Therigatha - The Verses of the Elder Nuns
Chapter 3: The Book of the Threes
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato and Jessica Walton. (More copyright information)
Another Sāmā
39
In the twenty-five years
since I went forth,
I don’t know that I had ever found
serenity in my mind.
40
I had failed to find peace of heart,
or any control over my mind.
When I remembered the victor’s instructions,
I was struck with a sense of urgency.
41
Though subject to so many painful things,
I have, through my love of diligence,
reached the ending of craving,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
This is the seventh day
since my craving dried up.
Uttamā
42
Four or five times
I left my dwelling.
I had failed to find peace of heart,
or any control over my mind.
43
I approached a nun
in whom I had faith.
She taught me the Dhamma:
the aggregates, sense fields, and elements.
44
When I had heard her teaching,
in accordance with her instructions,
I sat cross-legged for seven days without moving,
given over to rapture and bliss.
On the eighth day I stretched out my feet,
having shattered the mass of darkness.
Another Uttamā
45
Of the seven awakening factors,
the path for attaining extinguishment,
I have developed them all,
just as the Buddha taught.
46
I attain the meditations on emptiness
and signlessness whenever I want.
I am the Buddha’s rightful daughter,
always delighting in quenching.
47
All sensual pleasures are cut off,
whether human or divine.
Transmigration through births is finished,
now there’ll be no more future lives.
Dantikā
48
Leaving my day’s meditation
on Vulture’s Peak Mountain,
I saw an elephant on the riverbank
having just come up from his bath.
49
A man, taking a pole with a hook,
asked the elephant: “Give me your foot.”
The elephant presented his foot,
and the man mounted him.
50
Seeing a wild beast so tamed,
submitting to human control,
my mind became serene:
that is why I’ve gone to the forest!
Ubbiri
51
“You cry ‘Please be living!’ in the forest.
Ubbirī, get a hold of yourself!
Eighty-four thousand people,
all named ‘living being’,
have been burnt in this funeral ground:
which one do you grieve for?”
52
“Oh! For you have plucked the arrow from me,
so hard to see, stuck in the heart.
You’ve swept away the grief for my daughter
in which I once was mired.
53
Today I’ve plucked the arrow,
I’m hungerless, extinguished.
I go for refuge to that sage, the Buddha,
to his teaching, and to the Saṅgha.”
Sukkā
54
“What’s up with these people in Rājagaha?
They sprawl like they’ve been drinking mead!
They don’t attend on Sukkā
as she teaches the Buddha’s instructions.
55
But the wise—
it’s as if they drink it up,
so irresistible, delicious and nutritious,
like travelers enjoying a cool cloud.”
56
“She’s known as Sukkā because of her bright qualities,
free of greed, serene.
She bears her final body,
having vanquished Māra and his mount.”
Selā
57
“There’s no escape in the world,
so what will seclusion do for you?
Enjoy the delights of sensual pleasure;
don’t regret it later.”
58
“Sensual pleasures are like swords and stakes
the aggregates are their chopping block.
What you call sensual delight
is now no delight for me.
59
Relishing is destroyed in every respect,
and the mass of darkness is shattered.
So know this, Wicked One:
you’re beaten, terminator!”
Somā
60
“That state’s very challenging;
it’s for the sages to attain.
It’s not possible for a woman,
with her two-fingered wisdom.”
61
“What difference does womanhood make
when the mind is serene,
and knowledge is present
as you rightly discern the Dhamma.
62
Relishing is destroyed in every respect,
and the mass of darkness is shattered.
So know this, Wicked One:
you’re beaten, terminator!”
Aparāsāmātherīgāthā
39p_19Th2_70"Paṇṇavīsativassāni,
yato pabbajitāya me;
Nābhijānāmi cittassa,
samaṁ laddhaṁ kudācanaṁ.
40p_19Th2_71Aladdhā cetaso santiṁ,
citte avasavattinī;
Tato saṁvegamāpādiṁ,
saritvā jinasāsanaṁ.
41
p_19Th2_72Bahūhi dukkhadhammehi,
appamādaratāya me;
Taṇhakkhayo anuppatto,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ;
Ajja me sattamī ratti,
yato taṇhā visositā"ti.
