SN 8.3

Pesalasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā vaṅgīso attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati. Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: “alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ; yvāhaṁ attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññāmī”ti. Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano vippaṭisāraṁ uppādetvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

Good-Hearted

At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa. Now at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa looked down upon other good-hearted mendicants because of his own eloquence. Then he thought, “It’s my loss, my misfortune, that I look down on other good-hearted mendicants because of my own eloquence.” Then, on the occasion of arousing remorse in himself, he recited these verses:

“Mānaṁ pajahassu gotama, Mānapathañca pajahassu; Asesaṁ mānapathasmiṁ, Samucchito vippaṭisārīhuvā cirarattaṁ.

“Give up conceit, Gotama! Completely abandon the different kinds of conceit! Besotted with the different kinds of conceit, you’ve had regrets for a long time.

Makkhena makkhitā pajā, Mānahatā nirayaṁ papatanti; Socanti janā cirarattaṁ, Mānahatā nirayaṁ upapannā.

Smeared by smears and slain by conceit, people fall into hell. When people slain by conceit are reborn in hell, they grieve for a long time.

Na hi socati bhikkhu kadāci, Maggajino sammāpaṭipanno; Kittiñca sukhañca anubhoti, Dhammadasoti tamāhu pahitattaṁ.

But a mendicant who practices rightly, a path-victor, never grieves. They enjoy happiness and a good reputation, and they rightly call him a ‘Seer of Truth’.

Tasmā akhilodha padhānavā, Nīvaraṇāni pahāya visuddho; Mānañca pahāya asesaṁ, Vijjāyantakaro samitāvī”ti.

So being not hard-hearted, but energetic, with hindrances given up, pure; and having completely given up conceit, the one who makes an end with knowledge is assuaged.”