When lust infects his mind after seeing finely dressed women, Venerable Vaṅgīsa dispels his own discontent by reciting verses on renunciation, firmness in the teaching, and defying Māra on the path to extinguishment.

SN 8.4 With Ānanda

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi āyasmatā vaṅgīsena pacchāsamaṇena.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa anabhirati uppannā hoti, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti. Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Kāmarāgena ḍayhāmi,
cittaṁ me pariḍayhati;
Sādhu nibbāpanaṁ brūhi,
anukampāya gotamā”ti.

“Saññāya vipariyesā,
cittaṁ te pariḍayhati;
Nimittaṁ parivajjehi,
subhaṁ rāgūpasaṁhitaṁ.

Saṅkhāre parato passa,
dukkhato ca attato;
Nibbāpehi mahārāgaṁ,
ḍayhittho punappunaṁ.

Asubhāya cittaṁ bhāvehi,
ekaggaṁ susamāhitaṁ;
Sati kāyagatā tyatthu,
nibbidābahulo bhava.

Animittañca bhāvehi,
mānānusayamujjaha;
Tato mānābhisamayā,
upasanto carissasī”ti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi āyasmatā vaṅgīsena pacchāsamaṇena.

Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms with Venerable Vaṅgīsa as his second monk.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa anabhirati uppannā hoti, rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti.

And at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa became dissatisfied, as lust infected his mind.

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Then he addressed Ānanda in verse:

“Kāmarāgena ḍayhāmi,

“I’ve got a burning desire for pleasure;

cittaṁ me pariḍayhati;

My mind is on fire!

Sādhu nibbāpanaṁ brūhi,

Please, out of compassion, Gotama,

anukampāya gotamā”ti.

tell me how to quench the flames.”

“Saññāya vipariyesā,

“Your mind is on fire

cittaṁ te pariḍayhati;

because of a perversion of perception.

Nimittaṁ parivajjehi,

Turn away from the feature of things

subhaṁ rāgūpasaṁhitaṁ.

that’s attractive, provoking lust.

Saṅkhāre parato passa,

See all conditioned phenomena as alien,

dukkhato ca attato;

as suffering and not-self.

Nibbāpehi mahārāgaṁ,

Extinguish the great fire of lust,

ḍayhittho punappunaṁ.

don’t burn up again and again.

Asubhāya cittaṁ bhāvehi,

With mind unified and serene,

ekaggaṁ susamāhitaṁ;

meditate on the ugly aspects of the body.

Sati kāyagatā tyatthu,

With mindfulness immersed in the body,

nibbidābahulo bhava.

be full of disillusionment.

Animittañca bhāvehi,

Meditate on the signless,

mānānusayamujjaha;

give up the underlying tendency to conceit;

Tato mānābhisamayā,

and when you comprehend conceit,

upasanto carissasī”ti.

you will live at peace.”

Qualities:

Compassion

Compassion

A mental quality of wise empathy in response to suffering, which counters qualities of harm or cruelty.

Also known as: benevolence, concern, sympathy, kindness towards those who are suffering
Pāli: karuṇā, anukampa
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Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Passion

Passion

Intense desire or lust that dyes the mind. It fixates on the features of objects, coloring perception with infatuation and making it difficult to see things as they truly are.

Also known as: burning fever, intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust
Pāli: rāga
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Sensual desire

Sensual desire

A mental quality of desiring sensory gratification. It pulls the mind’s attention toward sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or touches in a search for satisfaction.

Also known as: craving for sensuality, passion for sensual pleasures, lust, pull toward enticing sense objects
Pāli: kāmacchanda
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026