Sutta Nipata

Those who have fully understood this, mindful, are quenched in this very life. Always at peace, they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

“In whom sensual pleasures do not dwell,” said Venerable Todeyya, “and for whom there is no craving, and who has crossed over indecision— of what kind is their liberation?”

“In whom sensual pleasures do not dwell,” replied the Buddha, “and for whom there is no craving, and who has crossed over indecision— there is no liberation that is further.”

“Are they free of hope, <j>or are they still in need of hope? Do they possess wisdom, <j>or are they still forming wisdom? O Sakyan, elucidate the sage to me, so that I may understand, All-seer.”

“They are free of hope, <j>they are not in need of hope. They possess wisdom, <j>they are not still forming wisdom. That, Todeyya, is how to understand a sage, one who has nothing, unattached to sensual life.”

“For those overwhelmed by old age and death,” said Venerable Kappa, “stuck mid-stream as the terrifying flood arises, tell me an island, good fellow. Explain to me an island so this may occur no further.”

“For those overwhelmed by old age and death,” replied the Buddha, “stuck mid-stream as the terrifying flood arises, I shall tell you an island, Kappa.

Having nothing, taking nothing: this is the island with nothing further. I call it extinguishment, the ending of old age and death.

Those who have fully understood this, mindful, are quenched in this very life. They don’t fall under Māra’s sway, nor are they his footmen.”

“Hearing of the hero <j>with no desire for sensual pleasures,” said Venerable Jatukaṇṇī, “who has passed over the flood, I’ve come <j>with a question for that desireless one. Tell me the state of peace, O natural visionary. Tell me this, Blessed One, as it really is.

For, having mastered sensual desires, <j>the Blessed One proceeds, as the blazing sun shines on the earth. May you of vast wisdom explain the teaching to me of little wisdom so that I may understand the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”

“With desire for sensual pleasures dispelled,” replied the Buddha, “seeing renunciation as sanctuary, don’t be taking up or putting down anything at all.

What came before, let wither away, and after, let there be nothing. If you don’t grasp at the middle, you will live at peace.

One rid of greed, brahmin, for the whole realm of name and form, has no defilements by which they might fall under the sway of Death.”

“I beseech you, the bastion-leaver, the craving-cutter, the imperturbable,” said Venerable Bhadrāvudha, “the delight-leaver, the flood-crosser, the freed, the formulation-leaver, the intelligent. Different people have gathered <j>from across the nations

wishing to hear your word, O hero. After hearing the spiritual giant <j>they will depart from here. Please, sage, answer them clearly, for truly you understand this matter.”

“Dispel all craving for attachments,” replied the Buddha, “above, below, all round, between. For whatever a personage grasps in the world, Māra pursues them right there.

So let a mindful mendicant who understands not grasp anything in all the world, observing that, in clinging to attachments, these people cling to the domain of death.”

“To the meditator, rid of hopes,” said Venerable Udaya, “who has completed the task, is free of defilements, and has gone beyond all things, I have come seeking with a question. Tell me the liberation by enlightenment, the smashing of ignorance.”

“The giving up of both” replied the Buddha, “sensual desires and displeasures; the casting aside of dullness, and the prevention of remorse;

pure equanimity and mindfulness, preceded by investigation of principles— this, I declare, is liberation by enlightenment, the smashing of ignorance.”

“What fetters the world? How does it travel about? With the giving up of what is extinguishment spoken of?”

“Delight fetters the world. It travels about by means of thought. With the giving up of craving extinguishment is spoken of.”

“For one living mindfully, how does consciousness cease? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: let us hear what you say.”

“Not taking pleasure in feeling internally and externally— for one living mindfully, that’s how consciousness ceases.”

“To the one who reveals the past,” said Venerable Posāla, “who is imperturbable, with doubts cut off, and who has gone beyond all things, I have come seeking with a question.

Consider one who perceives that form has vanished, who has entirely given up the body, and who sees nothing at all internally and externally. I ask the Sakyan about knowledge for them; how should that sort be guided?”

“The Realized One directly knows,” said the Buddha, “all planes of consciousness. And he knows this one who remains, committed to that as their final goal.

Understanding that desire for rebirth in the dimension of nothingness is a fetter, and directly knowing what this really means, one then discerns that matter clearly. That is their knowledge of truth, the brahmin who has lived the life.”

“Twice I have asked the Sakyan,” said Venerable Mogharāja, “but you haven’t answered me, O Clear-eyed One. I have heard that the divine seer answers when questioned a third time.

Regarding this world, the other world, and the realm of divinity with its gods, I’m not familiar with the view of the renowned Gotama.

So I have come seeking with a question for the one of excellent vision. How to look upon the world so the King of Death won’t see you?”

