Theragāthā 183

Verses of the Senior Monks 3.14

The Book of the Threes

Chapter One

Gotama (2nd)

1 Transmigrating, I went to hell,

and to the ghost realm time and again.

Many times I dwelt long

in the animal realm, so full of pain.

2 I was also reborn as a human,

and from time to time I went to heaven.

I’ve stayed in realms

of luminous form and formlessness,

among the neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient,

and the non-percipient.

3 I know well these created states are insubstantial—

conditioned, quivering, always in motion.

When I understood that this is created in myself,

mindful, I found peace.