The Related Suttas Collection 8.3

1. With Vaṅgīsa

Good-Hearted

At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at the Aggāḷava Tree-shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa.

Now at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa looked down upon other good-hearted bhikkhus because of his own poetic virtuosity.

Then he thought, “It’s my loss, my misfortune, that I look down on other good-hearted bhikkhus because of my own poetic virtuosity.”

Then, on the occasion of arousing remorse in himself, he recited these verses:

“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.

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.

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

So don’t be hard-hearted, be energetic, with hindrances given up, be pure. Then with conceit given up completely, use knowledge to make an end, and be at peace.”