Thig 5.6 - Verses of the Elder Mittākāḷī
Translated by Bhikkhuni Soma
Source: https://suttacentral.net/thig5.6/en/soma
License: CC0-1.0

Verses of the Elder Bhikkhunīs
Chapter of the Fives
Verses of the Elder Mittākāḷī
“I went forth out of faith,
from the home life into homelessness;
I wandered here and there,
longing for gain and honor.
Disregarding the highest aim,
I pursued an inferior goal.
Controlled by defilements,
I did not understand the real purpose of the contemplative life.
While sitting in my hut,
I was struck with a sense of urgency:
‘I have entered upon the wrong path,
I am under the control of craving!
Decay and sickness are trampling
my trifling life.
There is no time to waste
before this body falls apart.’
In conformity with the truth, I observed
the rise and fall of the khandhas.
I stood up with a liberated mind,
having completed the teaching of the Buddha.”
The Elder Mittākaḷī
