Therigatha6.2

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Adapted from Archaic Translation By Mrs. Rhys Davids 1909

Compared with the Pali Tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org

6.2 Vasitthi, Or Vasetthi, Daughter Of A Clansman Of Vesali, Wife Of A Brahmin, A Teacher

She, too, faring under former Buddhas like the previous, was, in this Buddha-era, reborn in a clansman's family at Vesali. Her parents gave her in marriage to a clansman's son of equal rank, and she, bearing one son, lived happily with her husband. But when the child was able to run about, he died; and she was heart-broken and was maddened with grief. And while the relatives were consoling the husband, she, unknown to them, ran away crying, and wandered round and round (in madness) till she came to Mithila. There she saw the Lord Buddha going down the next street, self-controlled, self-contained, in control of his senses. And at the sight of the great Master, and through the power of the Buddha, she regained her normal mind from the madness that had happened to her. Then the Master(Buddha) taught her the Dhamma(path of eternal truth) in short. After hearing it, she was moved with torrents of bliss within and then she begged the teacher(Buddha) for ordination, and then he asked another Bhikkuni(nun) to ordain her. Performing all requisite duties and preliminaries, she was established in insight meditation (Vipassana[1]), and, striving with might, with ripening understanding, she soon attained Arahantship (enlightenment equal to Buddha), together with thorough grasp of the Dhamma(path of eternal truth) in true form and in spirit. Looking back on her attainment, elated, she said thus:

Mourning for my child, with lost mind, mad with grief, I wandered up and down, here & there.

Naked, with unkempt hair, (133) Staying in the sides of the streets, and where the dead lay still, and by the chariot-roads– So three years long I lived, starving & thirsty. (134)

And then at last I saw Him(Buddha), as He went Within that blessed city of Mithila: Great tamer of untamed, Yes, Him, The Very Buddha, Banisher of fear. (135) Then came back my errant mind to me; At once to Him I went down worshipping, And there, even at His feet I heard the Dhamma(path of eternal truth). He did a great compassion to me, the Gotama(Buddha). (136)

I heeded the Dhamma He taught, ordained and renounced the world And all its cares behind, and gave myself <p style="text-align:center;">To follow what the Master taught, and realized <p style="text-align:center;">Life in the Path to great good fortune bound. (137) <p style="text-align:center;">Now all my sorrows are broken apart, cast out, <p style="text-align:center;">Uprooted, brought to utter end, <p style="text-align:center;">In that I now can grasp and understand <p style="text-align:center;">The basis on which sorrow stands. (138)

[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.