Therigatha6.7

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Adapted from Archaic Translation By Mrs. Rhys Davids 1909

Compared with the Pali Tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org

6.7 Gutta, Daughter Of A Brahmin Of Savatthi

She, too, having made her resolve under former Buddhas, and accumulating good karma(deeds) of age-enduring efficacy in many rebirths, and consolidating the essential conditions for enlightenment(vimutti, vimukti), was, in this Buddha-era, reborn at Savatthi, in a brahmin's family, and named Gutta. When adolescent, life in the house became repugnant to her, and she obtained her parents' consent to enter the Order under the Great Pajapati(Foster mother & the sister and co-wife of the Buddha's departed mother). From that time on, though she practised insight meditation (Vipassana[1]) with devotion, her mind long persisted in running after external interests, and this destroyed concentration. Then the Master(Buddha), to encourage her, from his 'Fragrant chamber', sent forth his radiant ethereal form, and appeared near her, as if seated in the air, saying these words:

Do you think, Gutta, of that high reward For which you were content to lose your world, Renouncing hope of children, lure of wealth. To that direct and purify the mind, Nor give yourself to sway of truant thoughts. (163) Deceivers ever are the thoughts of men, Gladly for the haunts where Mara(devil) finds his prey; And causing many rebirths, To this dread circle is destined the witless. (164) Yours is to break those Fetters five: the lust Of sense, ill-will, delusion of the Self, The taint of rites and ritual, and doubt, (165) Abandoning these lower fetters, O Bhikkuni (nun) that drag you backward to the here shore. It is not for you to come again to this! (166) Get you away from life-lust,[2] from conceit, <p style="text-align:center;">From ignorance, and from distraction's craze; <p style="text-align:center;">Sunder the bonds; so only shall you come <p style="text-align:center;">To utter end of Suffering. Throw off the Chain (167) <p style="text-align:center;">Of birth and death–you know what they mean. <p style="text-align:center;">So, be free from craving, in this life on earth, <p style="text-align:center;">and seeing the purity of Dhamma(eternal truth), <p style="text-align:center;">You shall go on your way calm and serene. (168)

And when the Master(Buddha) had made an end of that utterance, the Theri attained Arahantship(enlightenment equal to Buddha), together with thorough grasp of the Dhamma(path of eternal truth) in form and meaning. And blissful on that, she uttered those lines in their order as spoken by the Bhagwa(Lord Buddha), from where they came to be called the Theri's verses.

[1] Vipassana : This refers to the foremost insight meditation called 'Vipassana'  taught by Buddha in which attention is focussed on inner phenomenon (breath,body,emotions, sensations & mind) with detachment (samata/equanimity) leading to self-awakening & enlightenment.

[2] Longing to live again, embodied or disembodied. This and the following three terms are the last five Fetters, 'the removal of which leads immediately to Arahantship(enlightenment equal to Buddha)'.