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| I will give you progressive, gradual instruction. |
In the collection known as the Verses of the Elder (Enlightened) Nuns, the Therīgāthā, in Chapter 6, we find the story of Anopama ("Peerless" due to her beauty), the millionaire treasurer of Sāketa's daughter (Thig. 6.5). She utters a paean or verse concerning her awakening, her enlightenment, from hearing the Buddha teach her the Dharma. Her verses are recorded in the collection of nuns' utterances in the Pali canon, where she states:
Born in a high-ranking family
property owners of great wealth,
consummate in complexion and figure,
I was the daughter of the treasurer Majjha.
Royal sons sought me.
Sons of rich merchants
longed for me.
One of them sent my father a messenger,
who said, "Give me 'Peerless.'
And I in return will give
eight times her weight
in gold and jewels."
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| Name the dowry-price. I must have her! I offer her weight in gold eightfold with jewels, too! |
.
But I, having seen the Awakened One,
unsurpassed, unexcelled in all the world,
bowed at his feet and sat
close by to one side.
He, Gotama (the Buddha), out of sympathy,
taught me the Dhamma (Doctrine).
And as I sat in that very seat,
I attained the third fruit [non-return].
Then I cast off my beautiful hair
and went forth into the left home life.
Today is the seventh day since I made
all craving shrivel away.
- See also Thig 6.4: Sujātā Therīgāthā translated by Dr. Hellmuth Hecker and Ayya Khema (suttacentral.net)
- Thig 6.6: The Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī Therīgāthā—the Buddha's mother's song of awakening translated by Andrew Olendzki (suttacentral.net)
- Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), based on translation by Ven. Thanissaro, (Thig 6.5) Anopamā Therīgāthā (suttacentral.net)
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