CND 8 — Diễn Giải Kinh Mettagū

“I consider you one who has attained knowledge, one with a developed self.” This means: I consider you one who has attained knowledge; I consider you one with a developed self—thus I know, thus I apprehend, thus I recognize, thus I penetrate. And how is the Blessed One one who has attained knowledge (vedagū)? ‘Knowledges’ (vedā) are said to be the knowledge in the four paths, wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom… up to… the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena, inquiry, insight, right view. By means of these knowledges, the Blessed One has gone to the end of birth, aging, and death, and has reached the end; has gone to the pinnacle, and has reached the pinnacle; has gone to the limit, and has reached the limit; has gone to the consummation, and has reached the consummation; has gone to protection, and has reached protection; has gone to shelter, and has reached shelter; has gone to refuge, and has reached refuge; has gone to the fearless, and has reached the fearless; has gone to the immutable, and has reached the immutable; has gone to the deathless, and has reached the deathless; has gone to Nibbāna, and has reached Nibbāna. He is a vedagū because he has gone to the end of the knowledges; or he is a vedagū because he has gone to the end by means of the knowledges; or he is a vedagū because seven things have been understood by him: identity view has been understood, doubt has been understood, clinging to rules and observances has been understood, lust, hatred, delusion, and conceit have been understood. For him, all evil unwholesome states—defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by distress, having suffering as result, and ripening in future birth, aging, and death—have been understood.

“Having fully investigated all the knowledges,” [the Blessed One said,] “that belong to the ascetics and brahmins here; being free from passion toward all feelings, having transcended all knowledge, he is a vedagū.”

Thus the Blessed One is one who has attained knowledge.

How is the Blessed One one with a developed self? The Blessed One has a developed body, developed virtue, a developed mind, and developed wisdom; he has developed the foundations of mindfulness, the right strivings, the bases for spiritual power, the spiritual faculties, the spiritual powers, the enlightenment factors, and the path. He has abandoned the defilements, penetrated the unshakable, and realized cessation. Suffering has been fully understood by him, its origin has been abandoned, the path has been developed, and cessation has been realized. What should be directly known has been directly known, what should be fully understood has been fully understood, what should be abandoned has been abandoned, what should be developed has been developed, and what should be realized has been realized. He is unlimited, great, profound, immeasurable, hard to fathom, like an ocean rich in treasures; he is endowed with the six-factored equanimity.

Having seen a form with the eye, he is neither elated nor dejected, but dwells equanimous, mindful, and clearly comprehending. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, having touched a tangible object with the body, having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, he is neither elated nor dejected, but dwells equanimous, mindful, and clearly comprehending.

Having seen a pleasing form with the eye, he is not greedy, does not exult, and does not generate lust. His body is indeed unshaken, and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated. And having seen a displeasing form with the eye, he is not downcast; his mind is not established in aversion, is not sluggish, and is free from ill will. His body is indeed unshaken, and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated. Having heard a sound with the ear… having smelled an odor with the nose… having tasted a flavor with the tongue… having touched a tangible with the body… having cognized a pleasing mental object with the mind, he is not greedy, does not exult, and does not generate lust. His body is indeed unshaken, and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated. And having cognized a displeasing mental object with the mind, he is not downcast; his mind is not established in aversion, is not sluggish, and is free from ill will. His body is indeed unshaken, and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated.

Having seen a form with the eye, in regard to pleasing and displeasing forms his body is indeed unshaken and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated. Having heard a sound with the ear… and so on… Having cognized a mental object with the mind, in regard to pleasing and displeasing mental objects his body is indeed unshaken and his mind is steady, inwardly well-established and well-liberated.

Having seen a form with the eye, he is not impassioned by what is passion-provoking, is not repelled by what is repulsive, is not deluded by what is deluding, is not angered by what is angering, is not intoxicated by what is intoxicating, and is not defiled by what is defiling. Having heard a sound with the ear… and so on… Having cognized a mental object with the mind, he is not impassioned by what is passion-provoking, is not repelled by what is repulsive, is not deluded by what is deluding, is not angered by what is angering, is not intoxicated by what is intoxicating, and is not defiled by what is defiling.

In the seen, there is merely the seen; in the heard, there is merely the heard; in the sensed, there is merely the sensed; in the cognized, there is merely the cognized. He is not smeared by the seen, not smeared by the heard, not smeared by the sensed, not smeared by the cognized. In the seen, he is without attachment, without vexation, unsupported, unbound, well liberated, disjoined, and abides with an unlimited mind. In the heard... in the sensed... in the cognized, he is without attachment, without vexation, unsupported, unbound, well liberated, disjoined, and abides with an unlimited mind.

The Blessed One has an eye; the Blessed One sees a form with the eye. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind. The Blessed One has an ear; the Blessed One hears a sound with the ear. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind. The Blessed One has a nose; the Blessed One smells an odor with the nose. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind. The Blessed One has a tongue; the Blessed One tastes a flavor with the tongue. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind. The Blessed One has a body; the Blessed One touches a tangible object with the body. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind. The Blessed One has a mind; the Blessed One cognizes a mental object with the mind. There is no lustful desire for the Blessed One; the Blessed One has a well-liberated mind.