Uttamātherīgāthā
42p_19Th2_74"Catukkhattuṁ pañcakkhattuṁ,
vihārā upanikkhamiṁ;
Aladdhā cetaso santiṁ,
citte avasavattinī.
43p_19Th2_75Sā bhikkhuniṁ upagacchiṁ,
yā me saddhāyikā ahu;
Sā me dhammamadesesi,
khandhāyatanadhātuyo.
44p_19Th2_76Tassā dhammaṁ suṇitvāna,
Yathā maṁ anusāsi sā;
Sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena,
Nisīdiṁ pītisukhasamappitā;
Aṭṭhamiyā pāde pasāresiṁ,
Tamokhandhaṁ padāliyā"ti.
Aparāuttamātherīgāthā
45p_19Th2_78"Ye ime satta bojjhaṅgā,
maggā nibbānapattiyā;
Bhāvitā te mayā sabbe,
yathā buddhena desitā.
46p_19Th2_79Suññatassānimittassa,
lābhinīhaṁ yadicchakaṁ;
Orasā dhītā buddhassa,
nibbānābhiratā sadā.
47p_19Th2_80Sabbe kāmā samucchinnā,
ye dibbā ye ca mānusā;
Vikkhīṇo jātisaṁsāro,
natthi dāni punabbhavo"ti.
Dantikātherīgāthā
48p_19Th2_82"Divāvihārā nikkhamma,
gijjhakūṭamhi pabbate;
Nāgaṁ ogāhamuttiṇṇaṁ,
nadītīramhi addasaṁ.
49p_19Th2_83Puriso aṅkusamādāya,
‘dehi pādan’ti yācati;
Nāgo pasārayī pādaṁ,
puriso nāgamāruhi.
50p_19Th2_84Disvā adantaṁ damitaṁ,
manussānaṁ vasaṁ gataṁ;
Tato cittaṁ samādhesiṁ,
khalu tāya vanaṁ gatā"ti.
Ubbiritherīgāthā
51p_19Th2_86"Amma jīvāti vanamhi kandasi,
Attānaṁ adhigaccha ubbiri;
Cullāsītisahassāni,
Sabbā jīvasanāmikā;
Etamhāḷāhane daḍḍhā,
Tāsaṁ kamanusocasi".
52
p_19Th2_87"Abbahī vata me sallaṁ,
duddasaṁ hadayassitaṁ;
Yaṁ me sokaparetāya,
dhītusokaṁ byapānudi.
53p_19Th2_88Sājja abbūḷhasallāhaṁ,
Nicchātā parinibbutā;
Buddhaṁ dhammañca saṁghañca,
Upemi saraṇaṁ munin"ti.
Sukkātherīgāthā
54p_19Th2_90"Kiṁme katā rājagahe manussā,
Madhuṁ pītāva acchare;
Ye sukkaṁ na upāsanti,
Desentiṁ buddhasāsanaṁ.
55p_19Th2_91Tañca appaṭivānīyaṁ,
asecanakamojavaṁ;
Pivanti maññe sappaññā,
valāhakamivaddhagū.
56p_19Th2_92Sukkā sukkehi dhammehi,
vītarāgā samāhitā;
Dhāreti antimaṁ dehaṁ,
jetvā māraṁ savāhinin"ti.
Selātherīgāthā
57p_19Th2_94"Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke,
kiṁ vivekena kāhasi;
Bhuñjāhi kāmaratiyo,
māhu pacchānutāpinī".
58p_19Th2_95"Sattisūlūpamā kāmā,
khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;
Yaṁ tvaṁ ‘kāmaratiṁ’ brūsi,
‘aratī’ dāni sā mama.
59p_19Th2_96Sabbattha vihatā nandī,
Tamokhandho padālito;
Evaṁ jānāhi pāpima,
Nihato tvamasi antakā"ti.
Somātherīgāthā
60p_19Th2_98"Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ,
ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ;
Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya,
sakkā pappotumitthiyā".
61p_19Th2_99"Itthibhāvo no kiṁ kayirā,
cittamhi susamāhite;
Ñāṇamhi vattamānamhi,
sammā dhammaṁ vipassato.
62
p_19Th2_100Sabbattha vihatā nandī,
Tamokhandho padālito;
Evaṁ jānāhi pāpima,
Nihato tvamasi antakā"ti.