Sap­padāsa

In the twenty-five years
Since I went forth,
I have not found peace of mind,
Even for as long as a finger-snap.
Since I couldn’t get my mind unified,
I was tormented by sexual desire.
Wailing, with outstretched arms,
I burst out of my dwelling.
Should I … or should I take the knife?
What’s the point of living?
Rejecting the training,
How should one like me come to an end?
Then I picked up a razor;
And sat on a bench;
The razor was ready—
To cut my vein.
Then the realization
Came upon me—
The danger became clear,
And I was firmly repulsed.
Then my mind was liberated—
See the excellence of the Dhamma!
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
And fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.