Adhimuttattheragāthā

Theragāthā 16.1

Verses of the Senior Monks 16.1

Vīsatinipāta

The Book of the Twenties

Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Adhimuttattheragāthā

Adhimutta (2nd)

“Yaññatthaṁ vā dhanatthaṁ vā,

“Those who we killed in the past,

ye hanāma mayaṁ pure;

whether for sacrifice or for wealth,

Avasesaṁ bhayaṁ hoti,

without exception were afraid;

vedhanti vilapanti ca.

they trembled and they squealed.

Tassa te natthi bhītattaṁ,

But you’re not scared;

bhiyyo vaṇṇo pasīdati;

you look even calmer than before.

Kasmā na paridevesi,

Why don’t you cry out

evarūpe mahabbhaye”.

in such a terrifying situation?”

“Natthi cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ,

“There isn’t any mental suffering

anapekkhassa gāmaṇi;

for one without concern, village chief.

Atikkantā bhayā sabbe,

All fears are left behind

khīṇasaṁyojanassa ve.

by one whose fetters have ended.

Khīṇāya bhavanettiyā,

When the leash to existence is ended,

diṭṭhe dhamme yathātathe;

and the truth is seen as it is,

Na bhayaṁ maraṇe hoti,

there is no fear of death;

bhāranikkhepane yathā.

it’s like laying down a burden.

Suciṇṇaṁ brahmacariyaṁ me,

I’ve lived the spiritual life well,

maggo cāpi subhāvito;

and developed the path well, too.

Maraṇe me bhayaṁ natthi,

I do not fear death;

rogānamiva saṅkhaye.

it’s like the passing of a disease.

Suciṇṇaṁ brahmacariyaṁ me,

I’ve lived the spiritual life well,

maggo cāpi subhāvito;

and developed the path well, too.

Nirassādā bhavā diṭṭhā,

I’ve seen that there’s nothing gratifying in existences,

visaṁ pitvāva chaḍḍitaṁ.

like someone who has tasted poison,
then thrown it out.

Pāragū anupādāno,

One who has gone beyond, without grasping,

katakicco anāsavo;

they’ve completed the task
and are free of defilements.

Tuṭṭho āyukkhayā hoti,

They are content at the end of life,

mutto āghātanā yathā.

like someone released from execution.

Uttamaṁ dhammataṁ patto,

Having realized the supreme Dhamma,

sabbaloke anatthiko;

without needing anything in the whole world,

Ādittāva gharā mutto,

one doesn’t grieve at death;

maraṇasmiṁ na socati.

for it’s like escaping from a burning house.

Yadatthi saṅgataṁ kiñci,

Whatever has come to pass,

bhavo vā yattha labbhati;

wherever life is obtained,

Sabbaṁ anissaraṁ etaṁ,

there is no Lord of all that:

iti vuttaṁ mahesinā.

so said the great seer.

Yo taṁ tathā pajānāti,

Whoever understands this

yathā buddhena desitaṁ;

as it was taught by the Buddha

Na gaṇhāti bhavaṁ kiñci,

doesn’t grab on to any new life,

sutattaṁva ayoguḷaṁ.

like you wouldn’t grab a hot iron ball.

Na me hoti ‘ahosin’ti,

It doesn’t occur to me, ‘I existed in the past’;

‘bhavissan’ti na hoti me;

nor, ‘I will exist in the future’.

Saṅkhārā vigamissanti,

Conditions will vanish—

tattha kā paridevanā.

why weep over that?

Suddhaṁ dhammasamuppādaṁ,

Seeing truly

Suddhaṁ saṅkhārasantatiṁ;

the bare arising of phenomena,

Passantassa yathābhūtaṁ,

and the bare process of conditions,

Na bhayaṁ hoti gāmaṇi.

there is no fear, village chief.

Tiṇakaṭṭhasamaṁ lokaṁ,

The world is like grass and sticks:

yadā paññāya passati;

when this is seen with wisdom,

Mamattaṁ so asaṁvindaṁ,

not finding any possessiveness,

‘natthi me’ti na socati.

you won’t grieve, thinking ‘I don’t have it’.

Ukkaṇṭhāmi sarīrena,

I’m fed up with the body;

bhavenamhi anatthiko;

I have no need for another life.

Soyaṁ bhijjissati kāyo,

This body will be broken up,

añño ca na bhavissati.

and there won’t be another.

Yaṁ vo kiccaṁ sarīrena,

Do what you want

taṁ karotha yadicchatha;

with my corpse.

Na me tappaccayā tattha,

I won’t be angry or attached

doso pemañca hehiti”.

on account of that.”

Tassa taṁ vacanaṁ sutvā,

When they heard these words,

abbhutaṁ lomahaṁsanaṁ;

so astonishing and hair-raising,

Satthāni nikkhipitvāna,

the young men laid down their swords

māṇavā etadabravuṁ.

and spoke these words:

“Kiṁ bhadante karitvāna,

“What have you practiced, Venerable?

ko vā ācariyo tava;

And who is your tutor?

Kassa sāsanamāgamma,

Whose instructions do we follow

labbhate taṁ asokatā”.

to gain the sorrowless state?”

“Sabbaññū sabbadassāvī,

“The knower of all, the seer of all:

jino ācariyo mama;

the victor is my tutor.

Mahākāruṇiko satthā,

He is a Teacher of great compassion,

sabbalokatikicchako.

healer of the whole world.

Tenāyaṁ desito dhammo,

He taught this Dhamma,

khayagāmī anuttaro;

leading to ending, unsurpassed.

Tassa sāsanamāgamma,

Following his instructions,

labbhate taṁ asokatā”.

you can gain the sorrowless state.”

Sutvāna corā isino subhāsitaṁ,

When the bandits heard the good words of the seer,

Nikkhippa satthāni ca āvudhāni ca;

they laid down their swords and weapons.

Tamhā ca kammā viramiṁsu eke,

Some refrained from their former deeds,

Eke ca pabbajjamarocayiṁsu.

while others chose the going-forth.

Te pabbajitvā sugatassa sāsane,

Having gone forth in the teaching of the Holy One,

Bhāvetva bojjhaṅgabalāni paṇḍitā;

those astute ones developed
the awakening factors and the powers.

Udaggacittā sumanā katindriyā,

Elated, happy, their faculties complete,

Phusiṁsu nibbānapadaṁ asaṅkhatanti.

they realized the state of extinguishment,
the unconditioned.

… Adhimutto thero ….