Minor Texts: Vimānavatthu, Petavatthu, Verses of the Senior Monks and Nuns

Summarized by AI from the full volume (210 topics) — click to jump to where each topic begins.

1. Page 260 Theragāthā: Introduction, Subhūti and Mahākoṭṭhita An unattributed prologue frames the whole collection, comparing the senior monks who are about to speak to lions roaring in mountain caves, and promising verses in which each reveals his name, clan, and how he lived by the teaching. Subhūti then speaks first, delighting in his simple forest hut and declaring his mind serene and free, inviting the rains to fall since he has nothing left to fear. Mahākoṭṭhita follows with a brief image of a calm, undistractible mind shaking off bad qualities the w
2. Page 261 Theragāthā: Revata the Doubter, Puṇṇa, Dabba and Sītavaniya Four short verses cluster here around the theme of doubt overcome and inner steadiness. Revata the Doubter praises the Buddha's wisdom as a fire that dispels darkness and doubt in those who approach it. Puṇṇa (son of Mantāṇī) urges seeking out virtuous, clear-seeing companions in order to realize a goal that is subtle and hard to see. Dabba and Sītavaniya, both once difficult to tame, now describe themselves as steadfast and fully quenched, their fears vanished through discipline and solitary fo
3. Page 262 Theragāthā: Bhalliya, Vīra, Pilindavaccha and Puṇṇamāsa This cluster of four elders shares imagery of victory over Māra, the personification of death and temptation. Bhalliya pictures himself casting aside Death's army as easily as a flimsy reed bridge is swept off by a flood, while Vīra, whose name means hero, echoes the same formula of a once-untamed man now steadfast and quenched. Pilindavaccha simply affirms that the advice and teachings he received were exactly what he needed. Puṇṇamāsa closes the group describing the peaceful, unattached knowle
4. Page 262 Theragāthā: Cūḷavaccha, Mahāvaccha and Vanavaccha Three brief verses, likely from monks connected as teacher and students (the Vaccha clan name links them), praise joyful absorption in the Buddha's teaching. Cūḷavaccha speaks of realizing the peaceful, blissful stilling of conditions through joy in the Dhamma. Mahāvaccha describes a disciplined life of precepts, loving meditation, and eating only what is needed while awaiting one's time free of desire. Vanavaccha (the first of two monks by this name) delights simply in the beauty of rain-washed
5. Page 264 Theragāthā: The Novice Sivaka, Kuṇḍadhāna and Belaṭṭhasīsa The novice Sivaka recalls his teacher urging him to leave settled life for the wilderness, describing how his mind now dwells in the forest even while his body remains in the village, since a free mind cannot be chained. Kuṇḍadhāna offers a terse teaching formula: five things to cut away, five to drop, and five more to develop, so that a mendicant crosses the flood of suffering. Belaṭṭhasīsa compares his own untroubled, joyful days and nights to a fine thoroughbred horse moving easily with tail
6. Page 264–265 Theragāthā: Dāsaka, Siṅgāla's Father and Kula Dāsaka offers a warning verse, likening the drowsy overeater who rolls in bed like a stuffed hog to a dullard doomed to be reborn again and again. Siṅgāla's Father describes an heir of the Buddha meditating in Bhesakaḷā forest who has suffused the whole earth with the perception of bones, a corpse-contemplation practice expected to quickly free him from sensual desire. Kula uses craftsmen's imagery — irrigators guiding water, fletchers straightening arrows, carpenters bending timber — to show ho
7. Page 265 Theragāthā: Ajita, Nigrodha and Cittaka Ajita declares he neither fears death nor longs for life, ready to lay his body down aware and mindful, a classic statement of equanimity near the end of the spiritual path. Nigrodha similarly says he is not afraid of fear itself, trusting the Buddha as an expert guide on the fearless path to freedom from death. Cittaka's verse turns to natural beauty, describing blue-necked peacocks crying out in Karaṁvī and a cool breeze that wakes meditators to their practice of absorption.
8. Page 266 Theragāthā: Gosāla, Sugandha and Nandiya Gosāla looks forward to simple food in Veḷugumba before returning to his forest hill to closely observe the rise and fall of the aggregates that make up mind and body. Sugandha marvels at how quickly the teaching worked for him, attaining the three knowledges after only a single rainy season as a monk. Nandiya taunts Māra (the Dark One), warning that attacking a monk who has already reached the fruit of the path and whose mind is full of light will only bring suffering upon the attacker.
9. Page 266 Theragāthā: Abhaya, Lomasakaṅgiya and Jambugāmikaputta Abhaya (the first monk of this name in the collection) continues Nandiya's warning tone toward Māra, describing the futility of assailing an awakened monk. Lomasakaṅgiya credits hearing the Buddha's fine words, the Kinsman of the Sun, with piercing subtle truth as precisely as an arrow splitting a hair-tip. Jambugāmikaputta challenges a listener with pointed questions about attachment to clothes and jewelry, asking whether it is not virtue itself that spreads its own fragrance, before vowing to
10. Page 267 Theragāthā: Hārita, Uttiya and Gahvaratīriya Hārita (the first of two monks by this name) is urged to straighten his mind the way a fletcher straightens an arrow shaft, and to break through ignorance once his mind is upright. Uttiya recalls that mindfulness first arose in him during an earlier illness, and now that he is ill again he resolves to renew his heedfulness rather than waste the opportunity. Gahvaratīriya counsels enduring the flies and mosquitoes of the wilderness the way a war elephant endures the front line of battle, treating
11. Page 267–268 Theragāthā: Suppiya and Sopāka Suppiya expresses his aspiration in an exchange metaphor, trading old age for the unaging and the burning of craving for the ultimate peace of quenching, calling extinguishment the supreme sanctuary. Sopāka (the first of two monks by this name, likely the former slave-child ordained by the Buddha) offers a simple ethical teaching using a mother's love for her only child as the model for how one should feel toward all living creatures everywhere, a well-known image of universal loving-kindness.
12. Page 268 Theragāthā: Posiya, Sāmaññakāni and Kumāputta Posiya recounts a cautionary episode of nearly being ensnared by a woman's company while on almsround, and his decision to leave a house abruptly rather than risk his composure. Sāmaññakāni describes how following the noble eightfold path, the direct route to freedom from death, brings genuine happiness and a good reputation. Kumāputta praises the homeless ascetic life itself, valuing learning, ethical living, and asking questions about meaning as the proper occupation of one who has renounced p
13. Page 268–269 Theragāthā: Kumāputtasahāyaka and Gavampati Kumāputtasahāyaka, evidently a companion of the previous speaker, warns that undisciplined wandering and loss of meditative focus produce nothing but rotten conduct, urging instead undistracted absorption free of aggression. Gavampati is remembered for a striking display of psychic power, having made the Sarabhū River stand still; the verse portrays him as unbound and unperturbed, a great sage so revered that even the gods bow to him for having gone beyond rebirth entirely.
14. Page 269–270 Theragāthā: Tissa, Vaḍḍhamāna and Sirivaḍḍha Tissa and Vaḍḍhamāna share an almost identical refrain, urging a mendicant to wander as urgently as if struck by a sword or with hair on fire, giving up first sensual desire and then desire for rebirth itself — a vivid image of using existential urgency to fuel practice. Sirivaḍḍha's verse shifts to natural drama, picturing lightning striking the cleft between two mountains, Vebhāra and Paṇḍava, while inside that same cleft a monk sits absorbed and unmoved in jhāna meditation.
15. Page 270 Theragāthā: Revata of the Acacia Wood, Sumaṅgala and Sānu Revata of the Acacia Wood, said to be a younger brother of Sāriputta, addresses his sisters Cālā, Upacālā and Sīsupacālā, urging them to meditate mindfully, comparing his teaching approach to a hair-splitter's precision. Sumaṅgala rejoices at being freed from the drudgery of farming tools — sickles, ploughs, and hoes — repeating instructions to himself to stay absorbed and heedful. Sānu answers his weeping mother directly and tenderly, pointing out that she need not grieve for someone who is ali
16. Page 271 Theragāthā: Ramaṇīyavihārin, Samiddhi and Ujjaya Ramaṇīyavihārin compares a disciple accomplished in vision to a fine thoroughbred horse that stumbles but quickly regains its footing, a reassurance that setbacks do not undo genuine spiritual attainment. Samiddhi simply notes that his mindfulness and wisdom have grown steadily since going forth out of faith, leaving him unbothered by whatever illusions others might try to create. Ujjaya offers homage to the Buddha as a fully freed hero, describing his own life meditating in the fruits of that p
17. Page 271 Theragāthā: Sañjaya, Rāmaṇeyyaka and Vimala Sañjaya reports that since leaving lay life he has not noticed a single ignoble or hateful thought arising in his mind, a marker of thoroughly purified intention. Rāmaṇeyyaka finds that even amid the constant chirping of birds his mind does not waver, because he is devoted to one-pointed concentration. Vimala (the first of two monks by this name) contrasts a dramatic thunderstorm — a celestial lake pouring, gales blowing, lightning flashing — with the stillness of his own settled, serene mind, a
18. Page 271 Theragāthā: Godhika, Subāhu, Valliya and Uttiya on Rain and Shelter Four monks — Godhika, Subāhu, Valliya (the first of three by this name) and Uttiya (the second of three) — each recite a near-identical refrain describing their hut as roofed and sheltered from the wind, inviting the heavens to rain as they please. Each verse ends with a slightly different note on the monk's own inner state: serenity, bodily immersion, diligence, or solitude without a partner. The repeated formula, one of the collection's recurring set-pieces, expresses the same contentment and
19. Page 273 Theragāthā: Añjanavaniya and the Two Kuṭivihārins Añjanavaniya recounts building a simple hut in the Añjana wood and quickly attaining full realization there. Two monks both named Kuṭivihārin (meaning hut-dweller) follow with a charming dialogue verse: an unnamed visitor asks who lives in the little hut, and the monk answers that a lust-free, serene-minded monk dwells there, reassuring whoever built it that the gift was not wasted. The second Kuṭivihārin then gently rebukes a monk's craving for a nicer new hut, warning that clinging to such hop
20. Page 273 Theragāthā: Ramaṇīyakuṭika, Kosalavihārin and Sīvali Ramaṇīyakuṭika continues the hut theme, describing his pleasing dwelling as a gift given in faith and firmly turning away women who might visit, telling them to seek out those still in need. Kosalavihārin simply notes he went forth out of faith and built his own wilderness hut, remaining heedful, ardent, and mindful. Sīvali reflects that the purpose for which he entered that hut — seeking knowledge and liberation — has now been fulfilled, and that he has given up the subtle tendency toward conce
21. Page 273 Theragāthā: Vappa, Vajjiputta and Pakkha Vappa offers a cryptic, almost riddling verse on seeing and not-seeing, distinguishing those with insight from those without it. Vajjiputta (the first of two by this name) describes dwelling alone in the wilderness like an abandoned log, noting wryly that many people envy him the way beings in hell envy those bound for heaven. Pakkha closes the trio with an image of people who fall and collapse yet return out of greed, contrasted with one whose work is done and who has found happiness through ha
22. Page 275 Theragāthā: Vimalakoṇḍañña, Ukkhepakatavaccha and Meghiya Vimalakoṇḍañña, likely the son of the elder Aññākoṇḍañña, plays on his father's name and banner-symbol in a somewhat riddling verse about a banner-killer destroying a great banner by means of the banner itself. Ukkhepakatavaccha describes casting off what he had built up over many years, now sitting comfortably and joyfully teaching householders. Meghiya, famous elsewhere in the canon for once abandoning the Buddha to meditate alone and struggling with distraction, here recalls how staying close
23. Page 275–276 Theragāthā: Ekadhammasavanīya, Ekudāniya and Channa Ekadhammasavanīya (whose name means one who heard a single teaching) describes his defilements as burnt away through practicing absorption, eradicating rebirth into every state of existence. Ekudāniya echoes this, calling himself a sage of higher consciousness untouched by sorrow. Channa, notable elsewhere as the Buddha's charioteer and a monk who struggled with pride and was reconciled only after the Buddha's death, here simply expresses joy at hearing the sweet Dhamma taught by the all-knowing
24. Page 276 Theragāthā: Puṇṇa and Vacchapāla Puṇṇa (the second monk of this name) offers a compact ethical teaching: while good conduct matters, wisdom is supreme, and a person who unites both virtue and wisdom becomes victorious among gods and humans alike. Vacchapāla develops a similar idea, praising one who sees subtle meaning clearly, is skilled and placid in manner, and has matured in ethics, for whom extinguishment is said to come without great difficulty.
