459Adorned with jewelry and all dressed up,
with her garland and her makeup on,
and her feet so brightly rouged:
the courtesan was wearing sandals.

460Stepping off her sandals in front of me,
her palms joined in greeting,
smiling, she spoke to me
so softly and so sweet:

461“You’re too young to go forth—
come, stay in my teaching!
Enjoy human sensual pleasures,
I’ll give you riches.
I promise this is the truth—
I swear it by the Sacred Flame.

462And when we’ve grown old together,
both of us leaning on staffs,
we shall both go forth,
and hold a perfect hand on both counts.”

463I saw the courtesan seducing me,
her palms joined in greeting,
adorned with jewelry and all dressed up,
like a snare of death laid down.

464Then the realization
came upon me—
the danger became clear
and I grew firmly disillusioned.

465Then my mind was freed—
see the excellence of the Dhamma!
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.

466Bhaddiya 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.

467Some 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.

468If 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.

469Those who’ve judged me on appearance,
and those swayed by my voice,
are full of desire and greed;
they don’t know me.

470Not knowing what’s inside,
nor seeing what’s outside,
the fool shut in on every side,
gets carried away by a voice.

471Not knowing what’s inside,
but discerning what’s outside,
seeing the fruit outside,
they’re also carried away by a voice.

472Understanding what’s inside,
and discerning what’s outside,
of unhindered vision,
they don’t get carried away by a voice.

473I was an only child,
loved by my mother and father.
They had me by practicing
many prayers and observances.

474Out of sympathy for me
wishing me well and wanting the best for me,
my mother and father
took me to see the Buddha.

475“We had this son with difficulty;
he is delicate and dainty.
We offer him to you, Lord,
to attend upon the victor.”

476The teacher, having accepted me,
declared to Ānanda:
“Quickly give him the going-forth—
this one will be a thoroughbred!”

477After he, the teacher, had sent me forth,
the victor entered his dwelling.
Before the sun set
my mind was freed.

478The teacher didn’t neglect me;
when he came out from seclusion,
he said: “Come Bhadda!”
That was my ordination.

479At seven years old
I received ordination.
I’ve attained the three knowledges;
oh, the excellence of the teaching!

480I saw the supreme person
walking mindfully in the shade of the terrace,
so I approached,
and bowed to the supreme among men.

481Arranging my robe over one shoulder
and clasping my hands together,
I walked alongside that stainless one,
supreme among all beings.

482The wise one, expert in questions,
questioned me.
Brave and fearless,
I answered the teacher.

483When all his questions were answered,
the Realized One congratulated me.
Looking around the mendicant Saṅgha,
he said the following:

484“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.

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

486At seven years old
I received ordination.
I bear my final body—
oh, the excellence of the teaching!>

487I broke the reeds off with my hands,
made a hut, and stayed there.
That’s how I became known
as “Reed-breaker”.

488But 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.

489Previously, 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.

490Gotama traveled by that direct route;
the same path traveled by Vipassī,
by Sikhī, Vessabhū,
Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, and Kassapa.

491These seven Buddhas have plunged into the ending,
free of craving, without grasping,
having become Dhamma, unaffected.
They have taught this Dhamma

492out of compassion for living creatures—
suffering, origin, path,
and cessation, the ending of suffering.
In these four noble truths,

493the 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.

459 p_19Th1_744"Alaṅkatā suvasanā,
māladhārī vibhūsitā;
Alattakakatāpādā,
pādukāruyha vesikā.

460p_19Th1_745Pādukā oruhitvāna,
purato pañjalīkatā;
Sā maṁ saṇhena mudunā,
mhitapubbaṁ abhāsatha.

461p_19Th1_746Yuvāsi tvaṁ pabbajito,
tiṭṭhāhi mama sāsane;
Bhuñja mānusake kāme,
ahaṁ vittaṁ dadāmi te;
Saccaṁ te paṭijānāmi,
aggiṁ vā te harāmahaṁ.

462p_19Th1_747Yadā jiṇṇā bhavissāma,
ubho daṇḍaparāyanā;
Ubhopi pabbajissāma,
ubhayattha kaṭaggaho.

463p_19Th1_748Tañca disvāna yācantiṁ,
vesikaṁ pañjalīkataṁ;
Alaṅkataṁ suvasanaṁ,
maccupāsaṁva oḍḍitaṁ.

464p_19Th1_749Tato me manasīkāro,
… pe …
nibbidā samatiṭṭhatha.

465p_19Th1_750Tato cittaṁ vimucci me,
… pe …
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanan"ti.

466p_19Th1_752"Pare ambāṭakārāme,
vanasaṇḍamhi bhaddiyo;
Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,
tattha bhaddova jhāyati.

467p_19Th1_753Ramanteke mudiṅgehi,
vīṇāhi paṇavehi ca;
Ahañca rukkhamūlasmiṁ,
rato buddhassa sāsane.

468p_19Th1_754Buddho ce me varaṁ dajjā,
so ca labbhetha me varo;
Gaṇhehaṁ sabbalokassa,
niccaṁ kāyagataṁ satiṁ.