The eye-consciousness delights in forms, is fond of forms, and is engrossed in forms; that eye-consciousness of the Blessed One is tamed, guarded, protected, and restrained; and for its restraint, he teaches the Dhamma. The ear-consciousness delights in sounds, is fond of sounds…pe… The nose-consciousness delights in odors, is fond of odors… The tongue-consciousness delights in tastes, is fond of tastes, and is engrossed in tastes; that tongue-consciousness of the Blessed One is tamed, guarded, protected, and restrained; and for its restraint, he teaches the Dhamma. The body-consciousness delights in tangibles, is fond of tangibles… The mind-consciousness delights in mental objects, is fond of mental objects, and is engrossed in mental objects; that mind-consciousness of the Blessed One is tamed, guarded, protected, and restrained; and for its restraint, he teaches the Dhamma –

They lead a tamed one to the assembly, a tamed one the king mounts; the tamed one is best among humans, who patiently endures abusive speech.

Excellent are tamed mules, thoroughbreds of Sindh, and great tusked elephants; but one who has tamed himself is better still.

For not by these mounts could one go to the unreached region, as a tamed person goes by his own well-tamed self.

They do not waver amid the various kinds of conceit, being fully freed from renewed existence; having attained the plane of the tamed, which is the fruit of Arahantship, they are ones who have conquered Māra in the world.

One whose faculties are developed—internally and externally in the whole world—having penetrated this world and the other, that developed and tamed one awaits his time.

Thus, the Blessed One is one with a developed nature.

I consider you one who has gone to the end of knowledge, one with a developed self—from where have these sufferings arisen? ‘From where?’ is a question of doubt, a question of uncertainty, a question of wavering, a question of indecision—‘Is it so? Is it not so? What is it? How is it?’—from where? ‘Sufferings’ means: the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; calamity is suffering; suffering in hell, in the animal realm, in the sphere of ghosts, and in the human world; suffering rooted in conception, in gestation, and in parturition; suffering bound up with the newborn, suffering of the newborn due to dependence on others; suffering from one's own exertion, suffering from others' exertion; suffering as suffering, suffering due to formations, suffering due to change; eye-disease, ear-disease, nose-disease, tongue-disease, body-disease, head-disease, ear-disease, mouth-disease, tooth-disease; cough, asthma, catarrh, burning sensation, fever, stomach ailment, fainting, dysentery, sharp pain, cholera; leprosy, boils, eczema, consumption, epilepsy; ringworm, itch, scabies, scratches, a disease of the palms and soles; a disease of blood and bile, diabetes, shoulder pains, pimples, fistula; afflictions arising from bile, from phlegm, from wind, from their combination; afflictions born of seasonal change, of immoderate habits, of external attack, and of the ripening of kamma; cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, urination; suffering from contact with gadflies, mosquitos, wind, sun, and creeping things; the death of one’s mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter is suffering; the calamity of relatives, the calamity of disease, the calamity of wealth, the calamity of virtue, the calamity of view. For those phenomena whose arising from a beginning and whose cessation upon passing away are discerned; whose result is dependent on kamma and kamma on its result; whose form is dependent on name and name on form; which are followed by birth, pursued by aging, overwhelmed by sickness, struck down by death, established in suffering, without shelter, without a cave, without refuge, having become without a resort—these are called sufferings. From where have these sufferings arisen? From where are they born, generated, produced, fully produced, and made manifest? What is their source, origin, birth, and provenance? He asks about the root of these sufferings, their cause, source, arising, provenance, basis, nutriment, support, condition, and origin. He questions, asks, requests, invites, and inspires—from where have these sufferings arisen.

Regarding ‘Whatever various forms in the world’: ‘Whatever’—this is a term of complete inclusion, in every way, in every respect, all, without remainder, without exception. ‘In the world’ means in the plane of misery, the human world, the deva world; in the world of aggregates, the world of elements, the world of sense bases. ‘Of various forms’ means of many kinds, of diverse sorts, that is, sufferings. Thus: ‘Whatever various forms in the world.’ Therefore, that brahmin said:

“I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this,” [said the Venerable Mettagū,] “I consider you one who has attained knowledge, one with a developed self. From where have these sufferings of various forms that are in the world arisen?”

19.

“Indeed, Mettagū,” [said the Blessed One,] “you ask me about the origin of suffering. That I will explain to you as I know it. Whatever sufferings of various forms exist in the world, they arise from acquisition as their cause.”

Regarding ‘Indeed, you ask me about the origin of suffering’: ‘Of suffering’ means of the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of sickness, the suffering of death, the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. ‘You ask about the origin’ means you ask about the root of suffering, you ask about the cause, the source, the arising, the provenance, the basis, the nutriment, the support, the condition, the origin; you ask, you request, you invite, you seek to clarify. Thus: ‘Indeed, you ask me about the origin of suffering.’ Regarding ‘Mettagū’: the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by his name. Regarding ‘Blessed One’: this is a term of respect… a designation based on realization, that is, ‘Bhagavā.’ Thus: ‘Mettagū,’ said the Blessed One.