25. Page 277 Theragāthā: Ātuma, Māṇava and Suyāmana Ātuma continues the theme of ethical maturity making extinguishment attainable for the skilled and placid practitioner. Māṇava uses a vivid image of a young bamboo shoot too tough to uproot once its point has grown woody, comparing it to his own difficulty separating from an arranged wife, and asks for permission now that he has already gone forth. Suyāmana explains his motivation for renunciation plainly: having witnessed old age, sickness, and a corpse at the end of a life, he became a wanderi
26. Page 277 Theragāthā: Susārada, Piyañjaha and Hatthārohaputta Susārada states plainly that the five hindrances — sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness, and doubt — are simply absent from a properly trained monk's mind. Piyañjaha praises the value of meeting good people, since seeing those who have practiced well cuts through doubt and can turn even a fool wise. Hatthārohaputta, whose name suggests an elephant-rider's son, gives paradoxical training advice: settle when others rise up, rise when others settle, remain when others dep
27. Page 278 Theragāthā: Meṇḍasira, Rakkhita and Ugga Meṇḍasira reflects on his formerly wild, undisciplined mind, now carefully guided the way a trainer with a hook controls a rutting elephant. Rakkhita speaks of countless rewardless rebirths and suffering finally fallen away. Ugga declares all his lust given up, hatred eradicated, and delusion gone, summarizing his state simply as cooled and quenched — one of the collection's recurring images for the peace of full awakening.
28. Page 278–279 Theragāthā: Samitigutta and Kassapa Samitigutta declares that whatever deeds, large or small, he had accumulated are now entirely exhausted, meaning there will be no more future lives for him. Kassapa reflects that bad deeds committed in previous lives must be experienced right here in this life rather than escaped, a teaching on the inescapability of karmic consequence paired with a tender closing image of sending a child off to a safe, plentiful place free of sorrow.
29. Page 279 Theragāthā: Sīha, Nīta and Sunāga Sīha is urged, in a verse likely addressed to him by his teacher, to meditate diligently day and night and quickly shed this bag of bones by developing skillful qualities. Nīta is chided in similar terms, asked when a simpleton who sleeps all night and socializes all day will ever make an end of suffering. Sunāga describes the ideal alternative: someone skilled in reading the mind's patterns, savoring the sweetness of seclusion, alert and mindful in absorption, who thereby realizes a pleasure th
30. Page 279–280 Theragāthā: Nāgita, Paviṭṭha and Ajjuna Nāgita contrasts the Buddha's teaching with other doctrines circulating in the world, insisting that only the Buddha's path, taught directly to the Saṅgha, actually leads to extinguishment. Paviṭṭha and Ajjuna both use the formulaic language of full realization — the aggregates seen truly, all rebirths shattered, transmigration finished — to declare that for them there will be no more future lives, a refrain repeated by many elders throughout this collection to mark final attainment.
31. Page 280 Theragāthā: Devasabha, Sāmidatta and Paripuṇṇaka Devasabha (the first of two by this name) describes hauling himself up out of the water to the shore even while being swept along by a great flood, an image of penetrating the truths despite being overwhelmed by circumstance. Sāmidatta similarly speaks of crossing bogs, avoiding chasms, and being freed from floods, ties, and conceit. Paripuṇṇaka closes the group with a striking claim that what he consumed that day — the Dhamma taught by the Buddha — was more satisfying than the finest hundred-fl
32. Page 281 Theragāthā: Vijaya, Eraka and Mettaji Vijaya describes one whose defilements have ended and who is no longer attached even to food, whose range is the liberation of the signless and the empty, as impossible to trace, like the flight-path of birds through open sky. Eraka repeats a driving refrain — sensual pleasures are suffering, not happiness — addressed directly to himself by name. Mettaji offers simple homage to the Buddha as the glorious Sakyan who, having reached the best attainment, beautifully taught the best teaching.
33. Page 281 Theragāthā: Cakkhupāla, Khaṇḍasumana and Tissa Cakkhupāla, a well-known figure said to have gone blind through relentless meditation without sleep, describes traveling a desolate road blind and ruined-eyed, resolved to keep going even by crawling rather than travel with bad companions. Khaṇḍasumana recounts how offering a single flower to the Buddha long ago earned him 800 million years of heavenly enjoyment, with the leftover merit now bringing him full quenching. Tissa (the second of three monks by this name) describes giving up a hundred
34. Page 282 Theragāthā: Abhaya, Uttiya and Devasabha on Sense Restraint Abhaya (the second monk of this name) and Uttiya (the third) both describe, in near-identical language, how mindfulness is lost the moment attention fixes on a pleasant sight or sound, letting desire and clinging take root and defilements grow toward either the root of rebirth or transmigration. Devasabha (the second of two by this name) closes with a positive counterpart, describing one accomplished in the four right efforts and mindfulness meditation as festooned with the flowers of liberation
35. Page 283 Theragāthā: Belaṭṭhānika, Setuccha and Bandhura Belaṭṭhānika describes a monk who has renounced the household life yet remains far from perfect, comparing his lazy, belly-driven existence to a hog stuffed with grain, doomed to repeated rebirth. Setuccha similarly warns that those deceived by conceit and oppressed by concern for gain and loss never reach deep meditative immersion. Bandhura, by contrast, expresses contentment, saying he needs nothing more since he has drunk the supreme nectar of the teaching and will not go near poison again.
36. Page 283 Theragāthā: Khitaka, Malitavambha and Suhemanta Khitaka describes a joyful physical lightness in meditation, his body feeling full of rapture and as if floating like cotton in a gale, a memorable image of the bodily bliss that can accompany deep absorption. Malitavambha advises leaving a place that is not conducive to one's goal, whether one is dissatisfied there or even happy. Suhemanta observes that while ordinary meaning has a hundred facets, the simpleton grasps only one while the sage perceives the whole hundred.
37. Page 284 Theragāthā: Dhammasava, Dhammasavapitu and Saṅgharakkhita Dhammasava and his father Dhammasavapitu appear together, each recounting in near-identical language that after careful investigation they went forth from lay life and attained the three knowledges, suggesting a family ordained together. Saṅgharakkhita adds a striking detail: he went forth at 120 years old and still attained full realization, a testament to the teaching's effectiveness regardless of a practitioner's age.
38. Page 284 Theragāthā: Usabha, Jenta and Vacchagotta Usabha (the first of two by this name) is rebuked for living with unrestrained senses like a young deer despite being on retreat, ignoring compassionate counsel. Jenta finds inspiration in mountain scenery, describing tall trees freshly washed by clouds as a fitting backdrop for his own flourishing love of seclusion. Vacchagotta reflects candidly on the difficulty of both monastic and lay life, the profundity of the Dhamma, and the hardship of getting by on alms, concluding that mendicants shoul
39. Page 284–286 Theragāthā: Vanavaccha, Adhimutta and Mahānāma Vanavaccha (the second of two monks by this name) again delights in wilderness scenery, describing clear water, broad rocks, monkeys, deer, and dewy moss-covered crags. Adhimutta (the first of two by this name) declares himself a master of the three knowledges and an expert meditator who has realized his heart's goal. Mahānāma closes the group with a pointed self-rebuke, questioning how a body that is uncomfortably heavy with fading time left can find happiness while still greedy for physical pl
40. Page 286 Theragāthā: Pārāsariya, Yasa and Kimbila Pārāsariya (the first of two by this name) is addressed in a terse verse about Mount Nesādaka's abundant shrubs and trees, contrasted with a rebuke of some deficiency in the listener. Yasa, remembered elsewhere for his dramatic renunciation of a life of luxury, describes giving up the six sense-spheres and ejecting the root of gloom to attain the ending of defilements. Kimbila (the first of two by this name) recalls once being finely dressed and adorned before attaining the three knowledges, a b
41. Page 286–287 Theragāthā: Vajjiputta and Isidatta Vajjiputta (the second of two by this name) reflects on old age as a strange kind of curse: the body is the same, yet feels like someone else's, and he must remind himself he is still the same person who never actually went away. Isidatta closes the entire Book of Ones with the classic formula of full attainment — the five aggregates fully understood, their root cut, suffering ended, and defilements exhausted — marking the transition point into the Book of the Twos, where elders each contribute
42. Page 287–288 Therāgāthā: Uttara and Bhāradvāja the Alms-Gatherer Opening the Book of the Twos, Uttara meditates on impermanence, observing that no life and no conditions last forever, and that the aggregates are endlessly reborn and pass away; recognizing this danger, he says he has no need for another life. Bhāradvāja the Alms-Gatherer reflects more practically on the ascetic life, noting that fasting cannot sustain a person and that even respectable families' honor and veneration function like a subtle, hard-to-extract dart, tempting a wanderer away from th
43. Page 288 Theragāthā: Valliya and Gaṅgātīriya Valliya (the second of three by this name) tells a playful parable of a monkey pestering a five-doored hut, symbolizing the restless mind, and addresses it directly: stand still, monkey, you have been caught by wisdom and won't get far. Gaṅgātīriya describes an extremely austere dwelling on the bank of the Ganges — a hut of three palm leaves, a funeral pot for an alms-bowl, rag robes — and recounts speaking only a single word through two rainy seasons before shattering the mass of darkness in hi
44. Page 288–289 Theragāthā: Ajina and Meḷajina Ajina notes the irony that even a master of the three knowledges who has conquered death can be looked down upon simply for being unknown, while someone of bad character who happens to provide food and drink is honored instead — a wry comment on how worldly esteem misjudges spiritual worth. Meḷajina describes the settled confidence that came from hearing the Teacher speak, leaving him without any doubt in the all-knowing, unconquered guide, the caravan leader and greatest of charioteers.
45. Page 289 Theragāthā: Rādha and Surādha Rādha and Surādha share a single memorable image across their two short poems: just as rain seeps into a poorly roofed house, lust seeps into an undeveloped mind, but just as rain cannot penetrate a well-roofed house, lust cannot penetrate a well-developed one. Surādha adds his own declaration of completion, saying rebirth has ended for him, the victor's instruction is fulfilled, and the metaphorical net of craving has been given up entirely.
46. Page 289–290 Theragāthā: Gotama and Vasabha Gotama (the first of two monks by this name in this collection) declares rebirth ended and the leash to existence eradicated, having attained the very goal for which he left lay life. Vasabha reflects more darkly on self-destructive harm, observing that one who kills others first kills oneself, and offers a striking definition of a brahmin's true color as coming from inner deeds rather than outward appearance; he closes celebrating being free of the entanglements of women and of sensual pleasure
47. Page 290–291 Theragāthā: Mahācunda and Jotidāsa Mahācunda, a monk associated with the elder Sāriputta's family, reflects that whatever deeds a person does, good or bad, they inherit fully as their own, using a grim image of harming others as ultimately self-destructive, like using a dead decoy bird to kill more birds. Jotidāsa describes the value of eager learning, explaining how it builds wisdom, wisdom reveals the goal, and knowing the goal brings happiness, and recommends frequenting remote lodgings or, failing that, living self-protected
48. Page 291 Theragāthā: Heraññakāni and Somamitta Heraññakāni describes people who act harshly toward others as inevitably receiving the same treatment in return, since deeds never simply vanish. Somamitta reflects on the swift passage of time, comparing the wasting life of mortals to water trickling away in tiny streams, and warns that a fool who does bad deeds fails to realize how bitter the results will eventually be.
49. Page 291–292 Theragāthā: Sabbamitta and Mahākāḷa Sabbamitta warns against relying on a lazy, low-energy companion, using the image of clambering onto a flimsy log in the middle of a great sea and sinking along with it, recommending instead the company of the secluded, determined, and energetic. Mahākāḷa offers one of the collection's starkest charnel-ground images, describing a black, crow-like figure — evidently a corpse or death personified — breaking apart thigh-bones, arm-bones, and a skull like a curd-bowl, and warns that clinging born of
50. Page 292 Theragāthā: Tissa and Kimbila Tissa (the third monk of this name) observes that a shaven monk wrapped in robes who receives abundant food, drink, clothing, and bedding actually makes many enemies through that very success, and recommends wandering mindfully with few possessions to avoid the danger of honors. Kimbila (the second of two by this name) recalls the Sakyan friends of the Park of the East-Raftered Hall who gave up great wealth and now find contentment even in the meager scraps gathered in their alms bowls.
