Therigatha2.3

Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Therigatha >> Therigatha2.3

Adapted from Archaic Translation By Mrs. Rhys Davids 1909

Compared with the Pali Tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org

2.3 Sumangala's Mother, Daughter Of Poor People, Wife Of A Rush-Plaiter, Savatthi

She, too, having made her resolve under former Buddhas, and accumulating good merit (karma) in this rebirth and that, was born under this Buddha-period in a poor family at Savatthi, and was married to a rush-plaiter. Her firstborn was a son, come for the last time to birth, who grew up to become the Elder Sumangala and an Arahant(enlightened equal to Buddha).[1] And her name not becoming known, she was called in the Pali text a certain unknown Theri, and is known as Sumangala's mother. She became ordained as a Bhikkhuni(nun), practiced meditation(Vipassana[2]) and one day, while looking back at all she had suffered as a laywoman, she was much affected, and, her insight meditation(Vipassana[2])  progressing, she attained Arahantship(enlightenment equal to Buddha), with thorough knowledge of the form and meaning of the Dhamma. Upon that she exclaimed:

O woman well set free! how free am I, How throughly free from pestle & mortar![3] I was dark & dirty working with my cooking-pots My brutal husband ranked as even less Than the sunshades he sits and weaves alway. (23) Cleansed now of all my former lust and hate, I dwell, musing at ease beneath the shade Of spreading tree branches–O, how blissful Blissful I am in meditation (24)

[1] This is the Elder Sumangala, who in his verse (Theragatha, 43) celebrates his release from three 'crooked things'–rom sickle, plough, and spade.

[2] 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.

[3] Kitchen drudgery (musala).