Psalms of the Sisters XXX: Uttamā

Four times, nay, five, I sallied from my cell,
And roamed afield to find the peace of mind
Long vainly sought, and governance of thoughts
I could not bring into captivity.

To me she came, that noble Bhikkhunī,
Who was my foster-mother in the faith–
She taught to me the Norm, wherein I learnt
The nature of this transitory self.

And well I minded all, e'en as she taught.
For seven days I sat in Jhāna-joy
And ease, cross-legged; on the eighth day at last
I stretched my limbs, and went my way serene,
For I had burst asunder the surrounding gloom.