Having gone forth in faith from the lay life to homelessness, I wandered here and there, jealous of possessions and honors.
Neglecting the highest goal, I pursued the lowest. Under the sway of corruptions, I never knew the goal of the ascetic life.
I was struck with a sense of urgency as I was sitting in my hut: “I’m walking the wrong path, under the sway of craving.
My life is short, trampled by old age and sickness. Before this body breaks apart, there is no time for me to be careless.”
I examined in line with the truth the rise and fall of the aggregates. I stood up with mind liberated, having fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
Mittākāḷī
Thig 5.6 · Mittākāḷītherīgāthā
Connections
Collection & context
- TherīgāthāThe 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
Books
- Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology
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.