The Discourse about Visākhā (UD2.9)

Thus 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.

Then 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?”

“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.”

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

“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.”

Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti from the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka text. Version 2.2, revised February 2008.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.