Pesalasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā vaṅgīso attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati. Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: “alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ; yvāhaṁ attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññāmī”ti. Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano vippaṭisāraṁ 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 Venerable Vaṅgīsa looked down upon other good-hearted mendicants because of his own eloquence. Then he thought, “It’s my loss, my misfortune, that I look down on other good-hearted mendicants because of my own eloquence.” Then, on the occasion of arousing remorse in himself, he recited these verses:

“Mānaṁ pajahassu gotama, Mānapathañca pajahassu; Asesaṁ mānapathasmiṁ, Samucchito vippaṭisārīhuvā cirarattaṁ.

“Give up conceit, Gotama! Completely abandon the different kinds of conceit! Besotted with the different kinds of conceit, you’ve had regrets for a long time.

Makkhena makkhitā pajā, Mānahatā nirayaṁ papatanti; Socanti janā cirarattaṁ, Mānahatā nirayaṁ upapannā.

Smeared by smears and slain by conceit, people fall into hell. When people slain by conceit are reborn in hell, they grieve for a long time.

Na hi socati bhikkhu kadāci, Maggajino sammāpaṭipanno; Kittiñca sukhañca anubhoti, Dhammadasoti tamāhu pahitattaṁ.

But a mendicant who practices rightly, a path-victor, never grieves. They enjoy happiness and a good reputation, and they rightly call him a ‘Seer of Truth’.

Tasmā akhilodha padhānavā, Nīvaraṇāni pahāya visuddho; Mānañca pahāya asesaṁ, Vijjāyantakaro samitāvī”ti.

So being not hard-hearted, but energetic, with hindrances given up, pure; and having completely given up conceit, the one who makes an end with knowledge is assuaged.”