51. Page 292–293 Theragāthā: Nanda and Sirima Nanda, the Buddha's half-brother famously renowned for his good looks and initial reluctance to renounce a fiancée, here confesses that he was once vain and fickle, addicted to ornamentation and racked by sensual desire, but that with the Buddha's skillful help he practiced rationally and uprooted his attachment to continued existence. Sirima observes that praising someone without meditative immersion, or criticizing someone who has it, both miss the mark and are said in vain.
52. Page 293–294 Theragāthā: Uttara and Bhaddaji Uttara (the second of two by this name) declares full understanding of the aggregates, eradication of craving, and development of the awakening factors, repeating the formula with slight variation across two stanzas to emphasize the completeness of his attainment. Bhaddaji, by contrast, recalls a splendid vision from a past existence — a king named Panāda with an enormous golden sacrificial post covered in banners, where centaurs once danced — an unusual glimpse of cosmic memory rather than ethi
53. Page 294 Theragāthā: Sobhita and Valliya Sobhita, continuing the theme of exceptional memory, describes recollecting five hundred past eons in a single night through mindful, energetic meditation built on the four mindfulness meditations, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path. Valliya (the third of three by this name) declares strong resolve and energy toward awakening, asking to be taught the direct route to freedom from death so that he can come to know it with wisdom as surely as the Ganges knows the ocean.
54. Page 294–295 Theragāthā: Vītasoka and Puṇṇamāsa Vītasoka vows firm effort toward awakening, refusing to fail and asking to be taught the direct path to freedom from death. Puṇṇamāsa (the second of two by this name) recounts a memorable moment of insight while being shaved: examining his own body in a mirror, he saw it as hollow, realized he had once been metaphorically blind, and understood that cutting off his fancy hairstyle meant there would be no more future lives for him — turning an ordinary grooming ritual into the occasion for awakeni
55. Page 295 Theragāthā: Nandaka and Bharata Nandaka (the first of two by this name) describes giving up the five hindrances and using the Dhamma itself as a mirror for examining his own body, inside and out, finding it hollow both internally and externally. Bharata repeats the thoroughbred-horse image from earlier in the collection, describing a stumbling but resilient disciple who draws his load undeterred, and asks to be remembered as the Buddha's own bosom son.
56. Page 295–296 Theragāthā: Bhāradvāja and Kaṇhadinna Bhāradvāja (a different monk from the alms-gatherer earlier in this book) invites a companion named Nandaka to visit their preceptor and roar their lion's roar of attainment before the Buddha, crediting the sage's compassionate ordination with leading them to the ending of all fetters. Kaṇhadinna describes learning by sitting close to genuinely accomplished people and slaying the desire for continued existence so completely that it can no longer be found in him at all — past, present, or future.
57. Page 296–297 Theragāthā: Migasira and Sivaka Migasira describes learning the direct route to freedom from death by regularly associating with true, wise persons, and reports that as the Buddha looked on, his mind was freed unshakably with the ending of all fetters. Sivaka (a different monk from the earlier novice of the same name) delivers the collection's famous house-builder verse in expanded form, describing the long search through many lives for the one who builds the house of repeated birth, and declaring victory: the rafters are brok
58. Page 297–298 Theragāthā: Upavāṇa and Isidinna Upavāṇa, remembered elsewhere as a personal attendant of the Buddha, recalls a moment of tender care, asking a brahmin for hot water because the ailing Buddha was suffering from winds, expressing his wish to serve the one honored above all the honorable. Isidinna observes that even lay disciples who have memorized entire discourses about impermanence remain obsessed with jeweled earrings and worried about their partners and children, concluding that they do not truly know the Dhamma if they cann
59. Page 298 Theragāthā: Sambulakaccāna and Nitaka Sambulakaccāna describes staying alone through pouring rain in a frightful cave-like hole, insisting that despite the isolation and storm he feels no fear, dread, or goosebumps, since this fearless solitude is now his normal state. Nitaka poses and answers his own rhetorical question about a mind as steady and unshakeable as rock, free of both desire for pleasant things and irritation at unpleasant ones, asking rhetorically from where suffering could possibly strike such a developed mind.
60. Page 298–299 Theragāthā: Soṇapoṭiriya and Nisabha Soṇapoṭiriya reflects that the star-garlanded night is not only for sleeping but, for those who understand, is really meant for wakeful practice, and adds a striking martial image preferring death in battle over a life lived in defeat, as if falling from an elephant trampled by tuskers behind him. Nisabha (the first of two by this name) describes giving up the five pleasing sensual stimuli after leaving home out of faith, stating he neither longs for death nor for life but simply awaits his time
61. Page 299–300 Theragāthā: Usabha and Kappaṭakura Usabha (the second of two by this name) recalls entering the village for alms while riding grandly on an elephant's neck, dressed in mango-colored robes, but records how dismounting brought a sudden sense of urgency and shame that led to peace and the ending of defilements — a striking reversal of status and humility. Kappaṭakura, whose name means Rag-rice, is addressed affectionately and teasingly by his teacher, who threatens to smack his ear if he keeps nodding off during Saṅgha gatherings, e
62. Page 300–301 Theragāthā: Kassapa the Prince and Dhammapāla Kassapa the Prince exclaims in wonder at the Buddhas, the teachings, and the Teacher's accomplishments, noting that through countless eons beings obtain substantial forms, but this present body is their very last in the whole cycle of birth and death. Dhammapāla praises the young monk devoted to the Buddha's teaching who stays wakeful while others sleep, concluding that the wise should devote themselves to faith, ethics, confidence, and insight while remembering the Buddhas' instructions.
63. Page 301 Theragāthā: Brahmāli and Mogharāja Brahmāli asks rhetorically whose faculties have become as serene as horses tamed by a skilled charioteer, then answers by claiming this very state — conceit and defilements given up — for himself, envied even by the gods. Mogharāja receives a teasing question about how he will survive the cold, dark winter nights given his good heart but rough appearance, and answers practically that he has heard the Magadhans have plenty of grain and will simply make his bed under a thatched roof like anyone el
64. Page 301–302 Theragāthā: Visākhapañcālaputta and Cūḷaka Visākhapañcālaputta gives detailed community guidance: monks should not suspend or raise objections against others in the Saṅgha, should not disparage those who have crossed to the far shore, should avoid self-praise in assemblies, and should remain measured in speech and true to their vows. Cūḷaka turns to the beauty of peacocks crying out with fair crests and blue necks amid dewy grass and clouds, using the scene to frame how a person absorbed in meditation appears uplifting, and urges realizi
65. Page 302–303 Theragāthā: Anūpama and Vajjita Anūpama also delights in the peacocks and lush, cloud-covered earth, connecting this natural beauty to the ease of going forth in the Buddha's teaching for a good person and urging the reader to realize the pure, subtle, hard-to-see supreme state. Vajjita reflects on his long history of blind transmigration through various rebirths without seeing the noble truths, but records that heedfulness finally mowed down these transmigrations, cutting off all further states of rebirth.
66. Page 303 Theragāthā: Sandhita Sandhita closes the Book of the Twos with a personal memory of sitting beneath the bright, growing Bodhi Tree, where his mindful perception became united with the Buddha. He notes precisely that thirty-one eons have passed since he gained that perception, and credits that single moment of perception, sustained across an immense span of time, with ultimately bringing him to the ending of defilements — an unusual glimpse of a very long karmic timeline behind final awakening.
67. Page 303–304 Theragāthā: Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja's Three Verses Opening the Book of the Threes, Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja recounts years spent seeking purity the wrong way, tending a sacred fire and practicing endless self-mortification without knowing the true path. He then describes the happiness gained once he found the right teaching, attaining the three knowledges, and closes with a pointed reflection on caste: though born a brahmin only by family lineage, he now considers himself a true brahmin through spiritual attainment rather than birth, a recurring theme
68. Page 304 Theragāthā: Paccaya's Determined Vow Paccaya describes going forth just five days earlier as a trainee whose heart's desire was still unfulfilled, and recounts making an extreme resolution upon entering his dwelling: he would not eat, drink, leave his room, or even lie down until he had plucked out the dart of craving entirely. The verse closes triumphantly, inviting the reader to witness the energy and vigor of this resolve, since it led directly to the three knowledges and full realization of the Buddha's instructions.
69. Page 304–305 Theragāthā: Bakkula on Words and Deeds Bakkula, remembered elsewhere in the canon as an elder famous for exceptional health and longevity, warns that anyone who wishes to do later what should have been done earlier loses their chance at happiness and later suffers regret. He advises saying only what one intends to actually do, since the wise can always recognize someone who talks without acting, and closes by praising extinguishment as blissful, sorrowless, stainless, and secure, the state in which all suffering ceases.
70. Page 305 Theragāthā: Dhaniya's Contentment Dhaniya repeats a threefold refrain addressed to anyone longing for the happiness of ascetic life: do not look down on the Saṅgha's robes, food, and drink; make use of the Saṅgha's lodgings the way a snake makes use of an abandoned mouse hole; and above all, cultivate simple contentment with whatever is offered. The verse functions as practical advice for new monastics on avoiding the pitfalls of pickiness and ingratitude.
71. Page 305 Theragāthā: Mātaṅgaputta on Overcoming Excuses Mātaṅgaputta mocks the excuses of the lazy — too cold, too hot, too late — noting how such habitual procrastination causes opportunities to slip away and good fortune to wane like the moon in its dark fortnight. He contrasts this with the disciplined person who treats heat and cold as no more than blades of grass underfoot, performs their duties fully, and closes with the same vow used elsewhere in the collection to push through wilderness undergrowth in search of true seclusion.
72. Page 305–306 Theragāthā: Khujjasobhita and the Old Monk at the Door Khujjasobhita's verse takes an unusually narrative, dialogue form: an old, brilliant monk from Pāṭaliputta is described standing shivering at a door, apparently being introduced or announced by someone else, before the elder himself responds with a proverb likening spiritual success to victory won through hard-fought battle and well-made sacrifice. The repeated description of the old man at the door gives this piece a small dramatic scene rarely found elsewhere in the collection.
73. Page 306 Theragāthā: Vāraṇa on Non-Harming Vāraṇa teaches that anyone who harms other living creatures will fall from both this world and the next, while a person whose mind is filled with loving-kindness for all beings accumulates abundant merit instead. He closes with practical training advice: learn well-spoken words, attend closely to ascetics, sit alone in quiet places, and settle the mind — a compact summary of ethical and meditative practice together.
74. Page 306 Theragāthā: Vassika's Family Devotion Vassika recounts being the only member of his family with faith and wisdom, and describes gently correcting his relatives out of love rather than harshness. His guidance led them to perform meritorious service for the monks, and after their deaths his mother and brothers were reborn enjoying the pleasures of the Third Heaven — an unusually warm, family-centered account of how one person's spiritual conviction benefited an entire household.
75. Page 306–307 Theragāthā: Yasoja's Undaunted Spirit Yasoja is praised, apparently by another voice, for an undaunted spirit despite a gaunt, thin appearance from minimal eating and drinking. His own words then echo the earlier image of enduring flies and mosquitoes in the formidable forest like a war elephant, and add a memorable saying about solitude and company: a lone monk is like a supreme god, a pair like ordinary gods, three like a village, and any more becomes simply a rabble — a wry comment on group dynamics diluting spiritual focus.
76. Page 307 Theragāthā: Sāṭimattiya on Fickle Faith Sāṭimattiya responds to someone whose faith and generosity toward him have cooled, insisting he has done nothing wrong and observing that faith itself is impermanent and fickle, waxing and waning like anything else, so a sage should not be troubled by its loss. He closes practically, noting that a sage's meal is gathered bit by bit from different households, and that he will simply continue walking for alms since his legs remain strong.
77. Page 307 Theragāthā: Upāli's Advice for the Newly Ordained Upāli, remembered elsewhere as the foremost expert on monastic discipline among the Buddha's disciples, offers threefold advice repeated with variation for anyone newly gone forth out of faith: associate with tireless, ethically pure spiritual friends, train diligently in monastic discipline while living wisely within the Saṅgha, and learn to distinguish what is appropriate from what is not so as to wander undistracted.
78. Page 307–308 Theragāthā: Uttarapāla's Escape from Māra's Trap Uttarapāla admits he was once an astute scholar undone by the world's five delusory sensual stimulations, describing his fall as leaping straight into Māra's domain and being struck by a powerful dart. He then recounts freeing himself from the trap laid by the King of Death, giving up all sensual pleasures entirely, and closes with the familiar formula declaring all rebirths shattered and no more future lives ahead.