“Look upon the world as empty, Mogharāja, ever mindful. Having uprooted the theory of self, you may thus cross over death. That’s how to look upon the world so the King of Death won’t see you.”

“I am old, feeble, and pallid,” said Venerable Piṅgiya, “my eyes unclear, my hearing faint— don’t let me perish while still confused. Explain the teaching so that I may understand the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”

“Seeing them being harmed <j>on account of forms,” replied the Buddha, “those negligent folk are inflicted <j>on account of forms— therefore, Piṅgiya, being diligent, give up form so as not to be reborn.”

“The four quarters, the intermediate directions, below, and above: in these ten directions there’s nothing at all in the world that you’ve not seen, heard, thought, or cognized. Explain the teaching so that I may understand the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”

“Observing mankind sunk in craving,” replied the Buddha, “tormented, mired in old age; therefore, Piṅgiya, being diligent, give up craving so as not to be reborn.”

This was said by the Buddha while staying in the land of the Magadhans at the Pāsāṇaka Shrine. When requested by the sixteen brahmin devotees, he answered their questions one by one. If you understand the meaning and the teaching of each of these questions, and practice in line with the teaching, you may go right to the far shore of old age and death. These teachings are said to lead to the far shore, which is why the name of this exposition of the teaching is “The Way to the Far Shore”.

Ajita, Tissametteyya, Puṇṇaka and Mettagū, Dhotaka and Upasiva, Nanda and then Hemaka,

both Todeyya and Kappa, and Jatukaṇṇī the astute, Bhadrāvudha and Udaya, and the brahmin Posāla, Mogharāja the intelligent, and Piṅgiya the great seer:

they approached the Buddha, the seer of consummate conduct. Asking their subtle questions, they came to the most excellent Buddha.

The Buddha answered their questions in accordance with truth. The sage satisfied the brahmins with his answers to their questions.

Those who were satisfied by the Clear-eyed One, the Buddha, Kinsman of the Sun, led the spiritual life in his presence, the one of such outstanding wisdom.

If you practice in accordance with each of these questions as taught by the Buddha, you’ll go from the near shore to the far.

Developing the supreme path, you’ll go from the near shore to the far. This path is for going to the far shore; that’s why it’s called “The Way to the Far Shore”.

“I shall keep reciting the Way to the Far Shore,” said Venerable Piṅgiya, “which was taught as it was seen by the immaculate one of vast intelligence. He is desireless, unentangled, a spiritual giant: why would he speak falsely?

Come, let me extol in sweet words of praise the one who’s given up stains and delusions, conceit and contempt.

The Buddha, All-seer, dispeller of darkness, has gone to world’s end, beyond all rebirths; he is free of defilements, <j>and has given up all suffering, the rightly-named one, brahmin, is revered by me.

Like a bird that flees a little copse, to roost in a forest abounding in fruit, I’ve left the near-sighted behind, like a swan come to a great river.

Those who explained to me previously, before Gotama’s teaching, said ‘thus it was’ or ‘so it shall be’. All that was just the testament of hearsay; all that just fostered speculation.

Alone, the dispeller of darkness is brilliant, a beacon: Gotama, vast in wisdom, Gotama, vast in intelligence.

He is the one who taught me Dhamma, apparent in the present life, immediately effective, the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare.”

“Why would you dwell apart from him even for an hour, Piṅgiya? From Gotama, vast in wisdom, from Gotama, vast in intelligence?

He is the one who taught you Dhamma, apparent in the present life, immediately effective, the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare.”

“I never dwell apart from him, not even for an hour, brahmin. From Gotama, vast in wisdom, from Gotama, vast in intelligence.

He is the one who taught me Dhamma, apparent in the present life, immediately effective, the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare.

Being diligent, I see him in my mind’s eye day and night. I spend the night in homage to him, hence I think I dwell with him.

My faith and joy and intent and mindfulness never stray from Gotama’s teaching. I bow to whatever direction the one of vast wisdom heads.

I’m old and feeble, so my body cannot go there, but I always travel in my thoughts, for my mind, brahmin, is bound to him.

Lying floundering in the mud, I drifted from island to island. Then I saw the Buddha, the undefiled one who has crossed the flood.”

“Just as Vakkali was committed to faith— Bhadrāvudha and Gotama of Āḷavī too— so too you should commit to faith. You will go, Piṅgiya, beyond the domain of death.”

“My confidence grows as I hear the word of the sage, the Buddha with veil cast off, so kind and eloquent.

Having directly known all about the gods, he understands all top to bottom, the Teacher who settles all questions for those who admit their doubts.

The unfaltering, the unshakable: that to which there is no compare. For sure I will go there, I have no doubt of that. Remember me as one whose mind is made up.”

The Anthology of Discourses is completed.