Thig 6.8 — Verses of the Elder Vijayā

Text

Thig 6:8 Vijayā

Four times, five, I ran amok from my dwelling,
    having gained no peace of awareness,
    my thoughts out of control.
So, approaching a nun,
I cross-questioned her attentively.
She taught me the Dhamma:
    aggregates, sense media, properties,
    four noble truths,
    five faculties,
    seven factors for awakening,
    the eightfold path
    for attaining the highest goal.
Hearing her words,
    I did her bidding.
In the first watch of the night,
    I remembered past lives.
In the second watch of the night,
    I purified the divine eye.
In the third watch of the night,
    I burst the mass of darkness.
Then I stayed, suffusing1 my body
    with rapture & pleasure.
On the seventh day, I stretched out my legs,
    having burst the mass
        of darkness.

Note

1. Reading pharitvā with the Thai edition.