79. Page 308 Theragāthā: Abhibhūta Teaching His Relatives Abhibhūta addresses his gathered relatives directly, announcing that he will teach them the Dhamma and opening with the stark observation that birth, again and again, is painful. He urges them to rouse enthusiasm, devote themselves to the Buddha's instructions, and crush the army of death the way an elephant crushes a flimsy hut of reeds, promising that diligent practice in this teaching and training leads to an end of suffering.
80. Page 308–309 Theragāthā: Gotama's Tour Through the Realms of Rebirth Gotama (the second monk of this name in the collection) offers an unusually panoramic survey of saṃsāra, describing time spent in hell, the ghost realm, and repeatedly in the pain-filled animal realm, as well as periods reborn human, in various heavens, and in the formless realms among beings who are neither percipient nor non-percipient. He concludes by recognizing that all these created states are insubstantial, conditioned, and constantly in motion, and that understanding this fact within him
81. Page 309 Theragāthā: Hārita's Verses on Regret and Extinguishment Hārita (the second of two monks by this name) largely restates Bakkula's earlier teaching almost verbatim: whoever delays what should be done now loses the causes for happiness and later suffers regret, and only those who match their words to their actions earn the recognition of the wise. He closes with the same praise of extinguishment as blissful, sorrowless, stainless, and secure, where all suffering ceases — showing how certain teaching formulas were shared and repeated across different eld
82. Page 309–310 Theragāthā: Vimala's Counsel on Good Company Vimala (the second of two by this name) advises shunning bad friends and instead associating with the supreme individual, sticking to the advice received from such a person in pursuit of unshakable happiness. He repeats the earlier image of a person sinking in a great sea by clinging to a flimsy log — a metaphor for relying on a lazy companion — and closes the Book of the Threes urging the reader to dwell instead with the secluded, determined, and energetic among the noble ones.
83. Page 310–311 Theragāthā: Nāgasamāla and the Dancer Opening the Book of the Fours, Nāgasamāla describes encountering a richly adorned dancer performing on the main street while he was out on almsround, her jewelry and makeup vividly evoked as a snare set by death itself. The sight triggers a sudden realization of danger and disillusionment with sensual allure, and the verse closes with his mind becoming fully freed, having attained the three knowledges — a classic conversion narrative built around a single striking visual encounter.
84. Page 311 Theragāthā: Bhagu's Fall and Recovery in Walking Meditation Bhagu recounts a small, physical episode of practice: overcome by drowsiness, he left his dwelling for walking meditation and actually fell to the ground. Rather than giving up, he rubbed his limbs, got back onto the walking path, and paced back and forth until he grew serene inside, a moment of realization that led directly to his mind being freed and to full attainment of the three knowledges.
85. Page 311 Theragāthā: Sabhiya on Mutual Understanding Sabhiya teaches that when others fail to understand the Dhamma, those who do understand should restrain themselves rather than provoke conflict, comparing those who grasp the teaching to the healthy standing among the sick. He warns that any lax act, corrupt observance, or spiritually suspicious life bears little fruit, and that lacking respect for one's spiritual companions puts a person as far from the true Dhamma as the sky is from the earth.
86. Page 311–312 Theragāthā: Nandaka's Curse Upon the Body Nandaka (the second of two by this name) opens with a startling curse directed at his own mortal frame, calling it foul, aligned with Māra, and festering with nine constantly flowing streams — a vivid meditation on bodily impurity. He then broadens the reflection, warning against both overvaluing and disparaging physical bodies, and concludes that only those in whom greed, hatred, and ignorance have faded away are truly unmoved by the body, since they have cut its binding strings.
87. Page 312 Theragāthā: Jambuka's Extreme Austerities Jambuka recounts fifty-five years of extreme ascetic self-mortification — wearing dust and dirt, eating only once a month, tearing out his own hair and beard, standing on one foot, shunning seats, and even eating dried dung — practices he now recognizes led toward a bad destination rather than liberation. Swept away by a flood of suffering, he finally went to the Buddha for refuge, and the verse celebrates that turning point as what actually brought him the three knowledges, implicitly critiquin
88. Page 312–313 Theragāthā: Senaka's Vision at the Gayā Festival Senaka recalls the joy of seeing the Awakened One teach the supreme Dhamma during the Gayā spring festival, describing him as a glorious tutor and unequaled victor among all beings with their gods, a great giant and great light free of defilement who fears nothing from any quarter. He closes on a personal note, admitting he had long been corrupted by wrong view before that same Blessed One released him from all his ties.
89. Page 313 Theragāthā: Sambhūta on Timing and Discipline Sambhūta contrasts two opposite kinds of disorganization and discipline: the fool who hurries when he should dawdle and dawdles when he should hurry sees his fortune wither like the waning moon and becomes alienated from friends, while the well-organized, astute person whose timing matches the moment sees fortune flourish like the waxing moon and gains respect rather than isolation.
90. Page 313–314 Theragāthā: Rāhula, the Buddha's Son Rāhula, the Buddha's own son who was ordained as a young novice, proudly calls himself Fortunate Rāhula, accomplished in two ways: being the son of the all-seeing Buddha and having ended his own defilements so that no future lives remain. He closes with a warning image about those still blinded by sensual pleasure, smothered by craving like a fish trapped in a funnel-net, contrasted with his own state of having thrown off those pleasures, cut Māra's bond, and become fully cooled and quenched.
91. Page 314 Theragāthā: Candana and His Former Wife Candana recounts an encounter with his former wife, richly adorned in gold and surrounded by maids, arriving with their son on her hip. Seeing her approach, decked out like a snare of death, triggered the same pattern found elsewhere in the collection — sudden realization of danger, firm disillusionment, and a freed mind that attained the three knowledges — showing how a former family tie itself could become the occasion for insight rather than temptation.
92. Page 314–315 Theragāthā: Dhammika on the Protection of Dhamma Dhammika teaches that the Dhamma genuinely protects the one who practices it, bringing happiness when followed well and steering a practitioner away from bad destinations, while insisting that Dhamma and its opposite do not lead to the same results — one path leads to hell, the other to a good place. He urges rousing enthusiasm for the teaching out of gratitude to the unaffected Holy One, closing with an image of the boil of craving finally burst from its root, leaving a person who has nothing,
93. Page 315–316 Theragāthā: Sappaka's River Ajakaraṇī Sappaka offers an extended nature poem centered on the River Ajakaraṇī, describing a startled white crane fleeing a dark storm cloud in search of shelter, black plum trees lining both riverbanks, and frogs croaking that it is no day to stray from the mountain streams since the river remains safe and pleasant. Rather than stating a doctrinal point directly, the verse conveys contentment and seclusion entirely through vivid, affectionate observation of a beloved wilderness landscape.
94. Page 316 Theragāthā: Mudita's Vow at the Brink Mudita recalls originally going forth simply to save his life, but says he came to embrace real faith after full ordination and threw himself into intense effort, declaring he would gladly let his body break apart and both legs fall off rather than give up. He repeats the extreme vow found earlier in the collection — no eating, drinking, leaving his dwelling, or lying down until the dart of craving is plucked out — and reports that this fierce resolve carried him to the three knowledges and full
95. Page 317 Theragāthā: Rājadatta's Charnel Ground Temptation Opening the Book of the Fives, Rājadatta describes visiting a charnel ground and encountering a woman's corpse abandoned there, being devoured by worms; while other men were simply disgusted, sexual desire arose in him even before that decaying body, as though he were blind to its true state. He fled the scene faster than rice can cook, retreating mindfully to a quiet place, where the danger became clear to him and his mind was ultimately freed, attaining the three knowledges — an unusually cand
96. Page 317–318 Theragāthā: Subhūta on Words That Match Deeds Subhūta reflects on misfortune and disappointed expectation, comparing surrendering to bad luck in part to losing at dice, and surrendering to it entirely to a kind of blindness unable to distinguish even and uneven odds. He then repeats the collection's familiar teaching that one should say only what one intends to do, illustrating it with a memorable image: a colorful flower lacking fragrance is like well-spoken words that are fruitless without action, while a flower that is both colorful and
97. Page 318 Theragāthā: Girimānanda's Verses on His Sheltered Hut Girimānanda closes this chunk of text with the collection's familiar rain-and-hut refrain, describing his roofed, wind-sheltered dwelling and inviting the heavens to rain as they please while he meditates within in peace, with a mind at peace, free of greed, and free of hate. The text is cut off mid-poem at the end of this excerpt, so only the opening stanzas of what was likely a longer sequence of variations on this refrain are available here.
98. Page 319 Sumana (1st) - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.4 This section opens with a stray closing verse from the previous elder's set, picturing a monk contentedly sheltering from rain in his forest hut, free of delusion. The main figure, Sumana, then credits his mentor for teaching him the path toward freedom from death, and declares he has realized the Dhamma for himself rather than through hearsay or legend. He lists the classic marks of full awakening: knowledge of his past lives, purified clairvoyance, and the ending of all defilements. The verses
99. Page 319–320 Vaḍḍha - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.5 Vaḍḍha attributes his awakening to the encouragement of his own mother, whose words acted as a "goad" spurring him to energetic, resolute practice and ultimately to supreme awakening. He declares himself perfected, a master of the three knowledges, having conquered the forces of Māra (Namuci) and eliminated every trace of defilement, inside and out. His self-assured sister affirms that both siblings are now free of entanglements or "snarls." The verses highlight the notable role family members,
100. Page 320 Nadīkassapa - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.6 Nadīkassapa was a fire-worshipping ascetic who performed sacrifices and ritual devotion to sacred flame near the Nerañjara River, mistakenly believing this practice constituted purity. Hearing the Buddha's teaching there shattered his wrong view, which he describes as being caught in a "thicket" of delusion while thinking impurity was purity. He renounces his old rites, declaring that he now honors the fire only in the sense of serving those worthy of religious offerings, and bows instead to the
101. Page 320–321 Gayākassapa - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.7 Like his kinsman Nadīkassapa, Gayākassapa was a fire ascetic who ritually bathed in the sacred waters at Gayā three times a day, believing this would wash away the bad deeds of his past lives. On hearing a meaningful teaching, he rationally reflected on this belief and recognized its error. He now describes himself as truly "stainless, clean, pristine," a genuine heir of the Buddha, having attained purification not through water but by immersion in the Buddha's eightfold path and the ending of a
102. Page 321–322 Vakkali - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.8 Vakkali is a monk suffering a "wind ailment" while dwelling alone in a forest, and is asked how he will manage to gather alms in such a difficult state. He answers that he sustains his afflicted body with the rapture and happiness born of meditation, developing mindfulness, the spiritual faculties and powers, and the factors of awakening despite the hardship. His resolve is fortified by recollecting the example of energetic, harmonious fellow practitioners and by contemplating the calm, tamed na
103. Page 322–323 Vijitasena - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.9 Vijitasena addresses his own unruly mind directly, vowing to cage it like a wild elephant confined in a stockade so it can no longer be driven toward wrongdoing by the pull of the senses. He develops an extended simile comparing mental discipline to a skilled trainer subduing a newly captured elephant, or a fine charioteer taming a thoroughbred horse. He resolves to bind his mind firmly with mindfulness and sustained energy so that it will no longer wander into harmful territory.