'I will explain it to you as I know it.' Herein, 'I will explain it' means: I will explain the root of suffering, its cause, source, arising, provenance, origination, nutriment, support, condition, and origin; I will declare, teach, make known, establish, open up, analyze, make plain, and reveal it. 'As I know it' means: as I have known, understood, discerned, thoroughly understood, and penetrated it. Not by hearsay, not by tradition, not by lineage, not by scriptural authority, not by logical reasoning, not by inferential reasoning, not by reflection on reasons, not by acceptance of a view after pondering; but I will speak of that which has been directly known by myself, a Dhamma personally witnessed. Thus: 'I will explain it to you as I know it.'

'Sufferings arise with acquisitions as their source.' 'Acquisitions': there are ten acquisitions: the acquisition of craving, the acquisition of views, the acquisition of defilements, the acquisition of misconduct, the acquisition of nutriment, the acquisition of aversion; the four appropriated elements are an acquisition; the six internal sense bases are an acquisition; the six bodies of consciousness are an acquisition. All suffering, in the sense of being suffering, is an acquisition. These are called the ten acquisitions. 'Suffering': the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; the suffering of hell… the suffering of downfall through wrong views. Those phenomena of which an arising is seen at the beginning and a cessation is seen at their passing away; for which the result is dependent on kamma and kamma is dependent on the result; for which form is dependent on name and name is dependent on form; which are followed by birth, beset by aging, overcome by illness, struck down by death, established in suffering, without protection, without shelter, without refuge, having become without a refuge—these are called 'sufferings.' These sufferings arise with acquisitions as their source, have acquisitions as their cause, have acquisitions as their condition, have acquisitions as their reason; they are, arise, come to be, are born, are generated, are produced, become manifest. Thus: 'Sufferings arise with acquisitions as their source.'

'Whatever various forms in the world.' Herein, 'whatever' is a term of delimitation, meaning all in every way, at all times, without remainder, without exception. 'In the world' means in the world of woe, the human world; in the world of the elements, the world of the sense bases. 'Various forms' means many kinds, diverse types of suffering. Thus: 'Whatever various forms in the world.' Therefore the Blessed One said:

'You ask me the provenance of suffering, Mettagū,' said the Blessed One, 'That I will explain to you as I know it. Sufferings, whatever various kinds exist in the world, arise with acquisitions as their source.'

20.

Indeed, whoever, being ignorant, creates a substrate, that fool encounters suffering again and again. Therefore, one who knows, seeing that the substrate is the cause of the birth of suffering, should not create a substrate.

'Indeed, whoever, being ignorant, creates a substrate.' Herein, 'whoever' means: whoever, of whatever kind, with whatever associations, appointed in whatever way, of whatever sort, having attained whatever state, endowed with whatever qualities, whether a khattiya, a brahmin, a vessa, or a sudda; a householder or one gone forth; a deva or a human being. 'Being ignorant' means: one who has gone to ignorance, who is unknowing, undeveloped in wisdom, of little wisdom. 'Creates a substrate' means: one creates the substrate of craving, creates the substrate of views, creates the substrate of defilements, creates the substrate of kamma, creates the substrate of misconduct, creates the substrate of nutriment, creates the substrate of aversion; one makes the four appropriated elements into a substrate, makes the six internal sense bases into a substrate, makes the six bodies of consciousness into a substrate; one generates, produces, brings forth, brings into existence. Thus: 'being ignorant, creates a substrate.'

'The fool encounters suffering again and again.' 'Again and again' he encounters the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; he goes to it, goes right to it, approaches it, takes it up, clings wrongly to it, adheres to it. Thus: 'encounters suffering again and again.' 'The fool' means: one of little wisdom, who is bewildered, ignorant, who has gone to ignorance, who is unknowing, undeveloped in wisdom, of little wisdom. Thus: 'The fool encounters suffering again and again.'

‘Therefore, one who knows should not make an acquisition.’ ‘Therefore’ means: for that reason, for that cause, for that condition, for that source; seeing this danger in acquisitions—therefore. ‘One who knows’ means: one who knows, understands, discerns, thoroughly understands, and penetrates; one who knows, understands, discerns, thoroughly understands, and penetrates that ‘All conditioned formations are impermanent’; that ‘All conditioned formations are suffering’; … that ‘All phenomena are non-self’; … that ‘Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.’ ‘Should not make an acquisition’ means: one should not make the acquisition of craving, the acquisition of views, the acquisition of defilements, the acquisition of misconduct, the acquisition of nutriment, the acquisition of aversion; one should not make the four appropriated elements an acquisition, the six internal sense bases an acquisition, or the six bodies of consciousness an acquisition; one should not generate, produce, bring to be, or bring into existence. Thus: ‘Therefore, one who knows should not make an acquisition.’

