From:
Sutta NipÄta 5.7 Anthology of Discourses 5.7
UpasÄ«vamÄį¹avapucchÄ The Questions of UpasÄ«va
āEko ahaį¹ sakka mahantamoghaį¹, āAlone and independent, O Sakyan,ā
(iccÄyasmÄ upasÄ«vo) said Venerable UpasÄ«va,
Anissito no visahÄmi tÄrituį¹; āI am not able to cross the great flood.
Ärammaį¹aį¹ brÅ«hi samantacakkhu, Tell me a support, All-seer,
Yaį¹ nissito oghamimaį¹ tareyyaį¹ā. depending on which I may cross this flood.ā
āÄkiƱcaƱƱaį¹ pekkhamÄno satimÄ, āMindfully contemplating nothingness,ā
(upasÄ«vÄti bhagavÄ) replied the Buddha,
NatthÄ«ti nissÄya tarassu oghaį¹; depending on the perception āthere is nothingā, cross the flood.
KÄme pahÄya virato kathÄhi, Giving up sensual pleasures, refraining from chatter,
Taį¹hakkhayaį¹ nattamahÄbhipassaā. watch day and night for the ending of craving.ā
āSabbesu kÄmesu yo vÄ«tarÄgo, āOne who is free of desire for sensual pleasuress,ā
(iccÄyasmÄ upasÄ«vo) said Venerable UpasÄ«va,
ÄkiƱcaƱƱaį¹ nissito hitvÄ maƱƱaį¹; ādepending on nothingness, all else left behind,
SaƱƱÄvimokkhe parame vimutto, freed in the ultimate liberation of perception:
Tiį¹į¹he nu so tattha anÄnuyÄyÄ«ā. might they remain there without travelling on?ā
āSabbesu kÄmesu yo vÄ«tarÄgo, āOne free of desire for sensual pleasuress,ā
(upasÄ«vÄti bhagavÄ) replied the Buddha,
ÄkiƱcaƱƱaį¹ nissito hitvÄ maƱƱaį¹; ādepending on nothingness, all else left behind,
SaƱƱÄvimokkhe parame vimutto, freed in the ultimate liberation of perception:
Tiį¹į¹heyya so tattha anÄnuyÄyÄ«ā. they might remain there without travelling on.ā
āTiį¹į¹he ce so tattha anÄnuyÄyÄ«, āIf they were to remain there without travelling on,
PÅ«gampi vassÄnaį¹ samantacakkhu; even for myriad years, All-seer,
Tattheva so sÄ«tisiyÄ vimutto, and, being freed, were to grow cool right there,
Cavetha viƱƱÄį¹aį¹ tathÄvidhassaā. would the consciousness of such a one pass away?ā
āAccÄ« yathÄ vÄtavegena khittÄ, āAs a flame tossed by a gust of wind,ā
(upasÄ«vÄti bhagavÄ) replied the Buddha,
Atthaį¹ paleti na upeti saį¹
khaį¹; ācomes to an end and cannot be reckoned;
Evaį¹ munÄ« nÄmakÄyÄ vimutto, so too, a sage freed from the set of mental phenomena
Atthaį¹ paleti na upeti saį¹
khaį¹ā. comes to an end and cannot be reckoned.ā
āAtthaį¹
gato so uda vÄ so natthi, āOne who has come to an endādo they not exist?
UdÄhu ve sassatiyÄ arogo; Or are they free from disease for eternity?
Taį¹ me munÄ« sÄdhu viyÄkarohi, Please, sage, answer me clearly,
TathÄ hi te vidito esa dhammoā. for truly you understand this matter.ā
āAtthaį¹
gatassa na pamÄį¹amatthi, āOne who has come to an end cannot be defined,ā
(upasÄ«vÄti bhagavÄ) replied the Buddha.
Yena naį¹ vajjuį¹ taį¹ tassa natthi; āThey have nothing by which others might describe them.
Sabbesu dhammesu samohatesu, When all things have been eradicated,
SamÅ«hatÄ vÄdapathÄpi sabbeāti. eradicated, too, are all ways of speech.ā
UpasÄ«vamÄį¹avapucchÄ chaį¹į¹hÄ«.