104. Page 323 Yasadatta - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.10 Through a heavily repeated refrain, Yasadatta describes how a "simpleton" who listens to the Buddha's instruction with a fault-finding, critical mind gains nothing from it, comparing such a person to a seed that will not grow, a fish withering in a shrinking puddle, or the moon waning away. By contrast, one who listens with a contented, receptive mind wipes out defilements and reaches ultimate peace. The verses emphasize that the inner attitude brought to hearing the teaching determines whether
105. Page 323–324 Soṇa of the Sharp Ears - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.11 Soṇa recalls the honor of personally receiving ordination from the Buddha and even lodging alongside him. He paints an intimate scene of the Buddha, after a night spent largely meditating in the open, making his own bed and settling to rest "like a lion in a rocky cave," free of all fear. Soṇa himself was renowned for reciting the teaching with beautiful enunciation before the assembled Saṅgha. The verses close by noting his complete understanding of the five aggregates and his attainment of und
106. Page 324–325 Kosiya - Verses of the Senior Monks 5.12 Kosiya's verses form a set of praises for the qualities of a genuinely wise and devoted disciple, built around a repeated refrain calling such a person "distinguished" in their knowledge of the teaching. He honors the disciple who attends closely to a teacher's words, who remains unshaken and reflective under extreme stress, whose wisdom is as steady and deep as the ocean, who is deeply learned and lives in accordance with the teaching, and who understands and acts on the true meaning of what ha
107. Page 325–326 Uruveḷakassapa - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.1 Opening the Book of Sixes, Uruveḷakassapa describes his earlier pride as a famous matted-hair fire ascetic: even witnessing the Buddha's miraculous demonstrations was not enough to move him to bow, since jealousy and conceit blinded him. Only when the Buddha directly addressed his hidden thoughts was he struck with a profound sense of urgency that broke through his arrogance, leading him to abandon his former ascetic powers and go forth as a disciple. He closes by listing his full attainment: th
108. Page 326–327 Tekicchakāri - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.2 This dialogue-style set of verses depicts a monk facing near-starvation after villagers have already harvested and stored their rice, leaving nothing for almsround, and later shivering through a bitterly cold winter night in the open. Rather than retreating to comfort, he is counseled to sustain himself by joyfully recollecting the boundless, immeasurable qualities of the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and by meditating on the four immeasurable states of mind, resolving to remain unpertur
109. Page 327 Mahānāga - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.3 Mahānāga's short set of verses teaches, through paired and repeated similes, that a mendicant who lacks respect for spiritual companions withers away from the true teaching like a fish stranded in a shrinking puddle or a rotten seed that will not sprout, and remains far from liberation. Conversely, one who respects their companions thrives like a healthy seed in fertile soil and draws close to full extinguishment. The verses underscore the importance placed on mutual respect and communal harmony
110. Page 327–328 Kulla - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.4 Kulla visits a charnel ground and confronts the decaying corpse of a woman being devoured by worms, using it as a concrete meditation object on impermanence. Addressing himself directly, he examines his own body as equally "diseased, filthy, rotten, oozing," using the Buddha's teaching as a mirror to see clearly inside and out. A poetic chiasmus ("as this is, so is that... as above, so below") conveys the universal, inescapable nature of bodily decay, and he concludes that the pleasure of rightl
111. Page 328–329 Māluṅkyaputta (1st) - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.5 Māluṅkyaputta warns that heedless living allows craving to spread uncontrollably, like a fast-growing vine, dragging a person restlessly from one desire to the next like a monkey chasing fruit through a forest. He contrasts this with the relief of one who overcomes such craving, whose sorrows fall away easily, like a drop of water off a lotus leaf. He urges his listeners to dig out the very root of craving and to act without delay on the Buddha's words, warning that a wasted opportunity for prac
112. Page 329–330 Sappadāsa - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.6 In a starkly honest confession, Sappadāsa admits that after twenty-five years as a monk he still had not found even a moment's peace of mind, tormented instead by unresolved sensual desire. Overwhelmed, he considered ending his own life and had even picked up a razor when a sudden, sharp realization of the danger in his situation shook him free of despair. That insight liberated his mind, leading him to the three knowledges and full attainment. The verses are notable among the Theragāthā for the
113. Page 330–331 Kātiyāna - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.7 These verses are an urgent exhortation addressed to the monk Kātiyāna, urging him toward vigorous, unrelenting effort: to get up and stay wakeful rather than be caught in negligence by the "King of Death." He is told to make himself into a safe island since rebirth and old age sweep away everything else, and to dedicate every watch of the night, free from his former bonds, to diligent practice. The verses close picturing his eventual attainment of unexcelled purity, extinguished like a flame dou
114. Page 331–332 Migajāla - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.8 Migajāla offers an elaborate, sustained praise of the Dhamma itself as taught by the Buddha, calling him "Kinsman of the Sun." He describes the teaching as drying up the very root of craving, smashing the mechanism that drives karmic rebirth, and revealing all states of existence as being like a pit of burning coals. Following the noble eightfold path, he says, leads to the stilling of suffering and genuine bliss, and he praises the teaching as sweet, profound, and excellent from beginning to en
115. Page 332 Jenta, the High Priest's Son - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.9 Jenta describes his earlier life as an arrogant young man drunk on his noble birth, wealth, and physical beauty, who paid homage to no one, not even his own parents, considering himself superior to all. Everything changed when he saw the Buddha, radiant and dignified at the head of the mendicant Saṅgha; struck by this vision, he immediately abandoned his conceit and bowed his head to the ground. He closes by declaring that every trace of pride, including the subtlest "conceit of I am," has now b
116. Page 332–333 Sumana (2nd) - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.10 This charming set of verses tells of a child-novice, ordained at just seven years old under his mentor Anuruddha, who used his psychic powers to overcome a mighty serpent king while fetching water from the legendary lake Anotatta. His teacher Anuruddha proudly presents the boy to the elder Sāriputta, praising his serene, confident bearing and inspiring conduct. The verses end touchingly with the young Sumana's modest wish that his remarkable attainment go unnoticed by others.
117. Page 333–334 Nhātakamuni - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.11 Nhātakamuni's verses closely echo an earlier set (Vakkali's): a monk troubled by a wind-ailment while dwelling alone in a forest explains that he sustains himself through rapture, mindfulness, and cultivation of the seven awakening factors and subtle absorptions. He declares that both his internal and external defilements have been cut off entirely and will never arise again, having fully understood the nature of the five aggregates and reached the end of suffering.
118. Page 334–335 Brahmadatta - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.12 Brahmadatta offers practical ethical counsel on handling anger, opening with the question of why someone already tamed and at peace would need anger at all. He observes that retaliating against an angry person only compounds the harm, while restraint wins "a battle hard to win," and that responding mindfully benefits both parties even if the unwise mistake this restraint for foolishness. He recommends reflecting on classic similes, including one about a saw and one about a starving traveler's ch
119. Page 335 Sirimaṇḍa - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.13 Sirimaṇḍa opens with the image of rain soaking only what is left uncovered, urging spiritual openness and honesty, then turns to an urgent meditation on mortality. He describes the world as "beaten down by death and surrounded by old age," struck by the dart of craving, with death, disease, and old age approaching inexorably "like a wall of flame" that nothing can outrun. He warns against wasting any day or night, since one's final night is always drawing nearer.
120. Page 335–336 Sabbakāmi - Verses of the Senior Monks 6.14 Sabbakāmi meditates unflinchingly on the body's repulsiveness, describing it as "dirty and stinking... oozing all over the place" yet still cherished by the deluded. He observes how ordinary people, entranced particularly by the sensual allure of a woman's body, become trapped like animals lured by bait — a deer, a fish, a monkey caught by tar. He concludes that seeing clearly the danger in sensual pleasure, and renunciation as the true refuge, is what allowed him to escape entirely and end his
121. Page 336–337 Sundarasamudda - Verses of the Senior Monks 7.1 Opening the Book of Sevens, Sundarasamudda recounts a near-miss temptation: an elaborately adorned courtesan removes her slippers before him and, with joined palms and soft words, promises him wealth and lifelong companionship if he abandons monastic life for hers. Recognizing the seductive scene as "a snare of death," he feels a sudden jolt of spiritual urgency that frees his mind from the temptation. He closes with the classic declaration of having attained the three knowledges and fulfilled t
122. Page 337–338 Bhaddiya the Dwarf - Verses of the Senior Monks 7.2 Bhaddiya, a monk of notably small stature, has plucked out craving entirely and lives contentedly practicing meditation in a forest thicket near the Wild Mango Monastery. He contrasts the fleeting pleasures of music and worldly entertainment with his own deep delight in the Buddha's teaching, wishing that the whole world could share in constant mindfulness of the body. He reflects that people who judge him merely by his appearance or voice, whether with scorn or curiosity, fail entirely to perce
123. Page 338–339 Bhadda - Verses of the Senior Monks 7.3 Bhadda was an only child, deeply loved and cherished by his parents, who out of devotion and hope for his spiritual welfare brought him before the Buddha and offered him for ordination even though he was young and "delicate and pampered." The Buddha immediately recognized his potential, calling him a future "thoroughbred," and had Ānanda ordain him at once. Remarkably, Bhadda's mind was freed before sunset on the very day of his going-forth, having received ordination at just seven years old.
124. Page 339–340 Sopāka (2nd) - Verses of the Senior Monks 7.4 Sopāka recalls approaching and reverently walking alongside the Buddha, being questioned by him and answering with bravery and clarity. Impressed, the Buddha publicly praised him before the assembled Saṅgha, declaring it a blessing for the whole region of Aṅga and Magadha that such a person receives their respect and support. Like several other child monks in this collection, Sopāka was ordained at only seven years old and attained his final, undefiled state.
125. Page 340–341 Sarabhaṅga - Verses of the Senior Monks 7.5 Sarabhaṅga recalls his early life as a solitary hermit nicknamed "Reed-breaker" for building his forest hut by breaking reeds with his bare hands, a practice he came to see as inappropriate once formal monastic training rules were established by the Buddha. He reflects that he once failed to grasp the full nature of suffering ("the disease") but now sees it clearly, having followed the same path discovered not only by the current Buddha but by six Buddhas before him. The verses culminate in the
126. Page 341–342 Mahākaccāna - Verses of the Senior Monks 8.1 Opening the Book of Eights, Mahākaccāna offers pragmatic ethical guidance: avoid excessive involvement in activity, greed for possessions and fine flavors, and especially the subtle trap of receiving honor and veneration from respectable families, which he calls "a subtle dart, hard to extract." He teaches that a person's own deeds, not the opinions or accusations of others, define their true character. In one of the collection's most memorable images, he advises acting "as if blind... deaf... d
127. Page 342–343 Sirimitta - Verses of the Senior Monks 8.2 Through a repeated refrain, Sirimitta describes the inner qualities that let a mendicant face death without regret: freedom from anger, deceit, and slander, joined with guarded senses, sound ethics, good friendships, and genuine wisdom. He then affirms that unwavering faith in the Buddha, upright conduct, and confidence in the Saṅgha mark a person as truly prosperous, whose life is "not in vain," and urges the wise to devote themselves wholeheartedly to these qualities.
