūtaṁ kālappavedakaṁ;
Paveditamhi kālamhi,

565p_19Th1_871Vanditvā satthuno pāde,
ekamantaṁ nisīdahaṁ;
Nisinnaṁ maṁ viditvāna,
atha satthā paṭiggahi.

566p_19Th1_872Āyāgo sabbalokassa,
āhutīnaṁ paṭiggaho;
Puññakkhettaṁ manussānaṁ,
paṭiggaṇhittha dakkhiṇan"ti.

Kappattheragāthā

567p_19Th1_874"Nānākulamalasampuṇṇo,
mahāukkārasambhavo;
Candanikaṁva paripakkaṁ,
mahāgaṇḍo mahāvaṇo.

568p_19Th1_875Pubbaruhirasampuṇṇo,
sadā sandati pūtikaṁ.

569 p_19Th1_876Saṭṭhikaṇḍarasambandho,
maṁsalepanalepito;
Cammakañcukasannaddho,
pūtikāyo niratthako.

570p_19Th1_877Aṭṭhisaṅghātaghaṭito,
nhārusuttanibandhano;
Nekesaṁ saṅgatībhāvā,
kappeti iriyāpathaṁ.

571p_19Th1_878Dhuvappayāto maccurājassa santike;
Idheva chaḍḍayitvāna,
yenakāmaṅgamo naro.

572p_19Th1_879Avijjāya nivuto kāyo,
catuganthena ganthito;
Oghasaṁsīdano kāyo,
anusayajālamotthato.

573p_19Th1_880Pañcanīvaraṇe yutto,
vitakkena samappito;
Taṇhāmūlenānugato,
mohacchādanachādito.

574p_19Th1_881Evāyaṁ vattate kāyo,
kammayantena yantito;
Sampatti ca vipatyantā,
nānābhāvo vipajjati.

575p_19Th1_882Yemaṁ kāyaṁ mamāyanti,
andhabālā puthujjanā;
Vaḍḍhenti kaṭasiṁ ghoraṁ,
ādiyanti punabbhavaṁ.

576p_19Th1_883Yemaṁ kāyaṁ vivajjenti,
Gūthalittaṁva pannagaṁ;
Bhavamūlaṁ vamitvāna,

Vangantaputtaupasenatheragāthā

577p_19Th1_885"Vivittaṁ appanigghosaṁ,
vāḷamiganisevitaṁ;
Seve senāsanaṁ bhikkhu,
paṭisallānakāraṇā.

578p_19Th1_886Saṅkārapuñjā susānā rathiyāhi ca;
Tato saṅghāṭikaṁ katvā,
lūkhaṁ dhāreyya cīvaraṁ.

579p_19Th1_887Nīcaṁ manaṁ karitvāna,
sapadānaṁ kulā kulaṁ;
Piṇḍikāya care bhikkhu,
guttadvāro susaṁvuto.

580p_19Th1_888nāññaṁ patthe rasaṁ bahuṁ;
Rasesu anugiddhassa,
jhāne na ramatī mano.

581p_19Th1_889Appiccho ceva santuṭṭho,
pavivitto vase muni;
Asaṁsaṭṭho gahaṭṭhehi,
anāgārehi cūbhayaṁ.

582p_19Th1_890Yathā jaḷo attānaṁ dassaye tathā;
Nātivelaṁ sambhāseyya,
saṁghamajjhamhi paṇḍito.

583p_19Th1_891Na so upavade kañci,
upaghātaṁ vivajjaye;
Saṁvuto pātimokkhasmiṁ,
mattaññū cassa bhojane.

584p_19Th1_892Suggahītanimittassa,
cittassuppādakovido;
Samathaṁ anuyuñjeyya,
kālena ca vipassanaṁ.

585 p_19Th1_893Vīriyasātaccasampanno,
yuttayogo sadā siyā;
Na ca appatvā dukkhantaṁ,
vissāsaṁ eyya paṇḍito.

586p_19Th1_894Evaṁ viharamānassa,
suddhikāmassa bhikkhuno;
Khīyanti āsavā sabbe,
nibbutiñcādhigacchatī"ti.

(Apara) Gotamattheragāthā

587p_19Th1_896"Vijāneyya sakaṁ atthaṁ,
Avalokeyyātha pāvacanaṁ;
Yañcettha assa patirūpaṁ,
Sāmaññaṁ ajjhupagatassa.

588p_19Th1_897Mittaṁ idha ca kalyāṇaṁ,
Sikkhā vipulaṁ samādānaṁ;
Sussūsā ca garūnaṁ,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

589p_19Th1_898Buddhesu sagāravatā,
Dhamme apaciti yathābhūtaṁ;
Saṁghe ca cittikāro,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

590p_19Th1_899Ācāragocare yutto,
Ājīvo sodhito agārayho;
Cittassa ca saṇṭhapanaṁ,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

591p_19Th1_900Cārittaṁ atha vārittaṁ,
Iriyāpathiyaṁ pasādaniyaṁ;
Adhicitte ca āyogo,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

592p_19Th1_901Āraññakāni senāsanāni,
Pantāni appasaddāni;
Bhajitabbāni muninā,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

593p_19Th1_902Sīlañca bāhusaccañca,
Dhammānaṁ pavicayo yathābhūtaṁ;
Saccānaṁ abhisamayo,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

594p_19Th1_903Bhāveyya ca aniccanti,
Anattasaññaṁ asubhasaññañca;
Lokamhi ca anabhiratiṁ,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

595p_19Th1_904Bhāveyya ca bojjhaṅge,
Iddhipādāni indriyāni balāni;
Aṭṭhaṅgamaggamariyaṁ,
Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpaṁ.

596p_19Th1_905Taṇhaṁ pajaheyya muni,
Samūlake āsave padāleyya;
Vihareyya Etaṁ samaṇassa patirūpan"ti.