I broke the reeds off with my hands, made a hut, and stayed there. That’s how I became known as “Reed-breaker”.
But now it’s not appropriate for me to break reeds with my hands. The training rules have been laid down for us by Gotama the renowned.
Previously, I, Sarabhaṅga, didn’t see the disease in its entirety. But now I have seen the disease, as I’ve practiced what was taught by he who is beyond the gods.
Gotama traveled by that direct route; the same path traveled by Vipassī, by Sikhī, Vessabhū, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, and Kassapa.
These seven Buddhas have plunged into the ending, free of craving, without grasping, having become Dhamma, unaffected. They have taught this Dhamma
out of compassion for living creatures—suffering, origin, path, and cessation, the ending of suffering. In these four noble truths,
the endless suffering of transmigration finally comes to an end. When the body breaks up, and life comes to an end, there are no future lives; I’m everywhere well freed.
Sarabhaṅga
Thag 7.5 · Sarabhaṅgattheragāthā
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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.