‘Of suffering’: of the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. ‘Seeing the provenance’: one who sees the root of suffering, its cause, source, arising, provenance, origination, nutriment, object, condition, and origin. ‘Seeing’ is called knowledge. That is, wisdom, understanding… non-delusion, investigation of phenomena, right view. One is endowed with this seeing, this wisdom; one is equipped, fully equipped, attained, fully attained, possessed, fully possessed, furnished. Such a one is called ‘one who sees.’ Thus: ‘seeing the birth and provenance of suffering.’ Therefore the Blessed One said:

Indeed, the one who is ignorant creates attachments; the fool encounters suffering again and again. Therefore, one who knows, seeing the birth and origin of suffering, should not create any attachment.

21.

What we asked you, you have declared to us. We ask you another thing; now please tell us this: How do the wise cross over the flood—birth and aging, sorrow and lamentation?

That, O Sage, please explain well to me, for this Dhamma is truly known to you.

'What we asked you, you have declared to us.' 'What we asked you': what we asked, requested, solicited, and sought to have clarified. 'You have declared to us' means: it has been declared, well-declared, stated, taught, made known, established, opened up, analyzed, made plain, and revealed. Thus: 'What we asked you, you have declared to us.'

'We ask you another thing; now please tell us this.' 'We ask you another thing': we ask you another thing, we request another thing of you, we solicit another thing from you, we ask you another thing. 'Now please tell us this': please speak, state, teach, make known, establish, open up, analyze, make plain, reveal. Thus: 'We ask you another thing; now please tell us this.'

How do the wise cross over the flood—birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation? ‘How’ is a question of doubt, a question of uncertainty, a question of hesitation, a question with multiple possibilities: ‘Is it thus? Is it not thus? What is it? How is it?’—thus, ‘how.’ ‘The wise’ means the wise, the learned, those endowed with wisdom, the intelligent, the knowledgeable, the discerning, the perspicacious. ‘The flood’ refers to the flood of sensual pleasure, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance. ‘Birth’ is, for those various beings in this or that order of beings, their birth, generation, descent, production, reproduction, the appearance of the aggregates, the acquisition of the sense bases. ‘Aging’ is, for those various beings in this or that order of beings, their aging, decrepitude, brokenness of teeth, greyness of hair, wrinkled skin, the decline of life, the decay of the faculties. ‘Sorrow’ is, for one who is afflicted by the loss of relatives, or the loss of wealth, or the loss of health, or the loss of virtue, or the loss of right view, or who is beset by some other misfortune, or struck by some painful state, the sorrow, grieving, grievousness, inner sorrow, inner affliction, inner burning, inner fever, burning of the mind, mental displeasure, the dart of sorrow. ‘Lamentation’ is, for one who is afflicted by the loss of relatives, or the loss of wealth, or the loss of health, or the loss of virtue, or the loss of right view, or who is beset by some other misfortune, or struck by some painful state, the wailing and lamenting, the wailing, the lamenting, the state of wailing, the state of lamenting, lamenting speech, prattle, incoherent chatter, babbling, the act of babbling, the state of babbling.

“How indeed do the wise cross over the flood, birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation?” The wise—how do they cross, cross beyond, traverse, overcome, and pass beyond the flood, birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation? This is the meaning of the phrase, “How indeed do the wise cross over the flood, birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation?”

“O sage, explain that well to me.” ‘That’ means what I ask, what I request, what I entreat, what I am devoted to. ‘Sage’: sagehood is called knowledge. That is, the wisdom which is understanding… non-delusion, investigation of the Dhamma, right view. The Blessed One is endowed with that knowledge; he is a sage who has attained sagehood. There are three kinds of sagehood: bodily sagehood, verbal sagehood, and mental sagehood.

What is bodily sagehood? The abandoning of the threefold bodily misconduct is bodily sagehood. The threefold bodily good conduct is bodily sagehood. Knowledge regarding the body as an object is bodily sagehood. Full understanding of the body is bodily sagehood. The path accompanied by full understanding of the body is bodily sagehood. The abandoning of desire and lust for the body is bodily sagehood. The cessation of bodily formations—the attainment of the fourth jhāna—is bodily sagehood. This is bodily sagehood.

What is verbal sagehood? The abandoning of the fourfold verbal misconduct is verbal sagehood. The fourfold verbal good conduct is verbal sagehood. Knowledge regarding speech as an object is verbal sagehood. Full understanding of speech is verbal sagehood. The path accompanied by full understanding of speech is verbal sagehood. The abandoning of desire and lust for speech is verbal sagehood. The cessation of verbal formations—the attainment of the second jhāna—is verbal sagehood. This is verbal sagehood.

What is mental sagehood? The abandoning of the threefold mental misconduct is mental sagehood. The threefold mental good conduct is mental sagehood. Knowledge regarding the mind as an object is mental sagehood. Full understanding of the mind is mental sagehood. The path accompanied by full understanding of the mind is mental sagehood. The abandoning of desire and lust for the mind is mental sagehood. The cessation of mental formations—the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling—is mental sagehood. This is mental sagehood.

A sage of the body, a sage of speech, a sage of the mind, and a sage without taints; a sage accomplished in sagehood—such a one they call the abandoner of all.

A sage of the body, a sage of speech, a sage of the mind, and a sage without taints; a sage accomplished in sagehood—such a one they call the washer-away of evil.