128. Page 343–344 Mahāpanthaka - Verses of the Senior Monks 8.3 Mahāpanthaka describes the powerful sense of urgency he felt on first encountering the fearless Buddha, comparing anyone who would let such a rare opportunity pass by to someone who pushes away good fortune with their own hands and feet. He left behind his wives, children, and wealth, had his hair and beard shaved, and vowed not to rest even briefly until the "dart of craving" was fully removed. Through resolute, tireless meditation he attained the three knowledges and full liberation, becoming
129. Page 344–346 Bhūta - Verses of the Senior Monks 9.1 Opening the Book of Nines, Bhūta's verses build around the repeated refrain "there is no greater pleasure than this," applied to fully understanding suffering, ending the grip of clinging and craving, and seeing the noble eightfold path clearly with wisdom. The imagery becomes especially vivid as he describes the specific joy of meditating alone in a mountain cave during a thundering rainstorm, on a flower-covered riverbank, or at midnight in a lonely forest filled with the roar of lions, celebr
130. Page 346–348 Kāḷudāyī - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.1 Opening the Book of Tens, Kāḷudāyī delivers an extended, lyrical invitation urging the Buddha to travel home to visit his birth family, describing the beauty of the season with crimson, fruiting trees, fragrant blossoms, and mild traveling weather. He reflects on how hope sustains ordinary human endeavors such as farming and seafaring trade, comparing this to his own hope that the journey will succeed. The verses trace the Buddha's royal lineage, honoring his father Suddhodana and mother Māyā, a
131. Page 348–349 Ekavihāriya - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.2 Ekavihāriya offers a rapturous celebration of solitary forest dwelling, delighting in being utterly alone without companions in a wilderness frequented by rutting elephants, bathing his limbs in a cool mountain grove, and walking mindfully by himself. He insists that spiritual work cannot be delegated, declaring "no one can do another's duty," and resolves to enter the forest fully armored against distraction until defilements are ended. The verses close with him having attained everything he wi
132. Page 349–351 Mahākappina - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.3 Mahākappina praises the value of careful preparation and the cultivation of mindfulness of breathing as taught by the Buddha, describing a mind made clean and limitless that "radiates in every direction" like the moon freed from clouds. He reflects soberly on the universality of death, stating plainly that "when you're born, you die" as an unremarkable fact of existence rather than something amazing. He notes that grieving over the dead only harms the living, weakening the body and mind, and urg
133. Page 351–352 Cūḷapanthaka - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.4 This well-known account tells of a monk considered so slow-witted that even his own brother turned him away from the monastery gate. Standing sadly outside, he was personally rescued by the Buddha, who took him by the arm, led him inside, and gave him a simple clean cloth to focus his awareness on. Through this humble practice he attained full realization, and the verses go on to describe his famous feat of magically creating a thousand images of himself while waiting in a mango grove, later fly
134. Page 352–353 Kappa - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.5 Kappa delivers an intensely visceral meditation on the body's repulsiveness, describing it as filled with dirt, pus, and blood, oozing constantly "like a stagnant cesspool, a big boil, a bad wound," and held together only by bones, sinews, and skin. He reflects that death is certain for everyone and that ordinary people who cling to the body as "theirs" only pile up further suffering across future lives. He concludes that the truly liberated, who shun the body as one would shun a snake smeared w
135. Page 353–354 Upasena son of Vaṅgantā - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.6 Upasena lays out a detailed practical guide to disciplined forest-dwelling ascetic life: choosing secluded, predator-frequented lodgings for retreat, wearing robes sewn from discarded rag-scraps gathered from rubbish heaps and cemeteries, walking for alms without discrimination between rich and poor households, and remaining content with plain food rather than craving fine flavors. He advises appearing modest and unassuming, avoiding needless talk or insult, and balancing energetic practice with
136. Page 354–355 Another Gotama - Verses of the Senior Monks 10.7 This monk, distinguished in the text simply as "another Gotama," provides a systematic checklist of what befits a genuine ascetic: good friendships within the community, diligent training, respect for the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, an ethical and blameless livelihood, appropriate deportment, and suitable wilderness lodging. He further lists learning and investigation of the truths, developing the perceptions of impermanence, non-self, and unattractiveness, and cultivating the awakening
137. Page 355–357 Saṅkicca - Verses of the Senior Monks 11.1 Opening the Book of Elevens, Saṅkicca's verses take a dialogue form, defending the value of forest seclusion against a companion who urges him toward the comforts of city life. He finds spiritual inspiration even in mundane things, like a crow at a charnel ground reminding him of the body's impermanence, and delights in vivid wilderness scenery of clear water, broad rocks, and roaming wildlife. He affirms he harbors no hateful or violent wish toward any living being, and closes with the serene,
138. Page 357–358 Sīlava - Verses of the Senior Monks 12.1 Opening the Book of Twelves, Sīlava delivers a sustained hymn on the supreme importance of ethical conduct (sīla), praising it as the foundation and "mother" of all good qualities, and as the very ford by which all Buddhas cross over to liberation. Through an accumulating list of metaphors, he calls ethics the best weapon, ornament, bridge, scent, and provision for life's journey, contrasting the misery of the unethical with the renown and heavenly happiness of the virtuous. He concludes that wh
139. Page 358–360 Sunīta - Verses of the Senior Monks 12.2 Sunīta recounts his origins in extreme poverty and social contempt, working the degrading job of clearing away old flowers and being shunned by everyone he encountered. When he saw the Buddha entering the city at the head of the Saṅgha, he dropped his tools to pay homage and was immediately welcomed and ordained with the simple words "Come, monk!" Through diligent solitary meditation he attained the three knowledges in a single night, and was even honored by the gods Indra and Brahmā, prompting
140. Page 360–362 Soṇakoḷivisa - Verses of the Senior Monks 13.1 Once a privileged royal footman serving the king of Aṅga, Soṇakoḷivisa found even greater distinction after going forth in the Dhamma. His verses recount the Buddha personally correcting his over-exertion in meditation using the now-famous simile of tuning a harp's strings, neither too taut nor too slack, teaching a middle path of balanced effort. Following this guidance, Soṇakoḷivisa attained the three knowledges and a mind so steady and free that it remained entirely unmoved by any of the sens
141. Page 362–363 Revata of the Acacia Wood - Verses of the Senior Monks 14.1 Revata declares that since going forth from lay life, he has never once harbored a violent or unkind thought toward any being, having instead cultivated boundless, well-developed loving-kindness for the whole world. His mind, he says, became as unwavering and grounded as a rocky mountain, undisturbed even by the subtlest trace of wrongdoing. The verses close with the serene, repeated refrain that he awaits his time with awareness and mindfulness, neither longing for death nor for continued life,
142. Page 363–365 Godatta - Verses of the Senior Monks 14.2 Godatta teaches equanimity under all circumstances through the image of a sturdy horse enduring its heavy load without shaking off the yoke, urging that the truly wise, full of understanding like an ocean full of water, never look down on others. Through a striking series of reversals, he argues that legitimate loss is better than illegitimate gain, that the disrepute of the wise is better than the fame of fools, and that the suffering of seclusion surpasses the happiness of sensual pleasure, sh
143. Page 365–367 Koṇḍañña Who Understood - Verses of the Senior Monks 15.1 These verses, given partly in dialogue form, belong to Koṇḍañña, traditionally remembered as the very first of the Buddha's disciples to understand the Dhamma. He describes his growing confidence upon hearing the Buddha's teaching on dispassion, and reflects on how attractive, worldly things stir up thought and provoke lust unless settled by wisdom, much as a rain shower settles dust. He restates the three core insights that all conditions are impermanent, suffering, and not-self as the very pat
144. Page 367–369 Udāyī - Verses of the Senior Monks 15.2 Udāyī offers an elaborate, sustained hymn praising the Buddha metaphorically as a majestic "giant" (nāga), whose gentleness and harmlessness form his feet, mindfulness and awareness his other feet, faith his trunk, equanimity his tusks, and wisdom his head. Using the image of a white lotus that grows from water yet remains untouched by it, Udāyī celebrates how the Buddha lives fully within the world while remaining entirely unstained by it. The verses close by comparing the Buddha's eventual pas
145. Page 369–371 Adhimutta (2nd) - Verses of the Senior Monks 16.1 In this dramatic narrative, a band of bandits who once performed violent human or animal sacrifices are astonished that their captive, the monk Adhimutta, shows no trace of the fear their former victims always displayed. Adhimutta explains that one whose fetters have ended has no fear of death at all, comparing it to laying down a heavy burden, escaping a burning house, or being released from execution, since he clings to nothing and grieves for nothing that changes. Deeply moved by his composed
146. Page 371–373 Pārāsariya (2nd) - Verses of the Senior Monks 16.2 Pārāsariya reflects, while meditating alone in seclusion, on how a person can pursue their own spiritual welfare without causing harm to others by carefully guarding the senses. He warns in turn about the dangers of an unchecked eye, ear, nose, tongue, and sense of touch being drawn helplessly toward beautiful sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and especially the allure of a woman's body, comparing this hidden danger to honey that turns bitter or a razor's edge smeared with something sweet. The exc
147. Page 374 Closing Verses of an Unnamed Elder (Book of the Twenties) This brief fragment is the tail end of a poem begun in the previous section, spoken by an unnamed senior monk. It uses the image of a carpenter knocking out one peg with another peg to describe how a skillful meditator uses wholesome faculties (faith, energy, immersion, mindfulness, wisdom) to displace their unwholesome opposites. The verses close by praising the person who stays purposeful, firm in principle, and faithful to the Buddha's instructions as one who prospers in happiness. Because th
148. Page 374–376 Verses of Telakāni Telakāni describes years of anguished searching, unable to find peace despite study, and compares himself to a fish hooked on bait or a being bound like a captured titan, desperate to know who could free him from grief. He depicts doubt and craving as a poisoned arrow lodged in his chest, and pleads for a healer skilled enough to remove it without a blade. The turning point comes when the Buddha, likened to a skilled surgeon, gives him a ladder of Dhamma to climb out of the flood and tells him "
149. Page 376–380 Verses of Raṭṭhapāla Raṭṭhapāla, a wealthy young man who renounced family life against his parents' wishes, delivers vivid verses on the body as a decaying, adorned puppet that cannot truly beguile a serious seeker, and pictures himself as a deer that ate the hunter's bait and escaped the trap. In dialogue with King Koravya, he explains why he went forth: he had seen that even the richest and most powerful die still craving more, that relatives and wealth cannot follow the dead, and that no amount of riches buys lon
150. Page 380–383 Verses of Māluṅkyaputta (2nd) This teaching poem systematically works through each of the six sense doors—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mind—describing first how mindfulness is lost and suffering builds when one fixates with desire on a pleasant sense object. It then mirrors each verse with its positive counterpart: encountering the same sense object with mindfulness and no craving allows one to "wear away" rather than "heap up" suffering, moving closer to extinguishment. The repeated refrain structure drives home a
151. Page 383–386 Verses of Sela This is a dialogue between the brahmin Sela and the Buddha, opening with Sela admiring the Buddha's physical perfection and the marks of a "great man," and asking why someone so magnificent would not rather be a world-conquering king. The Buddha replies that he already is a king—the supreme king of the Dhamma—who rolls forward an unstoppable wheel of teaching, with Sāriputta as the general who keeps that wheel turning. Persuaded, Sela declares the Buddha's teaching well explained and, along with
152. Page 386–387 Verses of Kāḷigodhāputtabhaddiya (Bhaddiya) Bhaddiya, son of Godhā, was born to luxury—riding elephants, wearing fine clothes, eating rich food—and his verses repeatedly contrast that former life with his current contentment living on almsfood scraps while practicing meditation in the forest. Through a refrain repeated for each austere practice (wearing rags, eating only what's given, sleeping little, living in charnel grounds, at tree roots, in the open), he insists true happiness comes from simplicity and non-grasping rather than wealth
153. Page 387–391 Verses of Aṅgulimāla Aṅgulimāla was the notorious bandit-murderer who wore a necklace of victims' fingers; these verses open with his famous exchange with the Buddha, who says "I have stopped" (harming beings) while Aṅgulimāla has not, a paradox that shatters the killer's confidence and leads him to throw down his weapons and ask for ordination. The poem traces his transformation through striking images—the moon freed from clouds, a wish that even his enemies might hear the Dhamma and find peace—and culminates in hi
154. Page 391–394 Verses of Anuruddha Anuruddha, a Sakyan cousin of the Buddha who gave up a life surrounded by song, dance, and luxury, describes crossing over sensual delights and attaining deep, contented absorption through living simply on almsfood and cast-off rags. He recounts a vision in which the Buddha appeared to him in a mind-made body to teach him about non-proliferation of thought, and boasts of fifty-five years without lying down to sleep, having eliminated drowsiness for twenty-five of them. He recalls his past lives—
