Today, it is an honor to present selections from the Pârâyanavagga, found in Chapter 5 of the Sutta Nipāta. These passages were translated by V. Fausböll. The Pârâyanavagga describes the moment when sixteen Brahman ascetics at their teacher’s behest, visit Lord Buddha, to seek spiritual wisdom on life and death. Let us continue with the questions posed by Brahman Mettagû, Dhotaka, and Upasiva.
PÂRÂYANAVAGGA. METTAGÛMÂNAVAPUKKHÂ.
“Mettagû: ‘What we have asked Thee Thou have explained to us; another (question) I ask Thee, answer that, pray: How do the wise cross the stream, birth and old age, and sorrow and lamentation? Explain that thoroughly to me, O Muni, for this thing (dhamma) is well known to Thee.’
‘I will explain the Dhamma to thee, O Mettagû,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘If a man in the visible world, without any traditional instruction, has understood it, and wanders about thoughtful, he may overcome desire in the world.’
Mettagû: ‘And I take a delight in that, in the most excellent Dhamma, O Great Isi, which if a man has understood, and he wanders about thoughtful, he may overcome desire in the world.’
‘Whatsoever thou know, O Mettagû,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘(Of what is) above, below, across, and in the middle, taking no delight and no rest in these things, let thy mind not dwell on existence. Living so, thoughtful, strenuous, let the Bhikkhu wandering about, after abandoning selfishness, birth, and old age, and sorrow, and lamentation, being a wise man, leave pain in this world.’
Mettagû: ‘I delight in these words of the Great Isi; well expounded, O Gotama, is (by Thee) freedom from upadhi [attachment] (namely Nirvana). Bhagavat in truth has left pain, for this Dhamma is well known to Thee. And those also will certainly leave pain whom Thou, O Muni, constantly may admonish; therefore I bow down to Thee, having come hither, O Chief (nâga), may Bhagavat also admonish me constantly.’
Buddha: ‘The Brâhmana whom I may acknowledge as accomplished, possessing nothing, not cleaving to the world of lust, he surely has crossed this stream, and he has crossed over to the other shore, free from harshness (akhila), (and) free from doubt. And he is a wise and accomplished man in this world; having abandoned this cleaving to reiterated existence, he is without desire, free from woe, free from longing, he has crossed over birth and old age, so I say.’ Mettagûmânavapukkhâ is ended.”
DHOTAKAMÂNAVAPUKKHÂ.
‘I ask Thee, O Bhagavat, tell me this,’ so said the venerable Dhotaka, ‘I long for Thy word, O Great Isi; let one, having listened to Thy utterance, learn his own extinction.’
‘Exert thyself then, O Dhotaka,’ so said Bhagavat, ‘Being wise and thoughtful in this world, let one, having listened to my utterance, learn his own extinction.’
Dhotaka: ‘I see in the world of gods and men a Brâhmana wandering about, possessing nothing; therefore I bow down to Thee, O Thou all-seeing one, free me, O Sakka, from doubts.’
Buddha: ‘I shall not go to free any one in the world who is doubtful, O Dhotaka; when thou have learned the best Dhamma, then thou shall cross this stream.’
Dhotaka: ‘Teach (me), O Brâhmana, having compassion (on me), the Dhamma of seclusion (Nirvana), that I may understand (it and) that I, without falling into many shapes like the air, may wander calm and independent in this world.’
‘I will explain to thee peace, O Dhotaka,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha]; ‘If a man in the visible world, without any traditional instruction, has understood it, and wanders about thoughtful, he may overcome desire in the world.’
Dhotaka: ‘And I take delight in that, the highest peace, O Great Isi, which if a man has understood, and he wanders about thoughtful, he may overcome desire in the world.’
‘Whatsoever thou know, O Dhotaka,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘(Of what is) above, below, across, and in the middle, knowing this to be a tie in the world, thou must not thirst for reiterated existence.’ Dhotakamânavapukkhâ is ended.”
UPASÎVAMÂNAVAPUKKHÂ.
“‘Alone, O Sakka; and without assistance I shall not be able to cross the great stream,’ so said the venerable Upasîva; ‘Tell me an object, O Thou All-seeing one, by means of which one may cross this stream.’
‘Having in view nothingness, being thoughtful, O Upasiva,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘By the reflection of nothing existing shall thou cross the stream; having abandoned sensual pleasures, being loath of doubts, thou shall regard the extinction of desire (namely Nirvana), both day and night.’
Upasîva: ‘He whose passion for all sensual pleasures has departed, having resorted to nothingness, after leaving everything else, and being delivered in the highest deliverance by knowledge, will he remain there without proceeding further?’
‘He whose passion for all sensual pleasures has departed, O Upasîva,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘Having resorted to nothingness after leaving everything else, and being delivered in the highest deliverance by knowledge, he will remain there without proceeding further.’
Upasîva: ‘If he remains there without proceeding further for a multitude of years, O Thou All-seeing one, (and if) he becomes there tranquil and delivered, will there be consciousness for such a one?’
‘As a flame blown about by the violence of the wind, O Upasîva,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], 'Goes out, cannot be reckoned (as existing), even so a Muni, delivered from name and body, disappears, and cannot be reckoned (as existing).’
Upasîva: ‘Has he (only) disappeared, or does he not exist (any longer), or is he forever free from sickness? Explain that thoroughly to me, O Muni, for this Dhamma is well known to Thee.’ ‘For him who has disappeared there is no form, O Upasîva,’ so said Bhagavat [Lord Buddha], ‘That by which they say he is, exists for him no longer, when all things (dhamma) have been cut off, all (kinds of) dispute are also cut off.’ Upasîvamânavapukkhâ is ended.”
