Verses of the Elder Bhikkhunīs

Chapter of the Sevens

Verses of the Elder Cālā

“I am a bhikkhunī with well-developed spiritual powers.

I established mindfulness,

and mastered the path of peace,

the joyful pacification of formations.”

“On whose account did you shave your head?

You seem like a contemplative,

but you disapprove of dogmas;

why do you roam around confused?”

“Those who follow dogmas

rely on their views.

They do not know the Dhamma;

they are not masters of the Dhamma.

But the one who was born in the Sakyan clan,

the unrivaled Buddha,

taught me the Dhamma

that transcends views:

suffering, the origin of suffering,

the overcoming of suffering,

and the Noble Eightfold Path

leading to the appeasement of suffering.

After I heard his words,

I dwelled devoted to the teaching.

I obtained the three knowledges,

and completed the teaching of the Buddha.

In this way all fixation is annihilated,

and the mass of darkness destroyed.

Thus be aware, Wicked One,

Death—you are destroyed!”

The Elder Cālā