Buddhism

Thig 5:10 · Paṭācārā

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

[I thought:]

“Plowing the field with plows,

sowing the ground with seed,

supporting their wives & children,

young men gather up wealth.

So why is it that I,

consummate in virtue,

a doer of the teacher’s bidding,

don’t gain unbinding?

I’m not lazy or proud.”

Washing my feet, I noticed

the

water.

And in watching it flow from high

to

low,

my heart was composed

like a fine thoroughbred steed.

Then taking a lamp, I entered the hut,

checked the bedding,

sat down on the bed.

And taking a pin, I pulled out the wick:

Like the flame’s1 unbinding

was the liberation

of awareness.

Note

1. Reading pajjotass’eva with the Thai edition.

See also: MN 72; SN 6:15; Ud 8:10

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).