Endowed with these three qualities of sagehood, there are six sages: the householder sage, the homeless sage, the trainee sage, the adept sage, the solitary sage, and the sage of sages. Who are the householder sages? Those householders who have seen the state—these are the householder sages. Who are the homeless sages? Those who have gone forth, who have seen the state and understood the teaching—these are the homeless sages. The seven trainees are the trainee sages. The Arahants are the adept sages. The Paccekabuddhas are the solitary sages. The Tathāgatas, Arahants, Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones are the sage of sages.

Not by silence does one become a sage, if one is of a deluded nature and unknowing; but the wise one, as if holding up a scale, takes what is excellent.

He avoids evil deeds; by that he is a sage. Whoever knows both worlds is thereby called a sage.

Having known the Dhamma of the wicked and the good, internally and externally in all the world, he is revered by gods and humans; having overcome the net of attachments, such a one is a sage.

‘O sage, explain that well to me’: that is, tell of it, teach it, declare it, establish it, open it up, analyze it, make it plain, reveal it. ‘For this Dhamma is known to you’: that is, this Dhamma is known to you, weighed, judged, distinguished, and clarified by you. Therefore that brahmin said:

What we asked you, you have not explained to us; we ask you another thing, so please tell us this: How do the wise cross over the flood—birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation? O sage, explain that well to me, for this Dhamma is known to you.

22.

“I will explain the Dhamma to you, Mettagu,” said the Blessed One, “a Dhamma to be realized in this very life, not based on hearsay, which having known, and faring mindfully, one may cross beyond attachment in the world.”

‘I will explain the Dhamma to you.’ ‘Dhamma’ means the holy life that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, utterly complete and pure; that is, the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases for spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Nibbāna and the path leading to Nibbāna. ‘I will explain, teach, declare, establish, open up, analyze, make plain, reveal’: this is the meaning of ‘I will explain the Dhamma to you.’ ‘Mettagu’: the Blessed One addresses the brahmin by his name.

‘In this very life, not based on hearsay.’ ‘In this very life’ means: in a Dhamma that is seen, known, weighed, penetrated, distinguished, and clarified—that is, ‘All conditioned phenomena are impermanent’ … ‘Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation’—in a Dhamma that is seen, known, weighed, penetrated, distinguished, and clarified. Thus, ‘I will declare the Dhamma in this very life.’ Or else, in the truth of suffering that has been seen, I will declare suffering; in the origin that has been seen, I will declare the origin; in the path that has been seen, I will declare the path; in cessation that has been seen, I will declare cessation. Thus, ‘I will declare the Dhamma in this very life.’ Or else, ‘in this very life’ means the Dhamma is ‘directly visible, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading onward, to be personally experienced by the wise.’ Thus, ‘I will declare the Dhamma in this very life.’ ‘Not based on hearsay’ means: not by report, not by tradition, not by transmission, not by scriptural authority, not by logical reasoning, not by inferential reasoning, not by considering appearances, not by approval of a view after pondering, but a Dhamma directly known by oneself and personally witnessed. ‘That I will declare’: this is the meaning of ‘in this very life, not based on hearsay.’

Having known this, they fare mindfully. This means: having understood, having weighed, having discerned, having developed, having made manifest that 'all formations are impermanent'—having understood, having weighed, having discerned, having developed, having made manifest; that 'all formations are suffering'... that 'all phenomena are not-self'... and that 'whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of ceasing'—having understood, having weighed, having discerned, having developed, having made manifest. 'Mindful' (sato) means one is mindful for four reasons: being mindful while developing the foundation of mindfulness which is the contemplation of the body in the body... such a one is called 'mindful' (sato). 'They fare' (caranti) means faring, abiding, maintaining posture, practicing, protecting, sustaining, and causing to be sustained—this is the meaning of 'having known this, faring mindfully'.

One should cross over entanglement in the world. 'Entanglement' is called craving: that which is lust, intense lust... covetousness, greed, the unwholesome root. Why is it called 'entanglement'? Because it spreads, it is called 'entanglement'; because it expands, it is called 'entanglement'; because it pervades, it is called 'entanglement'; because it moves in the object, it is called 'entanglement'; because it brings suffering, it is called 'entanglement'; because it is deceptive, it is called 'entanglement'; because it is the root of suffering, it is called 'entanglement'; because its fruit is suffering, it is called 'entanglement'; because its consumption is suffering, it is called 'entanglement'. Or else, that craving is vast—spread out and extended over forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, clans, groups, dwellings, gains, fame, praise, pleasure, robes, almsfood, lodgings, medicinal requisites, the sense-sphere dimension, the form dimension, the formless dimension, sense-sphere existence, form existence, formless existence, existence with perception, existence without perception, existence of neither perception nor non-perception, one-constituent existence, four-constituent existence, five-constituent existence, the past, the future, the present, and in things seen, heard, sensed, and known—thus it is called 'entanglement'. 'In the world' means in the plane of misery, the human world, the deva world, the world of aggregates, the world of elements, the world of sense bases. 'One should cross over entanglement in the world' means in the world, this entanglement—a mindful one should cross over, go beyond, transcend, and overcome it. Therefore, the Blessed One said—

"I shall proclaim to you the Dhamma," [said the Blessed One to Mettagū,] "visible in this very life, not based on hearsay; having known which, one fares mindfully, and crosses over entanglement in the world."

