The Discourse about Visākhā

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde.

Tena kho pana samayena visākhāya migāramātuyā kocideva attho raññe pasenadimhi kosale paṭibaddho hoti.

Taṁ rājā pasenadi kosalo na yathādhippāyaṁ tīreti.

Atha kho visākhā migāramātā divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho visākhaṁ migāramātaraṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, visākhe, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?

“Idha me, bhante, kocideva attho raññe pasenadimhi kosale paṭibaddho;

taṁ rājā pasenadi kosalo na yathādhippāyaṁ tīretī”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Sabbaṁ paravasaṁ dukkhaṁ,

sabbaṁ issariyaṁ sukhaṁ;

Sādhāraṇe vihaññanti,

yogā hi duratikkamā”ti.

Navamaṁ.

SC 1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, at the Eastern Monastery in Migāra’s mother’s mansion. Then at that time Migāra’s mother Visākhā was bound up in some matter or other with the Kosalan King Pasenadi, but the Kosalan King Pasenadi would not conclude it according to her desire.

SC 2Then Migāra’s mother Visākhā in the middle of the day went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, she sat down on one side. While sat on one side the Gracious One said this to Migāra’s mother Visākhā: “Well now, Visākhā, where have you come from in the middle of the day?”

SC 3“Here, reverend Sir, I am bound up in some affair or other with the Kosalan King Pasenadi, but the Kosalan King Pasenadi does not conclude it according to my desire.”

SC 4Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

SC 5“All that is in another’s power is painful, all that is mastered is pleasing,
What is shared is troubling, for yokes are difficult to transcend.”