{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/thag/thag19.htm","path":"bud/thag/thag19.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/thag/thag19.htm","text":"1. When, O when shall I live all alone\nin mountain caves, unmated with desire,\nclear seeing as unstable all that comes to be?\nThis wish of mine, when indeed will it be?\n2. When shall I, wearing the patchwork robes\nof colour dun, be sage, uncraving, never making mine,\nwith greed, aversion and delusion slain\nand to the wild woods gone, in bliss abide?\n3. When shall I, this body seeing clear -- \nunstable nest of dying and disease\noppressed by age and death, dwell free from fear\nin the woods alone? When indeed will it be?\n4. When indeed shall I dwell seizing the sharpened sword\nof wisdom made? When cut the craving creeper -- \nbreeder of fear, bringer of pain and woe,\nand twining everywhere? When indeed will it be?\n5. When lion-like in the victor's stance\nshall I draw quick the sage's sword\nof wisdom forged and fiery might\nquick breaking Mara with his host? When indeed will it be?\n6. When myself exerting, shall I be seen\nin goodly company of those esteeming Dhamma?\nThose with faculties subdued who see things as they are?\nThose who are 'Thus'? When indeed will it be?\n7. When indeed will weariness not worry me -- \nhunger, thirst and wind, heat, bugs and creeping things,\nwhile bent on my own good, the Goal,\nin Giribbaja's wilds? When indeed will it be?\n8. When indeed shall I, self-mindful and composed\nwin to that wisdom known by Him,\nthe Greatest Sage, the Four Truths won within,\nso very hard to see? When indeed will it be?\n9. When shall I, possessed of meditation's calm\nwith wisdom see the forms innumerable,\nsounds, smells and tastes, touches and dhammas too,\nas a raging blaze? When will this be for me?\n10. When shall I indeed, when with abusive words\naddressed, not be displeased because of that,\nand then again when praised be neither pleased\nbecause of that? When will this be for me?\n11. When shall I indeed weigh as the same:\nwood, grass and creepers with these craved-for groups,\nboth inner and external forms\nthe dhammas numberless? When will it be for me?\n12. When in the season of the black raincloud\nshall I follow the path within the wood\ntrodden by those that See; robes moistened\nby new falling rain? When indeed will it be?\n13. When in a mountain cave having heard the peacock's cry,\nthat crested twice-born, bird down in the wood,\nshall I arise and collect together mind\nfor attaining the undying? When indeed will it be?\n14. When shall I, the Ganges and the Yamuna,\nthe Sarasvati and the awful ocean mouth\nof the Balava-abyss, by psychic might\nuntouching go across? When indeed will it be?\n15. When shall I, like charging elephant unbound,\nbreak up desire for sensual happiness\nand shunning all the marks of loveliness\nstrive in concentrated states? When indeed will it be?\n16. When, as pauper by his debts distressed,\nby creditors oppressed, a treasure finds,\nshall I be pleased the Teaching to attain\nof the Greatest Sage? When indeed will it be?\n17. Long years have I been begged by you\n'Enough for you of this living in a house.'\nby now I have gone forth to homelessness\nwhat reason is there, mind, for you not to urge me on?\n18. Was I not, O mind, assured by you indeed:\n'The brightly plumaged birds on Giribbaja's peaks\ngreeting the thunder, the sound of great Indra,\nwill bring to you joy meditating in the wood?'\n19. Dear ones and friends and kin within the family,\nplaying and loving, sensual pleasures of the world:\nall have I given up and reached at last to this,\neven now, O mind, you are not pleased with me.\n20. Mine you are, mind, possessed by none but me;\nwhy then lament when comes this time to arm?\nSeeing all as unstable this is now renounced:\nlonging for, desirous of the Undying State.\n21. Said He who speaks the best, Best among mankind,\nman-taming trainer, Physician Great indeed:\n'Unsteady, likened to a monkey is the mind,\nextremely hard to check by not rid of lust.'\n22. For varied, sweet, delightful are desires of sense;\nblind, foolish common men long have lain in them\nseeking after birth again, 'tis they who wish for ill,\nby mind they are led on to perish in hell.\n23. 'In the jungle you should dwell, resounding with the cries\nof peacocks and herons, by pard and tiger hailed:\nAbandon longing for the body -- do not fail'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n24. 'Grow in concentrations, the faculties and powers,\ndevelop wisdom-factors by meditation deep\nand then with Triple Knowledge touch the Buddha-sasana.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n25. 'Grow in the Eightfold Way for gaining the Undying\nleading to Release and cleansing of all stains;\nPlunge to the utter destruction of all Ill!'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n26. 'Thoroughly examine the craved-for groups as Ill.\nAbandon that from which arises ill.\nHere and now make you an end of ill.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n27. 'Thoroughly see inward the impermanent as ill,\nthe void as without self, and misery as bane,\nand so the mind restrain in its mental wanderings.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n28. 'Head-shaven and unsightly, go to be reviled,\namong the people beg with skull-like bowl in hand.