Aratīsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ …pe… āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā nigrodhakappo pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisati, sāyaṁ vā nikkhamati aparajju vā kāle. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa anabhirati uppannā hoti, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti. Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: “alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ; yassa me anabhirati uppannā, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti; taṁ kutettha labbhā, yaṁ me paro anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādeyya. Yannūnāhaṁ attanāva attano anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādeyyan”ti. Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādetvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa. Now at that time after Venerable Nigrodhakappa had finished his meal, on his return from almsround, he would enter his dwelling and not emerge for the rest of that day, or the next. And at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa became dissatisfied, as lust infected his mind. Then he thought, “It’s my loss, my misfortune, that I’ve become dissatisfied, with lust infecting my mind. How is it possible for someone else to dispel my discontent and give rise to satisfaction? Why don’t I do it myself?” Then, on the occasion of dispelling his own discontent and giving rise to satisfaction, he recited these verses:

“Aratiñca ratiñca pahāya, Sabbaso gehasitañca vitakkaṁ; Vanathaṁ na kareyya kuhiñci, Nibbanatho arato sa hi bhikkhu.

“Giving up desire and discontent, along with all thoughts of domestic life, they wouldn’t get snarled in anything; unsnarled, undesiring: that’s a real mendicant.

Yamidha pathaviñca vehāsaṁ, Rūpagatañca jagatogadhaṁ; Kiñci parijīyati sabbamaniccaṁ, Evaṁ samecca caranti mutattā.

Whatever here is included in form— on earth, in the sky, or in planet’s deep— wears out, it is all impermanent: the self-examined live having comprehended this.

Upadhīsu janā gadhitāse, Diṭṭhasute paṭighe ca mute ca; Ettha vinodaya chandamanejo, Yo ettha na limpati taṁ munimāhu.

People are bound to their attachments, to impingement of the seen and heard, <j>and to what is thought. Unstirred, dispel desire for these things; for one called ‘a sage’ does not cling to them.

Atha saṭṭhinissitā savitakkā, Puthū janatāya adhammā niviṭṭhā; Na ca vaggagatassa kuhiñci, No pana duṭṭhullabhāṇī sa bhikkhu.

Trapped in the sixty wrong views, <j>full of their own opinions, ordinary people are fixed in wrong principles. But that mendicant wouldn’t join a sect, still less would they utter lewd speech.

Dabbo cirarattasamāhito, Akuhako nipako apihālu; Santaṁ padaṁ ajjhagamā muni paṭicca, Parinibbuto kaṅkhati kālan”ti.

Proficient, long serene, free of deceit, alert, without envy, the sage has reached the state of peace; quenched, he awaits his time.”