155. Page 394–397 Verses of Pārāsariya (3rd) Seated alone in a flower-filled forest, this elder reflects mournfully on how the behavior of mendicants in his own time has degenerated compared to the disciplined, content, and single-minded monks who lived when the Buddha was still alive. He recalls those elders as modest in food and robes, devoted purely to ending defilements, and contrasts them with monks of "these days" who chase wealth, status, fine goods, and worldly business under the guise of religious life, quarreling and abandoning t
156. Page 397–401 Verses of Phussa In this dialogue, the seer Phussa answers a question from a brahmin seer about what future generations of practitioners will be like, and delivers an extended, unsparing prophecy of monastic decline: monks who are hostile, superficial, greedy for property and fine clothing, disrespectful of the ocher robe's meaning, and more concerned with status than practice. The prophecy is illustrated by the legendary six-tusked elephant, who declares in verse that only someone genuinely free of moral "stain
157. Page 401–405 Verses of Sāriputta This large collection gathers verses attributed to Sāriputta, the Buddha's chief disciple foremost in wisdom, covering practical monastic guidance (eating in moderation, being content with a simple robe and shelter) as well as profound reflections on non-clinging, non-proliferation of thought, and equanimity amid praise and blame. Several verses form a dialogue, possibly with Ānanda, contrasting a life absorbed in more becoming with one that has given it up, and praising forest dwelling as delig
158. Page 405–408 Verses of Ānanda Ānanda, the Buddha's devoted personal attendant renowned for his extraordinary memory, is honored here as the keeper of 84,000 teachings learned directly from the Buddha and his fellow monks, with verses urging others to seek out and stay close to the learned so the Dhamma is not lost. Several verses reuse the same "fancy puppet" imagery on the body's impermanence found elsewhere in the collection, alongside praise of Ānanda's unwavering, loving service—for twenty-five years attending the Buddha
159. Page 408–413 Verses of Mahākassapa Mahākassapa, celebrated for his austere forest asceticism, opens by warning against seeking popularity or frequenting wealthy families, since honor is "a subtle dart, hard to extract." In one striking episode he recalls accepting a scrap of rice from a leper whose rotting finger fell into his bowl as he ate, and states he felt no disgust at all, illustrating his total freedom from revulsion and attachment. Many verses celebrate his beloved mountain retreats with the refrain "these rocky crags de
160. Page 413–425 Verses of Tālapuṭa Tālapuṭa, said to have been a theatrical performer before ordaining, opens with an extended, yearning refrain—"Oh, when will I...?"—repeatedly imagining the day he will live alone in a mountain cave or forest, free of laziness, fear, and sensory distraction, cutting the "creeper of craving" with the sword of wisdom. The poem then shifts into a long, vivid dialogue in which Tālapuṭa addresses his own restless "mind" directly, recalling how it once enticed him toward renunciation with visions of p
161. Page 425–428 Verses of Mahāmoggallāna Mahāmoggallāna, the Buddha's chief disciple foremost in psychic power, opens with martial imagery of forest-dwelling monks who "tear apart" and "crush" the army of death through austere almsfood practice and meditative absorption. In one famous passage he addresses his own body with visceral disgust—calling it a hut of bones sewn with sinew, a "sack of dung swathed in skin," a "demoness with horns"—illustrating the meditation on the body's foulness that supports non-attachment; a taunting exchan
162. Page 429–432 Mahāmoggallāna Defies Māra (Theragāthā, Book of the Sixties) This is the conclusion of the long verses attributed to Mahāmoggallāna, the Buddha's foremost disciple in psychic power, opening with gods honoring him as a supreme field of merit. The verses recount Māra the tempter attacking him, and Moggallāna calmly recounting his own feats — shaking heavenly palaces with his toe, questioning the gods Sakka and Baka about wrong views, and touching the peak of Mount Meru — to show that attacking a liberated mind only harms the attacker, like a fool grasping f
163. Page 432–441 Vaṅgīsa's Verses (Theragāthā, The Great Book) Vaṅgīsa was a monk famed for his gift of extemporaneous verse, and this long chapter collects his spontaneous poems — resisting Māra's temptations after ordination, praising fellow monks like Sāriputta and Koṇḍañña, and paying homage to the Buddha in richly poetic imagery comparing him to a great cloud and a bringer of light. A central episode has Vaṅgīsa questioning the Buddha at length about a deceased monk, Nigrodhakappa, anxious to know whether he attained full liberation, and the Buddha con
164. Page 441–443 Book of the Ones: Six Nuns Given Terse Verses (Therīgāthā) This passage opens the Therīgāthā's shortest section, the Book of the Ones, where each nun is commemorated by a single terse couplet, often spoken by the Buddha as personal advice built on a pun on her name. An unnamed nun is told to sleep softly, her desire quelled like vegetables boiled dry; Muttā ("Released") is urged to be freed like the moon from an eclipse; Puṇṇā ("Full") is told to be filled with good qualities like the full moon; the two Tissās are urged not to let their spiritual moment
165. Page 443–444 Book of the Ones: Vīrā, Mittā, Bhadrā, Upasamā, and the Muttās Continuing the Book of the Ones, this group gathers six more one-verse commemorations. Vīrā ("Heroic") is praised for vanquishing Māra; Mittā and Bhadrā are urged to appreciate their spiritual friends and blessings; Upasamā is told to cross the flood of Death's dominion; and a second Muttā delivers one of the collection's most vivid personal verses, celebrating freedom from an abusive marriage — freed from "the mortar, the pestle, and my humpbacked husband." Dhammadinnā's closing verse describes
166. Page 444–445 Book of the Ones: Visākhā, Sumanā, Uttarā, and Others This group completes the Book of the Ones with six final short verses. Visākhā and a Sumanā are urged to do the Buddha's bidding and to see the elements as suffering; a second, elderly Sumanā "who went forth late in life" receives the same tender "sleep softly, old lady" blessing given earlier to the unnamed nun; Uttarā describes her own bodily and mental restraint; Dhammā recounts falling while begging for alms due to frailty and finding liberation by seeing the body's danger; and Saṅghā's clos
167. Page 445–446 Book of the Twos: Abhirūpanandā, Jentā, and Others Opening the Book of the Twos, where nuns receive two verses instead of one, this group includes Abhirūpanandā ("Beautiful Nandā"), whom the Buddha personally guided from vanity toward liberation through meditation on the body's impurity. Jentā recounts developing the seven awakening factors and knowing rebirth has ended for her. Sumaṅgala's Mother offers a striking declaration of freedom from domestic drudgery, rejoicing at being freed "from the pestle" and a husband she compares to a mushroom a
168. Page 446–448 Book of the Twos: Mettikā, Mittā, and the Mother-Daughter Verses This group continues the Book of the Twos with five nuns. Mettikā, like Cittā before her, climbs a mountain despite age and pain to shatter the "mass of darkness" of ignorance at the summit. Mittā describes her joy in observing sabbath precepts and no longer longing for heavenly rebirth. A moving exchange follows in which a daughter urges her mother to contemplate the body's impurity, and the mother, Abhayā, reflects on the body's fragility as she prepares to die mindfully. Sāmā's closing verse
169. Page 448–449 Book of the Threes: Another Sāmā and the Two Uttamās Opening the Book of the Threes, "Another Sāmā" describes twenty-five years of failed meditation before a breakthrough on the eighth night of renewed effort. Uttamā's verse repeats this pattern of long struggle, describing repeatedly leaving her dwelling in frustration until a fellow nun taught her the Dhamma of the aggregates, sense fields and elements, after which she meditated unmoving for seven days and broke through on the eighth. "Another Uttamā" describes attaining meditative states of emp
170. Page 449–450 Dantikā and the Tamed Elephant Dantikā recounts leaving her meditation on Vulture's Peak Mountain and observing a freshly bathed wild elephant obediently present its foot to a mahout's hooked pole. Watching this once-fierce beast submit calmly to human guidance struck her with insight, and her mind became serene at seeing a wild creature so tamed. This encounter, she says, is why she went to the forest to practice, the elephant's taming becoming a living metaphor for the taming of her own mind through spiritual training.
171. Page 450 Ubbirī's Grief for Her Daughter Ubbirī is depicted weeping in a charnel ground for her dead daughter, whom she calls by name; a voice of wisdom points out that eighty-four thousand people bearing that same name have been cremated in that very ground, asking pointedly which one she mourns. Struck by this teaching on the universality of loss and impermanence, Ubbirī describes her grief as an arrow now plucked from her heart, and declares herself free of hunger and craving, taking refuge in the Buddha, his teaching, and the commu
172. Page 450–451 Sukkā, Selā, and Somā Confront Doubt and Māra This group presents three nuns demonstrating spiritual authority. Sukkā is described teaching the Dhamma so eloquently in Rājagaha that crowds drink in her words like travelers savoring a cool cloud, while the uninterested are compared to drunkards sprawled in the street. Selā and Somā are each then confronted by Māra, who tempts Selā with the claim there is "no escape" from the world and belittles Somā by claiming a woman's "two-inch wisdom" cannot attain the sages' insight. Both rebuff him wit
173. Page 451–452 Bhaddā Daughter of Kapila (Book of the Fours) Bhaddā, daughter of Kapila, is honored alongside her husband Kassapa (Mahākassapa, the Buddha's foremost disciple in ascetic practice), described as equally accomplished in the three knowledges — of past lives, of beings' rebirths, and of the ending of defilements. Her verse draws a direct parallel between her attainments and those of a brahmin master of the three knowledges, asserting that a woman can equal any male sage in realization. Seeing the world's danger, the couple renounced lay life t
174. Page 452–453 An Unnamed Nun: Twenty-Five Years to Peace (Book of the Fives) This unnamed nun opens the Book of the Fives describing twenty-five years of failed meditation, unable to find even a finger-snap's worth of peace, driven nearly to distraction by unresolved sensual desire. Her breakthrough came only after seeking out a trusted nun who taught her the analysis of the aggregates, sense fields, and elements; retiring to practice this teaching, she quickly attained the full range of higher knowledges, including recollection of past lives and the ending of defilement
175. Page 453 Vimalā, the Former Courtesan Vimalā was a courtesan who describes her past life of vanity, using her beauty, fame, and youth to seduce and manipulate men "like a hunter setting a snare," stripping and teasing customers at the brothel door. Her verse marks a dramatic contrast between that former life and her present state as a shaven-headed mendicant meditating at the root of a tree, having gained freedom from thought and severed all attachment, both human and heavenly. It is one of the Therīgāthā's most vivid before-and-aft
176. Page 453–454 Sīhā's Near-Suicide and Awakening Sīhā describes seven years of torment by uncontrolled lustful thoughts and restlessness, growing thin, pale and miserable, unable to find happiness by day or night. In despair she went deep into the forest intending to hang herself with a rope tied to a tree branch, but in the very act of placing the noose around her neck, her mind suddenly became free. Her account is a stark and unusual testimony to how acute crisis became the paradoxical occasion for liberation.
177. Page 454 Sundarīnandā's Meditation on the Body The Buddha personally instructs the nun Nandā, also called Sundarīnandā, to see her own body as "a bag of bones," diseased and foul, meditating on its unattractive aspects to counter her attachment to physical beauty. Reflecting tirelessly day and night, investigating the body inside and out with her own wisdom, she grew disillusioned with it and became dispassionate, attaining quenching and peace. This verse pairs closely with the earlier Abhirūpanandā account, both concerning a nun whose vanit
178. Page 454–455 Nanduttarā, the Former Fire-Worshipper Nanduttarā describes her earlier life as a devoted practitioner of non-Buddhist austerities — worshiping fire, the moon, the sun and various gods, plunging into rivers at fords, shaving half her head, sleeping on the ground, and fasting at night — combined with vanity about her appearance through ornaments, baths, and oil massages. After gaining faith in the Buddha's teaching and going forth, she truly saw the body and eradicated sensual desire, cutting off all rebirths, wishes, and aspirations
179. Page 455 Mittākāḷī's Realization Mittākāḷī recounts going forth in faith but then wandering aimlessly, consumed by jealousy over others' possessions and honors, pursuing lesser goals while neglecting the true purpose of the ascetic life. Sitting in her hut, she was struck by a sudden sense of urgency, recognizing her life was short and trampled by old age and sickness, leaving no time for carelessness. Through diligent investigation of the rise and fall of the five aggregates, she achieved liberation, showing how disillusionmen
180. Page 455–456 Sakulā's Going Forth Sakulā recounts hearing the Dhamma from a monk while still a laywoman and being struck by the stainless teaching of extinguishment that does not pass away. She left behind her son, daughter, wealth and grain to be ordained, developing the direct path as a trainee nun and purifying her memory of past lives once fully ordained. Her verse closes describing how she saw conditioned phenomena as impermanent and gave up all defilements, becoming cooled and quenched — a model account of a mature househo
181. Page 456 Soṇā, Mother of Ten Soṇā describes giving birth to ten children before, feeble and old, she sought out a nun who taught her the Dhamma of the aggregates, sense fields and elements. She shaved her head and went forth even in old age, purifying her memory of past lives as a trainee nun and meditating on the signless to achieve immediate liberation. Her closing lines defiantly curse old age itself, declaring that though her body's aggregates remain, their root — craving — has been cut, so there will be no more future
182. Page 456–457 Bhaddā of the Curly Hair Bhaddā recounts her earlier life as an unaffiliated wanderer, wearing a single robe with matted, muddied hair, mistakenly seeing fault where there was none while being blind to real fault. Encountering the Buddha at Vulture's Peak, she was ordained on the spot with his simple invitation "Come, Bhaddā," and went on to wander for fifty years through many regions living purely on alms. The verse closes praising a lay follower whose gift of a robe to her generated great merit, illustrating both her
