Verses in the Little Chapter (The Right Way to Wander) on ethical conduct, devotion, and the supreme value of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha.

SNP 2.13 The Right Way to Wander

“Pucchāmi muniṁ pahūtapaññaṁ,
Tiṇṇaṁ pāraṅgataṁ parinibbutaṁ ṭhitattaṁ;
Nikkhamma gharā panujja kāme,
Kathaṁ bhikkhu sammā so loke paribbajeyya”.

(iti bhagavā)

Uppātā supinā ca lakkhaṇā ca;
So maṅgaladosavippahīno,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Rāgaṁ vinayetha mānusesu,
Dibbesu kāmesu cāpi bhikkhu;
Atikkamma bhavaṁ samecca dhammaṁ,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Vipiṭṭhikatvāna pesuṇāni,
Kodhaṁ kadarīyaṁ jaheyya bhikkhu;
Anurodhavirodhavippahīno,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Hitvāna piyañca appiyañca,
Anupādāya anissito kuhiñci;
Saṁyojaniyehi vippamutto,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Na so upadhīsu sārameti,
Ādānesu vineyya chandarāgaṁ;
So anissito anaññaneyyo,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Vacasā manasā ca kammunā ca,
Aviruddho sammā viditvā dhammaṁ;
Nibbānapadābhipatthayāno,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Yo vandati manti nunnameyya,
Akkuṭṭhopi na sandhiyetha bhikkhu;
Laddhā parabhojanaṁ na majje,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Lobhañca bhavañca vippahāya,
Virato chedanabandhanā ca bhikkhu;
So tiṇṇakathaṅkatho visallo,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Sāruppaṁ attano viditvā,
No ca bhikkhu hiṁseyya kañci loke;
Yathātathiyaṁ viditvā dhammaṁ,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Yassānusayā na santi keci,
Mūlā ca akusalā samūhatāse;
So nirāso anāsisāno,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Āsavakhīṇo pahīnamāno,
Sabbaṁ rāgapathaṁ upātivatto;
Danto parinibbuto ṭhitatto,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Saddho sutavā niyāmadassī,
Vaggagatesu na vaggasāri dhīro;
Lobhaṁ dosaṁ vineyya paṭighaṁ,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Saṁsuddhajino vivaṭṭacchado,
Dhammesu vasī pāragū anejo;
Saṅkhāranirodhañāṇakusalo,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Atītesu anāgatesu cāpi,
Kappātīto aticcasuddhipañño;
Sabbāyatanehi vippamutto,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Aññāya padaṁ samecca dhammaṁ,
Vivaṭaṁ disvāna pahānamāsavānaṁ;
Sabbupadhīnaṁ parikkhayāno,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya”.

“Addhā hi bhagavā tatheva etaṁ,
Yo so evaṁvihārī danto bhikkhu;
Sabbasaṁyojanayogavītivatto,
Sammā so loke paribbajeyyā”ti.

Sammāparibbājanīyasuttaṁ terasamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pucchāmi muniṁ pahūtapaññaṁ,

“I ask the sage abounding in wisdom—

Tiṇṇaṁ pāraṅgataṁ parinibbutaṁ ṭhitattaṁ;

crossed-over, gone beyond, quenched, steadfast:

Nikkhamma gharā panujja kāme,

when a mendicant has left home, casting aside sensuality,

Kathaṁ bhikkhu sammā so loke paribbajeyya”.

what’s the right way to wander the world?”

“Yassa maṅgalā samūhatā,

“When they’ve eradicated superstitions,”

(iti bhagavā)

said the Buddha,

Uppātā supinā ca lakkhaṇā ca;

“about celestial portents, dreams, or bodily marks;

So maṅgaladosavippahīno,

with the stain of superstitions left behind,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Rāgaṁ vinayetha mānusesu,

A mendicant ought dispel desire

Dibbesu kāmesu cāpi bhikkhu;

for pleasures human or heavenly;

Atikkamma bhavaṁ samecca dhammaṁ,

with rebirth transcended and truth comprehended,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Vipiṭṭhikatvāna pesuṇāni,

Putting backbiting behind them,

Kodhaṁ kadarīyaṁ jaheyya bhikkhu;

a mendicant gives up anger and stinginess;

