sutta » sn » sn8 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 8.3

Pesalasutta

The Well-Behaved Good-Hearted

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ.
On one occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was living at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa.
At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at the Aggāḷava Tree-shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā vaṅgīso attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati.
Now on that occasion, the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, because of his own ingenuity, had been looking down at other well-behaved bhikkhus.
Now at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa looked down upon other good-hearted mendicants because of his own poetic virtuosity.

Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi:
Then the thought occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa:
Then he thought,

“alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;
“It is a loss for me indeed, it is no gain for me! It is a mishap for me indeed, it is not well gained by me,
“It’s my loss, my misfortune,

yvāhaṁ attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññāmī”ti.
that because of my ingenuity I look down upon other well-behaved bhikkhus.”
that I look down on other good-hearted mendicants because of my own poetic virtuosity.”

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano vippaṭisāraṁ uppādetvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having aroused remorse in himself, on that occasion recited these verses:
Then, on the occasion of arousing remorse in himself, he recited these verses:

“Mānaṁ pajahassu gotama,
“Abandon conceit, O Gotama,
“Give up conceit, Gotama!

Mānapathañca pajahassu;
And leave the pathway of conceit entirely.
Completely abandon the different kinds of conceit!

Asesaṁ mānapathasmiṁ,
Infatuated with the pathway of conceit,
Besotted with the different kinds of conceit,

Samucchito vippaṭisārīhuvā cirarattaṁ.
For a long time you’ve been remorseful.
you’ve had regrets for a long time.

Makkhena makkhitā pajā,
“People smeared by denigration,
Smeared by smears and slain by conceit,

Mānahatā nirayaṁ papatanti;
Slain by conceit, fall into hell.
people fall into hell.

Socanti janā cirarattaṁ,
People sorrow for a long time,
When people slain by conceit are reborn in hell,

Mānahatā nirayaṁ upapannā.
Slain by conceit, reborn in hell.
they grieve for a long time.

Na hi socati bhikkhu kadāci,
“But a bhikkhu never sorrows at all,
But a mendicant who practices rightly,

Maggajino sammāpaṭipanno;
A path-knower practising rightly.
winner of the path, never grieves.

Kittiñca sukhañca anubhoti,
He experiences acclaim and happiness;
They enjoy happiness and a good reputation,

Dhammadasoti tamāhu pahitattaṁ.
Truly they call him a seer of Dhamma.
and they rightly call him a ‘Seer of Truth’.

Tasmā akhilodha padhānavā,
“Therefore be pliant here and strenuous;
So don’t be hard-hearted, be energetic,

Nīvaraṇāni pahāya visuddho;
Having abandoned the hindrances, be pure.
with hindrances given up, be pure.

Mānañca pahāya asesaṁ,
Having entirely abandoned conceit,
Then with conceit given up completely,

Vijjāyantakaro samitāvī”ti.
Be an end-maker by knowledge, peaceful.
use knowledge to make an end, and be calmed.”