183. Page 457–458 Paṭācārā's Awakening by the Water Paṭācārā, one of the Therīgāthā's most celebrated nuns, here describes her ethical diligence and puzzlement at not yet achieving quenching despite following the Teacher's instructions faithfully. Her breakthrough came through mundane mindfulness: washing her feet, she watched the water flow from high ground to low, and her mind grew serene as a fine thoroughbred horse; then, extinguishing a lamp's wick with a pin, she experienced her heart's liberation as parallel to the lamp going out. This ima
184. Page 458–459 Thirty Nuns Awakened Under Paṭācārā This section describes thirty nuns following Paṭācārā's teaching in verse — using the same imagery of washing feet and settling the mind in a discreet place — and, over a single night's three watches, successively recollecting their past lives, purifying clairvoyance, and shattering the mass of darkness of ignorance. All thirty rise to pay homage at Paṭācārā's feet, comparing their devotion to the Thirty gods honoring their king Indra, and collectively declare themselves masters of the three kno
185. Page 459 Candā, the Widow Beggar Candā describes a life of destitution as a childless widow with no friends or relatives, reduced to begging from house to house with a bowl and staff for seven years, enduring heat and cold. Seeing a nun receiving food, she approached and asked to be sent forth into homelessness; Paṭācārā, out of compassion, ordained her and guided her onward. Following that advice, Candā attained the three knowledges and became free of defilements, her account showing how deep social and economic misery could b
186. Page 459–460 Paṭācārā Consoles a Grieving Mother (Book of the Sixes) This passage presents a dialogue in which Paṭācārā consoles a mother mourning her dead child, explaining that grief is misplaced because no one truly knows the paths by which beings come and go through countless lives, like a traveler who arrives unasked and departs without leave. This teaching that lamenting the dead is like weeping over the nature of all living creatures brings the grieving woman relief, and she describes plucking out the arrow of grief that had long pierced her heart, taking
187. Page 460–461 Vāseṭṭhī's Madness and Recovery Vāseṭṭhī describes being driven to madness by grief for her dead son, wandering naked with disheveled hair, living on rubbish heaps and in cemeteries for three years, starving and thirsty. Encountering the Buddha at Mithilā, she regained her sanity, paid homage, and received his compassionate teaching, after which she went forth and applied herself to his instructions until she realized full liberation. Her closing verse describes fully understanding the very basis from which grief arises, cutti
188. Page 461 Khemā Rebuffs Māra's Temptation Khemā, renowned in the tradition as foremost among nuns in wisdom, is propositioned by Māra disguised as a young man inviting her to enjoy music and pleasure on account of her youth and beauty. She rebuffs him, describing the body as rotting, ailing and frail, something she is repelled by, and declares sensual pleasure no delight now that her craving is eradicated. Her verse ends recalling her earlier life worshiping stars and sacred flames before recognizing this as false purity, having since f
189. Page 461–462 Sujātā's Chance Encounter with the Buddha Sujātā recounts an ordinary day of leisure — dressed in jewelry, garlands and sandalwood makeup with her attendant maids, bringing food to a park for pleasure — that turned into a spiritual awakening when, on her way home, she happened upon a monastic dwelling and entered it. There she encountered the Buddha, "the light of the world," and upon hearing his teaching immediately penetrated the truth and found the stainless Dhamma, going forth soon after to attain the three knowledges. Her story ill
190. Page 462–463 Anopamā, the Sought-After Heiress Anopamā describes being born into wealth and renowned for her beauty as daughter of Majjha, so desirable that princes and wealthy suitors competed for her hand — one offering to match her weight eight times over in gold and gems. Despite this worldly value placed upon her, upon seeing the Buddha she paid homage, received his teaching, and realized the "third fruit" of the path while still seated, soon after shaving her head and going forth, attaining full realization within seven days. Her accou
191. Page 463 Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, the Buddha's Foster Mother Mahāpajāpati Gotamī — the Buddha's aunt and foster mother, and the first woman ordained as a nun — offers a personal hymn of gratitude, addressing the Buddha directly as "my hero" for releasing her and countless others from suffering. She reflects on her many past lives across different family relationships to the Buddha (as his mother, son, father, brother, grandmother), transmigrating without reward until finally seeing him in this final life. She closes by praising Queen Māyā for having given
192. Page 463–464 Guttā Advised by the Buddha In this verse the Buddha directly instructs the nun Guttā, reminding her that she has given up child, wealth, and everything she loved for the sake of her spiritual goal, and warning her not to fall back under the mind's control after such sacrifice. He enumerates the lower fetters — sensual desire, ill will, substantialist views about self, misapprehension of precepts, and doubt — instructing her that abandoning these ensures no further rebirth in this world. He adds that abandoning the remaini
193. Page 464–465 Vijayā's Long Struggle for Peace of Mind Vijayā describes repeatedly abandoning and returning to her dwelling, unable to find peace of mind or control over her thoughts, until she approached and respectfully questioned a nun. That nun's teaching — covering the elements and sense fields, the four noble truths, the faculties and powers, the awakening factors, and the eightfold path — gave her the tools to succeed. Over a single night's three watches she recollected her past lives, purified her clairvoyance, and shattered ignorance, then
194. Page 465–466 Uttarā (2nd) Follows Paṭācārā's Method (Book of the Sevens) This second Uttarā recounts receiving the instruction that recurs across several verses in this collection — comparing ordinary labor like pounding grain to spiritual effort, and urging devotion to washing one's feet and meditating in a quiet place. Applying this method taught through Paṭācārā's words, she recollected her past lives, purified her clairvoyance, and shattered the darkness of ignorance across the three watches of a single night. She emerges a master of the three knowledges who vows
195. Page 466–467 Cālā Debates Māra on Rebirth Cālā, having attained the blissful stilling of conditions, is challenged by Māra, who mocks her shaved head and asks why she wanders without following any recognized creed. She responds that other spiritual traditions merely rely on unexamined views without truly understanding the Dhamma, whereas the Buddha, born in the Sakyan clan, taught her the truth of the four noble truths and eightfold path that goes beyond all views. Having attained full realization, she dismisses Māra with the collection
196. Page 467 Upacālā Debates Māra on Rebirth Upacālā, Cālā's fellow nun and likewise fully awakened, is tempted by Māra with the argument that being born again allows one to enjoy sensual pleasures, urging her to enjoy erotic delights rather than reject rebirth. She counters that death inevitably follows birth, and that being born brings suffering — mutilation, killing, imprisonment and misery — but that the Buddha taught her the Dhamma for transcending rebirth altogether through the four noble truths. She closes with the same defiant refr
197. Page 467–468 Sīsūpacālā Debates Māra (Book of the Eights) Sīsūpacālā, accomplished in ethics and sense-restraint, is tempted by Māra with descriptions of the pleasurable heavenly realms of the gods of the Thirty-Three, of Yama, and other celestial classes, urging her to aspire to rebirth among them. She rejects this vision by pointing out that even these exalted gods remain governed by "substantial reality," trapped in the ongoing cycle of birth and death, whereas the Buddha taught her an unshakable, incomparable Dhamma not frequented by ordinary peopl
198. Page 468–469 Vaḍḍha's Mother Instructs Her Son (Book of the Nines) This is a tender mother-son dialogue in which an unnamed nun instructs her son Vaḍḍha never to become entangled in worldly suffering, urging him to walk the path the sages have walked toward liberation. Vaḍḍha marvels at his mother's evident freedom from any trace of attachment to any condition — high, low or middling — and credits her compassionate advice, the "goad" that spurred his own diligent effort. Striving tirelessly day and night, urged on by his mother, he too realizes supreme peace, p
199. Page 469–471 Kisāgotamī and the Death of Her Child (Book of the Elevens) Kisāgotamī, famous in Buddhist tradition for the parable of the mustard seed, recounts the calamity that preceded her ordination: on the road, near to giving birth, she saw her husband dead, gave birth right there, and then lost both children as well, with her whole family burning on the same funeral pyre. While staying in the charnel ground watching her son's flesh being devoured, condemned by everyone around her, she realized freedom from death. Developing the eightfold path and attaining full
200. Page 471–472 Uppalavaṇṇā, Foremost in Psychic Power (Book of the Twelves) Uppalavaṇṇā, renowned in the tradition as foremost among nuns in psychic ability, recounts the shocking domestic situation that spurred her renunciation — she and her mother became co-wives to the same man — describing sensual pleasure as "nasty and thorny" afterward and choosing to go forth in Rājagaha. Having attained the six kinds of direct knowledge including psychic powers, she describes creating an illusory four-horsed chariot to travel and pay homage to the Buddha. In a further episode sh
201. Page 472–474 Puṇṇikā Refutes the Brahmin's Ritual Bathing (Book of the Sixteens) Puṇṇikā, a former water-carrier who plunged into cold water daily out of fear of her masters' beatings, encounters a brahmin ritually bathing in the river to wash away his sins and questions his logic sharply: if ritual ablution truly removed wickedness, then all aquatic creatures — frogs, turtles, fish — and even butchers and bandits who bathe would likewise be freed of their bad deeds. She argues that rivers cannot selectively wash away bad karma while leaving good karma intact, and redirects
202. Page 474–479 Ambapālī's Lament for Lost Beauty (Book of the Twenties) Ambapālī, once a famously beautiful courtesan, delivers an extended poem-length lament cataloguing the ravages of old age on every part of her once-celebrated body — her hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, ears, teeth, voice, neck, arms, hands, breasts, thighs, calves and feet. Each stanza contrasts youthful beauty with its withered decay and closes with the refrain "the word of the truthful one is confirmed," referring to the Buddha's teaching on impermanence. This sustained, almost obsessive inventory
203. Page 479–481 Rohinī Defends Her Devotion to Ascetics (Book of the Twenties) Rohinī's father repeatedly questions and criticizes her devotion to ascetics, accusing them of laziness and greed for charity, and she responds with an extended, point-by-point defense praising their purity of body, speech and mind, their freedom from hoarding possessions, their mutual affection across different backgrounds, and their understanding of the end of suffering. Persuaded by her eloquence, her father comes to admire the ascetics himself and resolves to support them. The passage closes
204. Page 481–483 Cāpā Wins Back Kāḷa for the Dhamma (Book of the Twenties) This narrative verse tells the story of the ascetic Kāḷa, who had abandoned strict practice to live with a woman named Cāpā and their child, and now resolves to leave her and return to spiritual life. Cāpā pleads with him using every argument — her beauty, their shared child, threats against the child's life — but Kāḷa remains resolute, comparing himself to an elephant breaking its bonds and declaring he would not return even for the child's sake. Cāpā ultimately relents and asks him to convey h
205. Page 483 Sundarī and Vāseṭṭhī on Grief for Lost Children (Book of the Twenties) This final section, cut off mid-narrative at the end of this excerpt, opens a dialogue between a brahmin woman and Vāseṭṭhī, in which the woman recalls how Vāseṭṭhī used to be racked with despair while making food offerings for her departed children, but now, having made offerings for all seven of her children, seems free of that former grief, and asks Vāseṭṭhī to explain the change. Vāseṭṭhī begins to answer by noting that countless children, hers and others', have been mourned in the past acro
206. Page 484–486 Sundarī's Verses, with Vāseṭṭhī and Sujāta This passage continues the story of Vāseṭṭhī, a grieving mother whose sorrow over her children's deaths was healed after she heard the Buddha teach at Mithilā, and shows her converting a brahmin who then travels to meet the Buddha himself. The brahmin quickly goes forth, attains the three knowledges within three days, and becomes known as the elder Sujāta, sending word home to his wife and family. His daughter Sundarī, already grieving the earlier loss of her brother, refuses the family's offere
207. Page 486–489 Subhā the Smith's Daughter A young woman named Subhā, still fresh in youth, hears the Buddha's teaching and is immediately struck by disillusionment with sensual pleasure, renouncing her family, servants, and prosperous fields to go forth. When her relatives urge her to reclaim gold and property she has given up, she delivers an extended, passionate rebuttal on why wealth and sensual indulgence lead only to greed, conflict, and suffering, comparing sensual pleasures to poison, fire, and a cobra's head. Just eight days aft
208. Page 489–493 Subhā of Jīvaka's Mango Grove This is the dramatic story of another nun also named Subhā, who is accosted in a mango grove by a man who blocks her path and tries to seduce her with elaborate poetic praise of her beauty and promises of luxury and married comfort. Subhā answers him point by point, teaching that the body is merely a foul, decaying carcass and that her mind, freed by the path, no longer clings to any of the qualities he admires, likening infatuation with beauty to being fooled by a painted doll or a mural. When
209. Page 493–499 Isidāsī In a conversation with the nun Bodhī, the beautiful young nun Isidāsī explains why she renounced the world, recounting how she served three successive husbands with perfect devotion yet was inexplicably rejected and driven away by each one in turn, to her family's bewilderment and grief. After a visiting nun named Jinadattā inspires her to go forth, she attains the three knowledges within seven days of ordaining and recalls her past seven lives to explain the karmic cause of her repeated rejecti
210. Page 499–507 Sumedhā, Princess of Mantāvatī Sumedhā, daughter of King Koñca's chief queen, converts to the Dhamma and begs her parents to let her renounce rather than marry her betrothed, King Anīkaratta, declaring she would rather starve or die than wed. Her parents resist, extolling the pleasures of royal life, so she delivers a long, powerful teaching on the horrors of endless rebirth and the emptiness of sensual pleasure, invoking images of oceans of tears and blood and mountains of bones piled up over countless lifetimes. When Anīkar