459She was adorned with jewellery and all dressed up,
With a garland of flowers and perfume of sandalwood,
Her feet brightly rouged:
A courtesan wearing slippers.

460She took off her slippers in front of me,
Her hands in añjalī,
And softly and sweetly
She spoke to me, smiling:

461"You’re too young to have gone forth;
Come, stay in my teaching!
Enjoy human sensual pleasures,
I’ll give you riches.
I promise this is the truth —
I’ll swear by the Sacred Flame.

462And when we’ve grown old together,
Leaning on sticks,
We’ll both go forth,
So we’ll win both ways."

463When I saw the courtesan seducing me,
Her hands in añjalī,
Adorned with jewellery and all dressed up,
Like a snare of death laid down.

464Then the realization
Came upon me —
The danger became clear,
And I was firmly repulsed.

465Then my mind was liberated —
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 Ambāṭaka park,
He practices jhāna; he is truly well-favoured.

467Some delight in drums,
In lutes, 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 that the whole world
Be always mindful of the body.

469Those who’ve judged me by my appearance,
And those who’ve followed me because of my voice,
They’re under the sway of desire and lust;
They don’t know me.

470Not knowing what’s inside,
Not seeing what’s outside;
The fool, obstructed all around,
Is carried away by my voice.

471Not knowing what’s inside,
But discerning what’s outside;
They too, seeing only the external fruits of practice,
Are carried away by my voice.

472Understanding what’s inside,
And discerning what’s outside;
They, seeing without obstacles,
Are not carried away by my voice.

473I was an only child,
Loved by my mother and father.
They had me by practising
Many prayers and observances.

474Out of compassion,
Wishing me well and seeking my welfare,
My mother and father
Took me up to the Buddha.

475"We had this son with difficulty;
He is delicate, and has grown up in comfort.
We offer him to you, Lord,
To attend upon the conqueror."

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 conqueror entered his dwelling.
Before the sun set,
My mind was liberated.

478The teacher didn’t neglect me;
When he came out from seclusion,
He said: "Come Bhadda!"
That was my full ordination.

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

480I saw the most excellent person,
Walking meditation in the shade of the terrace,
So I approached,
And bowed to the most excellent man.

481Arranging my robe over one shoulder,
And clasping my hands together,
I walked meditation alongside that stainless one,
Most excellent of all beings.

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

483When all his questions were answered,
The Tathāgata congratulated me.
Looking around the monastic Saṅgha,
He said this:

484"It is a blessing for the people of Anga 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 full ordination."

486At seven years old
I received full ordination.
I bear my final body —
Oh, the excellence of the Dhamma!

487I broke the reeds off with my hands,
Made a hut, and stayed there.
So 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, Sarabhanga,
Didn’t see the disease in its entirety.
But now I have seen the disease,
Because I practised what was taught by the one beyond the gods.

490Gotama travelled by that straight road;
The same path travelled by Vipassī,
The same path as Sikhī, Vessabhū,
Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, and Kassapa.

491By these seven Buddhas, who plunged into the ending,
Free of craving, without grasping,
Having become Dhamma, poised,
This Dhamma was taught,

492Out of compassion for living beings —
Suffering, origin, path,
And cessation, the ending of suffering.
In these four noble truths,

493Suffering is stopped,
This endless transmigration.
When the body has broken up,
And life has come to an end,
There is no more rebirth into any state of existence:
I’m well-liberated in every way.

459 p_19Th1_744"Alaṅkatā suvasanā,
Alattakakatāpādā,
pādukāruyha vesikā.

460p_19Th1_745Pādukā oruhitvāna,
purato pañjalīkatā;
Sā maṁ saṇhena mudunā,

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

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

468p_19Th1_754so 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,

481p_19Th1_769Ekaṁsaṁ cīvaraṁ katvā,
saṁharitvāna pāṇayo;
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 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_782saṁsārasmiṁ anantakaṁ;
Bhedā imassa kāyassa,
jīvitassa ca saṅkhayā;
Añño punabbhavo natthi,
suvimuttomhi sabbadhī"ti.