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Buddhism

Iti 96 · uttaka 96

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Tied by the yoke of sensuality & the yoke of becoming, monks, one is a returner, returning to this state. Untied from the yoke of sensuality but tied by the yoke of becoming, one is a non-returner, not returning to this state. Untied from [both] the yoke of sensuality & from the yoke of becoming, one is an Arahant whose effluents are ended.”

Tied by both

the yoke of sensuality

& the yoke of becoming,

beings go to the wandering-on

leading to birth

& death.

Those who’ve abandoned the sensual

without reaching the ending of effluents,

are tied               by the yoke of becoming,

are said to be               Non-returners.

While those who’ve cut off doubt

have no more conceit

or further becoming.

They who have reached

the ending of effluents,

while in the world

have gone

beyond.

See also: AN 2:36; AN 4:10


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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