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Upasīvamāṇavapucchā

The Questions of Upasīva

“Eko ahaṁ sakka mahantamoghaṁ,
“Alone and independent, O Sakyan,”

(iccāyasmā upasīvo)
said Venerable Upasīva,

Anissito no visahāmi tārituṁ;
“I am not able to cross the great flood.

Ārammaṇaṁ brūhi samantacakkhu,
Tell me a support, All-seer,

Yaṁ nissito oghamimaṁ tareyyaṁ”.
depending on which I may cross this flood.”

“Ākiñcaññaṁ pekkhamāno satimā,
“Mindfully contemplating nothingness,”

(upasīvāti bhagavā)
replied the Buddha,

Natthīti nissāya tarassu oghaṁ;
depending on the perception ‘there is nothing’, <j>cross the flood.

Kāme pahāya virato kathāhi,
Giving up sensual pleasures, <j>refraining from chatter,

Taṇhakkhayaṁ nattamahābhipassa”.
watch day and night for the ending of craving.”

“Sabbesu kāmesu yo vītarāgo,
“One who is free of all sensual desires,”

(iccāyasmā upasīvo)
said Venerable Upasīva,

Ākiñcaññaṁ nissito hitvā maññaṁ;
“depending on nothingness, all else left behind,

Saññāvimokkhe parame vimutto,
intent on the ultimate liberation of perception:

Tiṭṭhe nu so tattha anānuyāyī”.
might they remain there without travelling on?”

“Sabbesu kāmesu yo vītarāgo,
“One free of all sensual desires,”

(upasīvāti bhagavā)
replied the Buddha,

Ākiñcaññaṁ nissito hitvā maññaṁ;
“depending on nothingness, all else left behind,

Saññāvimokkhe parame vimutto,
intent on the ultimate liberation of perception:

Tiṭṭheyya so tattha anānuyāyī”.
they might remain there without travelling on.”

“Tiṭṭhe ce so tattha anānuyāyī,
“If they were to remain there without travelling on,

Pūgampi vassānaṁ samantacakkhu;
even for myriad years, All-seer,

Tattheva so sītisiyā vimutto,
and, being freed, were to grow cool right there,

Cavetha viññāṇaṁ tathāvidhassa”.
would the consciousness of such a one pass away?”

“Accī yathā vātavegena khittā,
“As a flame tossed by a gust of wind,”

(upasīvāti bhagavā)
replied the Buddha,

Atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ;
“comes to an end and cannot be reckoned;

Evaṁ munī nāmakāyā vimutto,
so too, a sage freed from the set of mental phenomena

Atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ”.
comes to an end and cannot be reckoned.”

“Atthaṅgato so uda vā so natthi,
“One who has come to an end—do they not exist?

Udāhu ve sassatiyā arogo;
Or are they free from disease for eternity?

Taṁ me munī sādhu viyākarohi,
Please, sage, answer me clearly,

Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo”.
for truly you understand this matter.”

“Atthaṅgatassa na pamāṇamatthi,
“One who has come to an end cannot be defined,”

(upasīvāti bhagavā)
replied the Buddha.

Yena naṁ vajjuṁ taṁ tassa natthi;
“They have nothing <j>by which others might describe them.

Sabbesu dhammesu samohatesu,
When all things have been eradicated,

Samūhatā vādapathāpi sabbe”ti.
eradicated, too, are all ways of speech.”

Upasīvamāṇavapucchā chaṭṭhī.