sutta » sn » sn9 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 9.1

Vivekasutta

Seclusion Seclusion

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.
On one occasion a certain bhikkhu was dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket.
At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu divāvihāragato pāpake akusale vitakke vitakketi gehanissite.
Now on that occasion, while that bhikkhu had gone for his day’s abiding, he kept on thinking evil unwholesome thoughts connected with the household life.
Now at that time that mendicant, during their day’s meditation, was thinking bad, unskillful thoughts to do with the lay life.

Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
Then the devatā that inhabited that woodland thicket, having compassion for that bhikkhu, desiring his good, desiring to stir up a sense of urgency in him, approached him and addressed him in verses:
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

“Vivekakāmosi vanaṁ paviṭṭho,
Desiring seclusion you entered the woods,
“You entered the woods desiring seclusion,

Atha te mano niccharatī bahiddhā;
Yet your mind gushes outwardly.
yet your mind strays to outward things.

Jano janasmiṁ vinayassu chandaṁ,
Remove, man, the desire for people;
As a person, you should dispel the desire for people.

Tato sukhī hohisi vītarāgo.
Then you’ll be happy, devoid of lust.
Then you’ll be happy, free of greed.

Aratiṁ pajahāsi sato,
You must abandon discontent, be mindful—
Mindful, give up discontent;

Bhavāsi sataṁ taṁ sārayāmase;
Let us remind [you] of that [way] of the good.
let us remind you of the way of the good.

Pātālarajo hi duttaro,
Hard to cross, indeed, is the dusty abyss;
The dusty abyss is so hard to cross;

Mā taṁ kāmarajo avāhari.
Don’t let sensual dust drag you down.
don’t let sensual dust drag you down.

Sakuṇo yathā paṁsukunthito,
Just as a bird littered with soil
Just as a bird strewn with dirt

Vidhunaṁ pātayati sitaṁ rajaṁ;
With a shake flicks off the sticky dust,
sheds that clingy dust with a shake;

Evaṁ bhikkhu padhānavā satimā,
So a bhikkhu, strenuous and mindful,
so too, an energetic, mindful mendicant

Vidhunaṁ pātayati sitaṁ rajan”ti.
With a shake flicks off the sticky dust.
sheds that clingy dust with a shake.”

Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.
Then that bhikkhu, stirred up by that devatā, acquired a sense of urgency
Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.