Loading...

Paliverse

Search Ask PaliVerse Signin

The PaliVerse Project

A UniVerse of Wisdom
100%
Font family
Theme
Navigation & Search

Hello ,How can i help you ?

Previous Chapter 5. The Book of the Fives

6.

The Book of the Sixes

1.

Verses of the Five Hundred Elder Nuns

127.

"Whose path you do not know, whether of one who has come or one who has gone;

That being who has come from somewhere, why do you weep saying 'my son'?

128.

"But if you knew the path, whether of one who has come or one who has gone;

You would not grieve for him, for such is the nature of living beings.

129.

"Uninvited he came from there, not permitted he went from here;

Having come from somewhere surely, having stayed for a few days;

From here too he went to another, from there he goes to yet another.

130.

"The ghost, in human form, wandering in the round of rebirths, will go on;

As he came, so he went, what lamentation is there for that?"

131.

"He has indeed drawn out my dart, difficult to see, lodged in my heart;

She who, for me overcome with sorrow, dispelled my grief for my son.

132.

"Today I have the dart pulled out, without hunger, attained final Nibbāna;

I go to the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community for refuge, the sage."

Thus about five hundred elder nuns, etc.

2.

Verses of the Elder Nun Vāseṭṭhī

133.

"Afflicted by sorrow for my son, mentally deranged, unconscious;

Naked and with dishevelled hair, I wandered here and there.

134.

"On streets, on rubbish heaps, in cemeteries and on roads;

I wandered for three years, afflicted by hunger and thirst.

135.

"Then I saw the Fortunate One, towards the city of Mithilā;

The tamer of the untamed, the self-enlightened, safe from every quarter.

136.

"Having regained my own mind, having paid homage, I sat down;

He taught me the Teaching, Gotama, out of compassion.

137.

"Having heard his teaching, I went forth into homelessness;

Engaging in the Teacher's word, I realized the safe state.

138.

"All sorrows have been cut off, abandoned, at an end for me;

For the bases have been fully understood by me, from which is the origination of sorrows."

... The elder nun Vāseṭṭhī...

3.

Verses of the Elder Nun Khemā

139.

"You are young and beautiful, and I too am a young youth;

With the five-part music, come, Khemā, let us delight."

140.

"With this foul body, sick and brittle;

I am troubled and ashamed, sensual craving has been uprooted.

141.

"Sensual pleasures are like stakes of spears, the aggregates are their chopping block;

What you call 'sensual delight', that is now discontent for me.

142.

"Delight has been destroyed everywhere, the mass of darkness has been split open;

Know thus, Evil One, you are defeated, O Death.

143.

"Paying homage to the constellations, tending the fire in the forest;

Not knowing in conformity with the truth, fools imagined purity.

144.

"But I, paying homage to the Self-enlightened One, the highest of men;

Freed from all suffering, carrying out the Teacher's instruction."

... The elder nun Khemā...

4.

Verses of the Elder Nun Sujātā

145.

"Adorned, well-dressed, garlanded, anointed with sandalwood;

Covered with all ornaments, attended by a group of female slaves.

146.

Having taken food and drink, sweets and edibles, not a little;

Having gone out from the house, I brought them to the park.

147.

"Having delighted and played there, coming back to my own home;

I entered the dwelling to see, the Añjana forest at Sāketa.

148.

"Having seen the light of the world, having paid homage, I sat down;

He taught me the Teaching, the one with vision, out of compassion.

149.

"And having heard the great sage, I penetrated the truth;

Right there I experienced the stainless Teaching, the Deathless state.

150.

"Then having cognised the Good Teaching, I went forth into homelessness;

The three true knowledges have been attained, the Buddha's teaching is not in vain."

... The elder nun Sujātā...

5.

Verses of the Elder Nun Anopamā

151.

"I was born in a high family, of much wealth and great riches;

Accomplished in beauty and form, a daughter born from Majjha himself.

152.

"Desired by princes, longed for by merchants' sons;

They sent a messenger to my father: 'Give me Anopamā.'

153.

"However much this one has been weighed, your incomparable daughter;

Eight times that I will give, unwrought gold and jewels too.

154.

"I, having seen the Self-enlightened One, the elder of the world, unsurpassed;

Having paid homage to his feet, I sat down to one side.

155.

"He taught me the Teaching, Gotama, out of compassion;

Seated on that seat, I experienced the third fruit.

156.

"Then having cut off my hair, I went forth into homelessness;

Today is my seventh night, since when craving was dried up."

... The elder nun Anopamā...

6.

Verses of the Elder Nun Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī

157.

"Homage to you, O Buddha, hero, highest of all beings;

Who released me from suffering, and many other people.

158.

"All suffering has been fully understood, craving, the cause, has been dried up;

The eightfold path has been developed, cessation has been attained by me.

159.

"Mother, son, father, brother, and grandmother I was formerly;

Not knowing according to truth, I wandered on, not finding.

160.

"For I have seen that Blessed One, this is the final body;

The cycle of birth and wandering is eliminated, there is now no more rebirth."

161.

"Seeing those putting forth strenuous energy, resolute, constantly of strong effort;

Disciples in unity, this is the homage to the Buddhas.

162.

"Indeed for the benefit of many, Māyā gave birth to Gotama;

He dispelled the mass of suffering for those afflicted by disease and death."

... The elder nun Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī...

7.

Verses of the Elder Nun Guttā

163.

"Guttā, for whatever purpose the going forth was, having left son, wealth, and dear ones;

Cultivate that very thing, do not come under the control of the mind.

164.

"Beings deceived by the mind, delighting in Māra's domain;

Through the round of many births they transmigrate, the fools.

165.

"Sensual desire and anger, and identity view;

Adherence to moral rules and austerities, and sceptical doubt as the fifth.

166.

"These mental fetters, having abandoned them, O nun;

The lower fetters, you will not come here again.

167.

"Having avoided lust and conceit, and ignorance, and restlessness;

Having cut off the mental fetters, you will make an end of suffering.

168.

"Having exhausted the round of rebirths, having fully understood rebirth;

Without hunger in this very life, at peace, she will live."

... The elder nun Guttā...

8.

Verses of the Elder Nun Vijayā

169.

"Four times, five times, I went out from the dwelling;

Not having gained peace of mind, not having control over my mind.

170.

"Having approached a nun, I questioned her attentively;

She taught me the Teaching, and the elements and sense bases.

171.

"The four noble truths, the faculties and powers;

The factors of enlightenment and the eightfold path, for the attainment of the highest goal.

172.

"Having heard her word, following the instruction;

In the first watch of the night, I recollected past births.

173.

"In the middle watch of the night, I purified the divine eye;

In the last watch of the night, I shattered the mass of darkness.

174.

"And having pervaded the body with rapture and happiness, I dwelt then;

On the seventh day I stretched out my feet, having shattered the mass of darkness."

... The elder nun Vijayā...

The Chapter of Sixes is concluded.

Next Chapter 7. The Book of the Sevens
×

Error: Contact form not found.

×

Add notes for personal use