Sīhā

Due to improper attention,
I was racked by desire for pleasures of the senses.
I was restless in the past,
lacking control over my mind.

Overcome by corruptions,
pursuing perceptions of the beautiful,
I gained no peace of mind.
Under the sway of lustful thoughts,

thin, pale, and wan,
for seven years I wandered,
full of pain,
finding no happiness by day or night.

Taking a rope
I entered deep into the forest, thinking:
“It’s better that I hang myself
than I return to a lesser life.”

I made a strong noose
and tied it to the branch of a tree.
Casting it round my neck,
my mind was freed.