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