“Then again when I was in the city of Brahmavaḍḍhana, I was reborn there in a fine, wealthy, and eminent family.
Even so, I saw that the world had become blind, smothered in darkness. My mind recoiled from rebirth, as if harshly pricked by a goad.
Seeing the many forms of wickedness, I thought to myself: ‘When shall I leave the house and enter the forest?’
Then too my relatives invited me to enjoy the pleasures of the senses. I told them of my desire, saying, ‘Do not invite me to such things!’
My younger brother, who was named Nanda the astute, followed my ethical practices, and chose to go forth.
I, Soṇa, and Nanda, and both my mother and father, then discarded our riches and entered the great forest.”
Soṇa the Astute’s Conduct
Cp 25 · Soṇapaṇḍitacariya
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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.
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