\nTo the Greatest Sage, the Teacher's word devote yourself.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge at me on.\n29. 'Wander well-restrained among the streets and families\nhaving a mind to sensual pleasures unattached,\nas the full moon shining clear at night.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n30. 'You should be a forest-dweller, almsman too,\na graveyard-dweller and a rag-robe wearer too,\none never lying down, delighting in austerities.'\nSo indeed my mind you used to urge me on.\n31. As he who having planted trees about to fruit\nshould wish to cut a tree down to the root:\nthat simile you made, mind, that do you desire\nwhen on me urge the unstable and the frail.\n32. Formless one, far-traveler, a wanderer alone,\nno more shall I your bidding do, for sense desires\nare ill, leading to bitter fruit, to brooding fear:\nwith mind Nibbana-turned I shall walk on.\n33. Not from lack of luck did I go forth,\nnor shamelessness, nor caused by mind's inconstancy,\nnor banishment nor caused by livelihood,\nand therefore I agreed with you, O mind.\n34. 'Having few wishes, disparagement's abandoning,\nwith the stilling of all ill is praised by goodly men'\nso indeed, my mind, then you urged at me,\nbut now you go back to habits made of old.\n35. Craving, unknowing, the liked and the disliked,\ndelighting in forms and pleasing feelings too,\ndear pleasures of the senses -- all have been vomited:\nnever to that vomit can I make myself return.\n36. In every life, O mind, your word was done by me,\nIn many births I have not sought to anger you.\nThat which within oneself produced by you, ingrate,\nlong wandered on in ill create by you.\n37. Indeed it is you, mind, makes us brahmanas,\nyou make us noble warriors, kings and seers as well,\nsometimes it is merchant or workers become,\nor led by you indeed we come to gods' estate.\n38. Indeed you are the cause of becoming titans too,\nand you are the root for becoming in the hells;\nsometimes there is going to birth as animals,\nor led by you indeed be come to ghosts' estate.\n39. Not now will you injure me ever and again,\nmoment by moment as though showing me a play,\nas with one gone mad you play with me -- \nbut how, O mind, have you been failed by me?\n40. Formerly this wandering mind, a wanderer,\nwent where it wished, wherever whim or pleasure led,\ntoday I shall thoroughly restrain it\nas a trainer's hook the elephant in rut.\n41. He, the Master made me see this world -- \nunstable, unsteady, lacking any essence;\nnow in the Conqueror's Teaching, mind make me leap\ncross me over the great floods so very hard to cross!\n42. Now it's not for you, mind, as it was before,\nnot likely am I to return to your control -- \nin the Greatest Sage's Sasana I have gone forth\nand those like me are not by ruin wrapped.\n43. Mountains, seas, rivers, and this wealthy world,\nfour quarters, points between, the nadir and the heavens\nall the Three Becomings unstable and oppressed.\nWhere, mind, having gone will you happily delight?\n44. Firm, firm in my aim! What will you do, my mind?\nNo longer in your power, mind, nor your follower.\nNone would even handle a double-ended sack,\nlet be a thing filled full and flowing with nine streams.\n45. Whether peak or slopes or fair open space\nor forest besprinkled with fresh showers in the Rains,\nwhere frequently are found boar and antelope,\nthere will you delight to a grotto-lodging gone.\n46. Fair blue-throated and fair-crested, the peacock fair of tail,\nwing-plumes of many hues, the passengers of air,\ngreeting the thunder with fair-sounding cries\nwill bring to you joy meditating in the wood.\n47. When the sky-god rains on the four inch grass\nand on full-flowering cloud-like woods,\nwithin the mountains like a log I'll lie\nand soft that seat to me as cotton down.\n48. Thus will I do even as a master should:\nLet whatever is obtained be enough for me,\nthat indeed I'll do to you as energetic man\nby taming makes supple a catskin bag.\n49. Thus will I do even as a master should;\nLet whatever is obtained be enough for me,\nby energy I'll bring you in my power\nas a skilled trainer the elephant in rut.\n50. With you well-tamed, no longer turning round,\nlike to a trainer with a straight running horse,\nI am able to practice the safe and blissful Path\never frequented by them who guard the mind.\n51. I'll bind you by strength to the meditation-base\nas elephant to post by a strong rope bound;\nwell-guarded by me, well-grown with mindfulness,\nyou shall, by all becomings, be without support.\n52. With wisdom cutting off wending the wrong path,\nby endeavour restrained, established in the Path,\nhaving seen the origin of passing, rising too -- \nyou will be an heir to the Speaker of the Best.\n53. You dragged me, mind, as on an ox's round,\nin the power of the Four Perversions set;\ncome now, serve the Great Sage, Compassionate,\nHe the sure cutter of fetters and bonds.\n54. As a deer roams in the very varied woods\nand goes to the pleasant crest garlanded by clouds,\nso there you will delight on that unentangled mount.\nThere is no doubt, mind, you'll be established there.\n55. Men and women enjoying any happiness\ncontrolled by thy desires and delighting in life,\nblind fools they are who comply with Mara's power,\nthey driven on, O mind, servants are of thee.","title":"Theragatha XIX","type":"page"}