Anurodhavirodhavippahīno,

with favoring and opposing left behind,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Hitvāna piyañca appiyañca,

When the loved and the unloved are both left behind,

Anupādāya anissito kuhiñci;

not grasping or dependent on anything;

Saṁyojaniyehi vippamutto,

freed from all things that fetter,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Na so upadhīsu sārameti,

Finding no core in attachments,

Ādānesu vineyya chandarāgaṁ;

rid of desire for things they’ve acquired,

So anissito anaññaneyyo,

independent, needing no-one to guide them,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Vacasā manasā ca kammunā ca,

Not hostile in speech, mind, or deed,

Aviruddho sammā viditvā dhammaṁ;

they’ve rightly understood the teaching.

Nibbānapadābhipatthayāno,

Aspiring to the state of extinguishment,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Yo vandati manti nunnameyya,

Not gloating that, ‘they bow to me’;

Akkuṭṭhopi na sandhiyetha bhikkhu;

though reviled, they’d still stay in touch;

Laddhā parabhojanaṁ na majje,

not besotted when getting food from others,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Lobhañca bhavañca vippahāya,

When greed and craving to live again are cast off,

Virato chedanabandhanā ca bhikkhu;

a mendicant refrains from violence and abduction;

So tiṇṇakathaṅkatho visallo,

rid of indecision, free of thorns,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Sāruppaṁ attano viditvā,

Knowing what is suitable for themselves,

No ca bhikkhu hiṁseyya kañci loke;

a mendicant would hurt no-one in the world;

Yathātathiyaṁ viditvā dhammaṁ,

understanding the teaching in line with the truth,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Yassānusayā na santi keci,

They have no underlying tendencies at all,

Mūlā ca akusalā samūhatāse;

and are rid of unskillful roots;

So nirāso anāsisāno,

free of hope, with no need for hope,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Āsavakhīṇo pahīnamāno,

Defilements ended, conceit given up,

Sabbaṁ rāgapathaṁ upātivatto;

beyond all manner of desire;

Danto parinibbuto ṭhitatto,

tamed, quenched, and steadfast,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Saddho sutavā niyāmadassī,

Faithful, learned, seer of the sure path,

Vaggagatesu na vaggasāri dhīro;

an attentive one joins no faction among sects;

Lobhaṁ dosaṁ vineyya paṭighaṁ,

rid of greed, hate, and aversion,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Saṁsuddhajino vivaṭṭacchado,

A purified victor with veil cast off,

Dhammesu vasī pāragū anejo;

among worldly things master, transcendent, stilled;

Saṅkhāranirodhañāṇakusalo,

expert in knowledge of conditions’ cessation,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Atītesu anāgatesu cāpi,

They’re over speculating on the future or past,

Kappātīto aticcasuddhipañño;

and understand what it means to be pure;

Sabbāyatanehi vippamutto,

freed from all the sense fields,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

they’d rightly wander the world.

Aññāya padaṁ samecca dhammaṁ,

The state of peace is understood, the truth is comprehended,

Vivaṭaṁ disvāna pahānamāsavānaṁ;

they’ve openly seen defilements cast off;

Sabbupadhīnaṁ parikkhayāno,

and with the ending of all attachments,

Sammā so loke paribbajeyya”.

they’d rightly wander the world.”

“Addhā hi bhagavā tatheva etaṁ,

“Clearly, Blessed One, it is just as you say.

Yo so evaṁvihārī danto bhikkhu;

One who lives like this is a tamed mendicant,

Sabbasaṁyojanayogavītivatto,

passed beyond all fetters and yokes:

Sammā so loke paribbajeyyā”ti.

they’d rightly wander the world.”

Sammāparibbājanīyasuttaṁ terasamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Learning

Learning

One who has broad learning and retention of the Dhamma, gained through hearing, reciting, and carefully investigating the teachings. Such learning penetrates their meaning through discernment and serves as a strong support for practice.

Also known as: having knowledge, well studied
Pāli: bahussuta, suta
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Truth

Truth

The quality of what is real and dependable; speech and conduct aligned with reality, honesty, and integrity.

Also known as: accuracy, reliability, verifiability
Pāli: sacca
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Last updated on July 27, 2026