Seeking purity the wrong way, I served the sacred fire in a grove. Not knowing the path to purity, I practiced endless mortification.
I’ve gained this happiness by means of happiness: behold the clear rightness of the teaching! I’ve attained the three knowledges and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
I used to be brahmin only by kin, but now I really am a brahmin! I am master of the three knowledges, I’m a bathed initiate, I’m a scholar and a knowledge master.
Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja
Thag 3.1 · Aṅgaṇikabhāradvājattheragāthā
Connections
Collection & context
- TheragāthāThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato and Jessica Walton · 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.