23.

I rejoice in that, O great sage, the supreme Dhamma; having known which, one fares mindfully, and crosses over entanglement in the world.

'I rejoice in that.' 'That' refers to your statement, exposition, teaching, instruction, and advice. 'I rejoice' means I delight, I am pleased, I approve, I desire, I accept, I request, I aspire, I yearn for, I earnestly wish—thus, 'I rejoice in that'.

'The Great Seeker, the supreme Dhamma.' What is meant by 'Great Seeker' (Mahesi)? The Blessed One is a great seeker because he sought, searched for, and thoroughly investigated the great aggregate of virtue. He sought the great aggregate of concentration... the great aggregate of wisdom... the great aggregate of liberation... the great aggregate of the knowledge and vision of deliverance... He sought the splitting apart of the great mass of darkness... He sought the breaking apart of the great perversion... He sought the pulling out of the great dart of craving... He sought the unraveling of the great tangle of views... He sought the casting down of the great banner of conceit... He sought the pacification of the great volitional formations... He sought the crossing over of the great flood... He sought the laying down of the great burden... He sought the cutting off of the great round of saṃsāra... He sought the extinguishing of the great fever... He sought the pacification of the great burning... He sought the raising of the great banner of the Dhamma... He sought the great foundations of mindfulness... the great right efforts... the great bases for spiritual power... the great faculties... the great powers... the great factors of enlightenment... the great Noble Eightfold Path... He sought the great ultimate, the Deathless Nibbāna... He is sought, searched for, and thoroughly investigated by beings of great power, wondering: 'Where is the Buddha? Where is the Blessed One? Where is the deva of devas? Where is the bull among men?' Thus, he is the Great Seeker (Mahesi). 'The supreme Dhamma' refers to the Deathless Nibbāna—that which is the stilling of all formations, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. 'Supreme' means the highest, the best, the most excellent, the foremost, the ultimate, the most sublime Dhamma. Thus, 'the Great Seeker, the supreme Dhamma'.

Having known this, they fare mindfully. Having made it known, having weighed, having judged, having developed, having made it manifest: 'All conditioned phenomena are impermanent'—having made it known, having weighed, having judged, having developed, having made it manifest; 'All conditioned phenomena are suffering'... 'All phenomena are not-self'... 'Whatever is of the nature to arise is all of the nature to cease'—having made it known, having weighed, having judged, having developed, having made it manifest. 'Mindful' means mindful for four reasons: developing the foundation of mindfulness which is the contemplation of the body in the body, one is mindful; in feelings... in the mind... in phenomena... developing the foundation of mindfulness which is the contemplation of phenomena in phenomena, one is mindful... such a one is called mindful. 'They fare' means faring, abiding, moving, practicing, maintaining, sustaining, and causing to be sustained—this is the meaning of 'having known which, one fares mindfully'.

One should cross over entanglement in the world. Entanglement (visattikā) is said to be craving: that which is lust, intense lust... covetousness, greed, the unwholesome root. Why is it called 'entanglement'? Because it is spread out and extended, it is called 'entanglement'. 'In the world' means in the plane of misery... in the world of the sense bases. 'One should cross over entanglement in the world' means: in the world, being mindful, one should cross over, go beyond, transcend, and overcome this entanglement. Therefore, that brahmin said—

"I rejoice in that, O great sage, the supreme Dhamma; having known which, one fares mindfully, and crosses over entanglement in the world."

24.

'Whatever you comprehend,' [the Blessed One said to Mettagū,] 'above, below, across, and in the middle; dispel delight and adherence in these. Having cast off consciousness, you should not remain in any state of becoming.'

'Whatever you comprehend' means whatever you know, understand, discern, fully discern, or penetrate—thus, 'whatever you comprehend'. 'Mettagū,' the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. 'Bhagavā' is a term of respect... up to... a designation based on direct realization, namely, 'Bhagavā'—thus, 'Mettagū,' the Blessed One.

'Above, below, across, and in the middle.' 'Above' is called the future; 'below' is called the past; 'across, and in the middle' is called the present. 'Above' is called the deva world; 'below' is called the hell world; 'across, and in the middle' is called the human world. Alternatively, 'above' is called wholesome dhammas; 'below' is called unwholesome dhammas; 'across, and in the middle' is called indeterminate dhammas. 'Above' is called the formless realm; 'below' is called the sense-sphere realm; 'across, and in the middle' is called the form realm. 'Above' is called pleasant feeling; 'below' is called painful feeling; 'across, and in the middle' is called neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. 'Above' is called above the soles of the feet; 'below' is called below the tips of the hair; 'across, and in the middle' is called the middle—this is the meaning of 'above, below, across, and in the middle'.

