Verses of the Senior Monks 7.1

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1. Verses of the Senior Monks 7.1
2. The Book of the Sevens
3. Chapter One
4. Sundarasamudda
5. Adorned with jewelry and all dressed up,
6. with her garland and her makeup on,
7. and her feet so brightly rouged:
8. the courtesan was wearing sandals.
9. Stepping off her sandals in front of me,
10. her palms joined in greeting,
11. smiling, she spoke to me
12. so softly and so sweet:
13. “You’re too young to go forth—
14. come, stay in my teaching!
15. Enjoy human sensual pleasures,
16. I’ll give you riches.
17. I promise this is the truth—
18. I swear it by the Sacred Flame.
19. And when we’ve grown old together,
20. both of us leaning on staffs,
21. we shall both go forth,
22. and hold a perfect hand on both counts.”
23. I saw the courtesan seducing me,
24. her palms joined in greeting,
25. adorned with jewelry and all dressed up,
26. like a snare of death laid down.
27. Then the realization
28. came upon me—
29. the danger became clear
30. and I grew firmly disillusioned.
31. Then my mind was freed—
32. see the excellence of the Dhamma!
33. I’ve attained the three knowledges,
34. and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.