At one time Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine, together with his mentor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā vaṅgīso āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye āyasmatā nigrodhakappena upajjhāyena saddhiṁ.

Now at that time Venerable Vaṅgīsa looked down upon other good-hearted mendicants because of his own poetic virtuosity. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā vaṅgīso attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati.

Then he thought, Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: “It’s my loss, my misfortune, “alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ; that I look down on other good-hearted mendicants because of my own poetic virtuosity.” yvāhaṁ attano paṭibhānena aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññāmī”ti.

Then, on the occasion of arousing remorse in himself, he recited these verses: Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso attanāva attano vippaṭisāraṁ uppādetvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

“Give up conceit, Gotama! “Mānaṁ pajahassu gotama, Completely abandon the different kinds of conceit! Mānapathañca pajahassu; Besotted with the different kinds of conceit, Asesaṁ mānapathasmiṁ, you’ve had regrets for a long time. Samucchito vippaṭisārīhuvā cirarattaṁ.

Smeared by smears and slain by conceit, Makkhena makkhitā pajā, people fall into hell. Mānahatā nirayaṁ papatanti; When people slain by conceit are reborn in hell, Socanti janā cirarattaṁ, they grieve for a long time. Mānahatā nirayaṁ upapannā.

But a mendicant who practices rightly, Na hi socati bhikkhu kadāci, a path-victor, never grieves. Maggajino sammāpaṭipanno; They enjoy happiness and a good reputation, Kittiñca sukhañca anubhoti, and they rightly call him a ‘Seer of Truth’. Dhammadasoti tamāhu pahitattaṁ.

So being not hard-hearted, but energetic, Tasmā akhilodha padhānavā, with hindrances given up, pure; Nīvaraṇāni pahāya visuddho; and having completely given up conceit, Mānañca pahāya asesaṁ, the one who makes an end with knowledge is assuaged.” Vijjāyantakaro samitāvī”ti.