469p_19Th1_755Ye maṁ rūpena pāmiṁsu,
ye ca ghosena anvagū;
Chandarāgavasūpetā,
na maṁ jānanti te janā.

470p_19Th1_756Ajjhattañca na jānāti,
bahiddhā ca na passati;
Samantāvaraṇo bālo,
sa ve ghosena vuyhati.

471p_19Th1_757Ajjhattañca na jānāti,
bahiddhā ca vipassati;
Bahiddhā phaladassāvī,
sopi ghosena vuyhati.

472p_19Th1_758Ajjhattañca pajānāti,
bahiddhā ca vipassati;
Anāvaraṇadassāvī,
na so ghosena vuyhatī"ti.

473 p_19Th1_760"Ekaputto ahaṁ āsiṁ,
piyo mātu piyo pitu;
Bahūhi vatacariyāhi,
laddho āyācanāhi ca.

474p_19Th1_761Te ca maṁ anukampāya,
atthakāmā hitesino;
Ubho pitā ca mātā ca,
buddhassa upanāmayuṁ.

475p_19Th1_762‘Kicchā laddho ayaṁ putto,
sukhumālo sukhedhito;
Imaṁ dadāma te nātha,
jinassa paricārakaṁ’.

476p_19Th1_763Satthā ca maṁ paṭiggayha,
ānandaṁ etadabravi;
‘Pabbājehi imaṁ khippaṁ,
hessatyājāniyo ayaṁ’.

477p_19Th1_764Pabbājetvāna maṁ satthā,
vihāraṁ pāvisī jino;
Anoggatasmiṁ sūriyasmiṁ,
tato cittaṁ vimucci me.

478p_19Th1_765Tato satthā nirākatvā,
paṭisallānavuṭṭhito;
‘Ehi bhaddā’ti maṁ āha,
sā me āsūpasampadā.

479p_19Th1_766Jātiyā sattavassena,
laddhā me upasampadā;
Tisso vijjā anuppattā,
aho dhammasudhammatā"ti.

480p_19Th1_768"Disvā pāsādachāyāyaṁ,
caṅkamantaṁ naruttamaṁ;
Tattha naṁ upasaṅkamma,
vandissaṁ purisuttamaṁ.

481p_19Th1_769Ekaṁsaṁ cīvaraṁ katvā,
saṁharitvāna pāṇayo;
Anucaṅkamissaṁ virajaṁ,
sabbasattānamuttamaṁ.

482p_19Th1_770Tato pañhe apucchi maṁ,
pañhānaṁ kovido vidū;
Acchambhī ca abhīto ca,
byākāsiṁ satthuno ahaṁ.

483p_19Th1_771Vissajjitesu pañhesu,
anumodi tathāgato;
Bhikkhusaṁghaṁ viloketvā,
imamatthaṁ abhāsatha.

484p_19Th1_772‘Lābhā aṅgānaṁ magadhānaṁ,
Yesāyaṁ paribhuñjati;
Cīvaraṁ piṇḍapātañca,
Paccayaṁ sayanāsanaṁ;
Paccuṭṭhānañca sāmīciṁ,
Tesaṁ lābhāti cābravi.

485p_19Th1_773Ajjatagge maṁ sopāka,
dassanāyopasaṅkama;
Esā ceva te sopāka,
bhavatu upasampadā’.

486p_19Th1_774Jātiyā sattavassohaṁ,
laddhāna upasampadaṁ;
Dhāremi antimaṁ dehaṁ,
aho dhammasudhammatā"ti.

487p_19Th1_776"Sare hatthehi bhañjitvā,
katvāna kuṭimacchisaṁ;
Tena me sarabhaṅgoti,
nāmaṁ sammutiyā ahu.

488 p_19Th1_777Na mayhaṁ kappate ajja,
sare hatthehi bhañjituṁ;
Sikkhāpadā no paññattā,
gotamena yasassinā.

489p_19Th1_778Sakalaṁ samattaṁ rogaṁ,
Sarabhaṅgo nāddasaṁ pubbe;
Soyaṁ rogo diṭṭho,
Vacanakarenātidevassa.

490p_19Th1_779Yeneva maggena gato vipassī,
Yeneva maggena sikhī ca vessabhū;
Kakusandhakoṇāgamano ca kassapo,
Tenañjasena agamāsi gotamo.

491p_19Th1_780Vītataṇhā anādānā,
satta buddhā khayogadhā;
Yehāyaṁ desito dhammo,
dhammabhūtehi tādibhi.

492p_19Th1_781Cattāri ariyasaccāni,
anukampāya pāṇinaṁ;
Dukkhaṁ samudayo maggo,
nirodho dukkhasaṅkhayo.

493p_19Th1_782Yasmiṁ nivattate dukkhaṁ,
saṁsārasmiṁ anantakaṁ;
Bhedā imassa kāyassa,
jīvitassa ca saṅkhayā;
Añño punabbhavo natthi,
suvimuttomhi sabbadhī"ti.