Regarding 'In these, having dispelled delight and fixation, consciousness does not persist in becoming.' 'In these' refers to what has been declared, taught, proclaimed, established, revealed, analyzed, made clear, and illuminated. 'Delight' is a term for craving. That which is passion, intense passion... and so on... covetousness, greed, the unwholesome root. 'Fixation' refers to two kinds of fixation: fixation by craving and fixation by views. What is fixation by craving? Insofar as it is designated as craving... and so on... this is fixation by craving. What is fixation by views? The twenty-based personality view... and so on... this is fixation by views.

'Having dispelled consciousness' refers to consciousness accompanied by meritorious volitional formations, consciousness accompanied by demeritorious volitional formations, and consciousness accompanied by imperturbable volitional formations. In these dhammas, dispel delight, fixation, and consciousness accompanied by volitional formations—expel, utterly expel, drive out, completely drive out, abandon, utterly abandon, remove, eliminate, and bring them to non-existence. This is the meaning of 'in these, having dispelled delight and fixation, and consciousness'.

'One should not stand in becoming.' 'Becoming' means there are two becomings: kamma-becoming and rebirth-producing renewed existence. What is kamma-becoming? Meritorious volitional formation, demeritorious volitional formation, and imperturbable volitional formation—this is kamma-becoming. What is rebirth-producing renewed existence? Rebirth-producing form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness—this is rebirth-producing renewed existence. 'One should not stand in becoming' means: by abandoning, dispelling, and making an end of delight and fixation, consciousness accompanied by volitional formations, kamma-becoming, and rebirth-producing renewed existence, one should not stand in kamma-becoming, one should not stand in rebirth-producing renewed existence, nor be established therein. Thus, 'having driven out consciousness, one should not stand in becoming.' Therefore, the Blessed One said:

“Whatever you clearly perceive, [Mettagū,” said the Blessed One,] “above, below, across, and in the middle; having driven out delight and fixation in these, and consciousness, you should not stand in becoming.”

25.

Dwelling thus, mindful and diligent, a bhikkhu fares on, having abandoned what is held as 'mine'. Being wise, he should abandon right here in this life birth, aging, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering.

'Dwelling thus, mindful and heedful.' 'Dwelling thus' means abandoning, dispelling, destroying, and removing delight, fixation, consciousness accompanied by volitional formations, kamma-becoming, and rebirth-producing renewed existence—thus dwelling. 'Mindful' means being mindful in four ways: developing mindfulness of the body in the body... and so on—one is called mindful. 'Heedful' means acting carefully, persistently, resolutely, without laziness, without abandoning desire or effort, being heedful in wholesome qualities. 'How can I fulfill the unfulfilled aggregate of virtue? Or, having fulfilled the aggregate of virtue, how can I examine it with wisdom in various ways?' Herein, whatever desire, effort, exertion, great exertion, persistence, mindfulness, clear comprehension, ardor, striving, resolve, and application there is in wholesome qualities, this is heedfulness. 'How can I fulfill the unfulfilled aggregate of concentration... the aggregate of wisdom... the aggregate of liberation... the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation? Or, having fulfilled the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, how can I examine it with wisdom in various ways?' Herein, whatever desire, effort, exertion, great exertion, persistence, mindfulness, clear comprehension, ardor, striving, resolve, and application there is in wholesome qualities, this is heedfulness. 'How can I fully understand uncomprehended suffering? How can I abandon unrelinquished defilements? How can I develop an undeveloped path? How can I realize unrealized cessation?' Herein, whatever desire, effort, exertion, great exertion, persistence, mindfulness, clear comprehension, ardor, striving, resolve, and application there is in wholesome qualities, this is heedfulness. Thus: dwelling thus, mindful and heedful.

'A bhikkhu, wandering, having abandoned attachments.' 'Bhikkhu' means a bhikkhu who is a virtuous ordinary person or a bhikkhu who is a trainee. 'Wandering' means conducting oneself, dwelling, maintaining a posture, practicing, guarding, sustaining, and causing to be sustained. 'Attachments' means two kinds of attachments: attachment that is craving and attachment that is wrong view... this is attachment that is craving... this is attachment that is wrong view... Having abandoned attachment that is craving, having relinquished attachment that is wrong view, having given up, forsaken, utterly abandoned, dispelled, made extinct, and brought to non-existence the two attachments—this is the meaning of 'a bhikkhu, wandering, having abandoned attachments'.

'Birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation—here itself, the wise one should abandon suffering.' 'Birth' means the birth of those various beings... 'Aging' means the aging of those various beings... 'Sorrow' means for one touched by the loss of relatives... 'Lamentation' means for one touched by the loss of relatives... 'Here' means in this view... in this human world. 'The wise one' means one who has attained special knowledge, is endowed with wisdom, is discerning, and possesses penetrating wisdom. 'Suffering' means the suffering of birth... the suffering of dejection and despair. 'Birth, aging, sorrow, and lamentation—here itself, the wise one should abandon suffering' means: one who has attained special knowledge, is endowed with wisdom, is discerning, and possesses penetrating wisdom, should right here abandon, dispel, make extinct, and bring to non-existence birth, aging, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. Therefore, the Blessed One said:

“Dwelling thus, mindful and diligent, the bhikkhu, wandering and having abandoned attachments, should here itself, being wise, abandon birth, aging, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering.”

26.

