Guttā, you have given up your child, your wealth, and all that you love. Foster the goal for which you went forth; do not fall under the mind’s control.
Beings deceived by the mind, playing in Māra’s domain, ignorant, they journey on, transmigrating through countless rebirths.
Sensual desire and ill will, and substantialist view; misapprehension of precepts and observances, and doubt as the fifth.
O nun, when you have given up these lower fetters, you won’t come back to this world again.
And when you’re rid of desire, conceit, ignorance, and restlessness, having cut the fetters, you’ll make an end to suffering.
Having wiped out transmigration, and fully understood rebirth, hungerless in this very life, you will live at peace.
Guttā
Thig 6.7 · Guttātherīgāthā
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.