“Then again when I was the true-born son of the king of Kāsi, I grew up in an iron house, so I was named Ayoghara.
‘Your life has been a painful one, as you’ve been raised in confinement. Today, my son, rule the entirety of this land.’
Having bowed to the citizens of country and town, the king and his people, I raised my cupped palms and said the following.
‘All the creatures of this earth—low, middle, or high—are unprotected in their own home, in which they grew up with their families.
It was unique in the world to be raised in confinement. I grew up in an iron house, scarcely lit by sun or moon.
Filled with rotting carcass, I escaped my mother’s womb. Then to a viler suffering I was tossed in an iron house.
Having fallen into such appallingly dreadful suffering, if I desired kingships, I’d be the worst of the worst.
I’m fed up with the body, I have no need for kingship. I shall seek quenching where Death will not crush me.’
Reflecting in this way, as the great crowd wailed, like a bull elephant bursting his ropes, I entered the forest grove.
I had no dislike of my parents, nor did I dislike the great fame. But because omniscience is precious to me, that is why I forsook kingship.”
Ayoghara’s Conduct
Cp 23 · Ayogharacariya
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- CariyāpiṭakaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
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About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.