1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ …pe… āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ.At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa.¹

1.2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā nigrodhakappo pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisati, sāyaṁ vā nikkhamati aparajju vā kāle.Now at that time after Venerable Nigrodhakappa had finished his meal, on his return from almsround, he would enter his dwelling and not emerge for the rest of that day, or the next.

1.3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa anabhirati uppannā hoti, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti.And at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa became dissatisfied, as lust infected his mind.

1.4Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi:Then he thought,1.5“alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;“It’s my loss, my misfortune,1.6yassa me anabhirati uppannā, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti; taṁ kutettha labbhā, yaṁ me paro anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādeyya.that I’ve become dissatisfied, with lust infecting my mind. How is it possible for someone else to dispel my discontent and give rise to satisfaction?1.7Yannūnāhaṁ attanāva attano anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādeyyan”ti.Why don’t I do it myself?”

1.8Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano anabhiratiṁ vinodetvā abhiratiṁ uppādetvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:Then, on the occasion of dispelling his own discontent and giving rise to satisfaction, he recited these verses:

2.1“Aratiñca ratiñca pahāya,“Giving up desire and discontent,2.2Sabbaso gehasitañca vitakkaṁ;along with all thoughts of domestic life,²2.3Vanathaṁ na kareyya kuhiñci,they wouldn’t get snarled in anything;2.4Nibbanatho arato sa hi bhikkhu.unsnarled, undesiring: that’s a real mendicant.

3.1Yamidha pathaviñca vehāsaṁ,Whatever here is included in form—3.2Rūpagatañca jagatogadhaṁ;on earth, in the sky, or in planet’s deep—³3.3Kiñci parijīyati sabbamaniccaṁ,wears out, it is all impermanent:3.4Evaṁ samecca caranti mutattā.the self-examined live having comprehended this.⁴

4.1Upadhīsu janā gadhitāse,People are bound to their attachments,4.2Diṭṭhasute paṭighe ca mute ca;to impingement of the seen and heard, <j>and to what is thought.⁵4.3Ettha vinodaya chandamanejo,Unstirred, dispel desire for these things;4.4Yo ettha na limpati taṁ munimāhu.for one called ‘a sage’ does not cling to them.

5.1Atha saṭṭhinissitā savitakkā,Trapped in the sixty wrong views, <j>full of their own opinions,⁶5.2Puthū janatāya adhammā niviṭṭhā;ordinary people are fixed in wrong principles.5.3Na ca vaggagatassa kuhiñci,But that mendicant wouldn’t join a sect,⁷5.4No pana duṭṭhullabhāṇī sa bhikkhu.still less would they utter lewd speech.

6.1Dabbo cirarattasamāhito,Proficient, long serene,6.2Akuhako nipako apihālu;free of deceit, alert, without envy,6.3Santaṁ padaṁ ajjhagamā muni paṭicca,the sage has reached the state of peace;6.4Parinibbuto kaṅkhati kālan”ti.quenched, he awaits his time.”