Arati Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. I heard thus. At one time venerable Vaïgãsa lived in Alavi in the Aggalavi monument with his teacher Nigrodha Kappa.

2. At the time venerable Vaïgãsa was a novice, one who had gone forth recently. He was living under the orders of the chief resident monk.

3. During that time venerable Nigrodha Kappa returned to the monastery after the alms round and after the meal. Even in the evening he leaves the monastery or the next day.

4. At such times, venerable Vaïgãsa was discontented, with lust arising in his mind.

5. Then it occurred to venerable Vaïgãsa: "This is not gain for me. This should not happen to me, this discontent, with lust arising in my mind. How could I dispel the discontent of others and arouse contentment in their hearts. What if I dispel my discontentment and arouse contentment in my heart?"

6. Then venerable Vaïgãsa dispelled his discontentment and aroused contentment in his heart and uttered these stanzas that moment.


 * "Dispelling discontentment, attachment and all worldly thoughts
 * Not craving for anything in the world,
 * Endures freedom, from lust and attachment,
 * All material in the whole world, on earth or in the sky
 * Are impermanent, decay, knowing this,
 * I behave with the self released.
 * People are enslaved to endearments seeing, hearing, or sensing angrily.
 * Dispel that interest unmoved. If you are not soiled there,you are a sage.
 * On account of sixty wrongly clung thoughts
 * The ordinary man does unrighteous things.
 * The bhikkhu does not take sides, nor make lewd speech.
 * With a cause, he is concentrated throughout a long time.
 * Not deceitful, he is clever and not greedy,
 * He has attained appeasement on account of the sage.
 * And extinguished, he marks time."