Vivekasutta — Reader

Seclusion

Vivekasutta

So I have heard. At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time that mendicant, during their day’s meditation, was thinking bad, unskillful thoughts to do with the domestic life. The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu divāvihāragato pāpake akusale vitakke vitakketi gehanissite. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

“You entered the woods desiring seclusion, yet your mind strays to outward things. As a person, dispel the desire for people; then you’ll be happy, free of greed.

“Vivekakāmosi vanaṁ paviṭṭho, Atha te mano niccharatī bahiddhā; Jano janasmiṁ vinayassu chandaṁ, Tato sukhī hohisi vītarāgo.

Give up discontent; be mindful; let us remind you to be mindful. The dusty abyss is so hard to cross; don’t let sensual dust drag you down.

Aratiṁ pajahāsi sato, Bhavāsi sataṁ taṁ sārayāmase; Pātālarajo hi duttaro, Mā taṁ kāmarajo avāhari.

Just as a bird strewn with dirt sheds that clingy dust with a shake; so too, an energetic, mindful mendicant sheds that clingy dust with a shake.”

Sakuṇo yathā paṁsukunthito, Vidhunaṁ pātayati sitaṁ rajaṁ; Evaṁ bhikkhu padhānavā satimā, Vidhunaṁ pātayati sitaṁ rajan”ti.

Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.

Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.