Fond of Conceit
Manakāma Sutta (SN 1:9)
Standing to one side, a devatā addressed the Blessed One with a verse:
“Here there’s no taming
for one fond of conceit,
no sagacity
for one unconcentrated.
One dwelling alone in the wilderness
heedlessly
won’t cross over beyond
Deaths’ realm.
The Buddha:
“Abandoning conceit,
his mind well-concentrated,
well-aware, everywhere
released,1
one dwelling alone in the wilderness
heedfully:
He will cross over beyond
Death’s realm.
Note
1. For a discussion of the implications of this phrase, see The Paradox of Becoming, chapter 7.
