8. Understanding Conceit

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

“Mānaṁ, bhikkhave, anabhijānaṁ aparijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ avirājayaṁ appajahaṁ abhabbo dukkhakkhayāya.

Mānañca kho, bhikkhave, abhijānaṁ parijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ virājayaṁ pajahaṁ bhabbo dukkhakkhayāyā”ti.

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“Mānupetā ayaṁ pajā,

mānaganthā bhave ratā;

Mānaṁ aparijānantā,

āgantāro punabbhavaṁ.

Ye ca mānaṁ pahantvāna,

vimuttā mānasaṅkhaye;

Te mānaganthābhibhuno,

sabbadukkhamupaccagun”ti.

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, one who has not directly known and fully understood conceit, who has not detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is incapable of destroying suffering. But one who has directly known and fully understood conceit, and who has detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is capable of destroying suffering.”

Humankind is possessed by conceit,
Bound by conceit and delighted with being;
Not fully understanding conceit,
They come again to renewal of being.

But those who have abandoned conceit,
And who by destroying conceit are freed,
Have conquered the bondage of conceit
And overcome all suffering.