I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion a certain monk was sitting not far from the Blessed One, his legs crossed, his body held erect, enduring fierce pains, sharp & severe, that were the result of old kamma–mindful, alert, without suffering. The Blessed One saw him sitting not far away, his legs crossed, his body held erect, enduring fierce pains, sharp & severe, that were the result of old kamma–mindful, alert, and not struck down by them.
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
For the monk who has left
all kamma
behind,
shaking off the dust of the past,
steady, unpossessive,
Such:1
There’s no point in telling
anyone else.
For the monk who has left
all kamma
behind,
shaking off the dust of the past,
steady, unpossessive,
Such:1
There’s no point in telling
anyone else.
Notes
1. Such (tādin): An adjective applied to the mind of one who has attained the goal. It indicates that the mind “is what it is”–indescribable but not subject to change or alteration.