“I rejoice in the word of the great seer, well proclaimed by Gotama, free from the substrates of existence; Truly, the Blessed One has abandoned suffering, for thus this Dhamma is known to you.”

'I rejoice in the words of the great seer.' 'This' refers to your speech, utterance, teaching, instruction, and advice—I rejoice in, greatly rejoice in, approve of, agree with, like, enjoy, desire, yearn for, and praise. 'Great seer'—why is the Blessed One called a great seer? Because he seeks, searches, and investigates the great aggregate of virtue... thus he is called the great seer, the bull among men. Thus, 'I rejoice in the words of the great seer.'

'Well-proclaimed by Gotama, without acquisitions.' 'Well-proclaimed' means well-spoken, well-explained, well-taught, well-made-known, well-established, well-opened, well-analyzed, well-made-manifest, and well-revealed—thus, 'well-proclaimed.' 'By Gotama, without acquisitions' means acquisitions are said to be the defilements, the aggregates, and volitional formations. The abandoning of acquisitions, the calming of acquisitions, the relinquishing of acquisitions, the tranquilizing of acquisitions, the deathless, Nibbāna—this is what is 'well-proclaimed by Gotama, without acquisitions.'

'Truly, the Blessed One has abandoned suffering.' 'Truly' is a word of certainty, a word without doubt, a word without uncertainty, a word free from ambiguity, a word without vacillation, a word of exclusion, a definitive word, and a word of establishment—this is 'truly.' 'Blessed One'—this is a term of respect... it is a designation truly realized, namely, 'Blessed One.' 'Has abandoned suffering' means the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of sickness, the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair—he has abandoned, relinquished, removed, made an end of, and brought to non-existence. Thus, 'truly, the Blessed One has abandoned suffering.'

'For thus this Dhamma is known to you.' This means: 'Thus, by you, this Dhamma has been known, weighed, investigated, made manifest, and developed.' Therefore, that brahmin said:

“I rejoice in the words of the great seer, well proclaimed by Gotama, without acquisitions; Truly, the Blessed One has abandoned suffering, for thus this Dhamma is known to you.”

27.

Surely, they too would abandon suffering, those whom you, O Sage, would earnestly advise; Having approached, I pay homage to you, O Nāga, may the Blessed One indeed advise me earnestly.

Regarding the phrase, 'Surely, they too would abandon suffering': 'They also' means nobles, brahmins, merchants, workers, householders, renunciants, devas, and humans. 'They would abandon suffering' means they would abandon, dispel, make an end of, and bring to a state of non-becoming the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.

Regarding the phrase, 'those whom you, O Sage, would earnestly advise': 'Whom' refers to nobles, brahmins, merchants, workers, householders, renunciants, devas, and humans. 'You' refers to the Blessed One. 'Sage' (muni): 'mona' is called wisdom... having transcended the net of attachment, which is the web of craving and wrong views, he is a sage. 'Would earnestly advise' means: would advise earnestly, would advise carefully, would advise constantly, would advise again and again, and would instruct.

Regarding the phrase, 'Having approached, I pay homage to you, O Nāga': 'That one' refers to the Blessed One. 'I pay homage' means: I pay homage with the body, or with speech, or with the mind, or by practice in accordance with the meaning, or by practice in accordance with the supramundane Dhamma; I honor, respect, esteem, and venerate. 'Having approached' means: having approached through knowledge, having approached through direct realization, having drawn near, having drawn very near, and having come into his presence, I pay homage. 'Nāga' means: The Blessed One does not go (na gacchati) to the four wrong paths through desire, hatred, delusion, conceit, wrong view, restlessness, or doubt; therefore, he is called a Nāga. Furthermore, the Blessed One does not come back (na āgacchati) to the defilements that have been abandoned, for he does not return, revert, or go back to those defilements abandoned by the path of stream-entry, the path of once-returning, the path of non-returning, and the path of arahantship. Therefore, he is called a Nāga.

He does no evil at all in the world, [said the Blessed One to Sabhiya]. Having relinquished all fetters and bonds, being liberated, he is not attached anywhere. Such a one, for being thus, is called a Nāga.

Thus, the Blessed One does not do evil—thus he is a Nāga.

How does the Blessed One not go, so as to be a Nāga? The Blessed One does not go by way of partiality, does not go by way of aversion, does not go by way of delusion, does not go by way of fear, does not go under the influence of lust, does not go under the influence of hatred, does not go under the influence of delusion, does not go under the influence of conceit, does not go under the influence of views, does not go under the influence of restlessness, does not go under the influence of doubt, does not go under the influence of underlying tendencies, and is not led, drawn, carried away, or swept along by qualities that lead to factions. Thus, the Blessed One does not go—thus he is a Nāga.

How does the Blessed One not return, so as to be a Nāga? The defilements abandoned by the path of stream-entry do not return, do not come back, do not reappear. The defilements abandoned by the path of once-returning... the path of non-returning... the path of arahantship do not return, do not come back, do not reappear. Thus, the Blessed One does not return—thus he is a Nāga. That Nāga, having approached, I worship.

‘If only the Blessed One would advise me earnestly!’ The meaning is: ‘If only the Blessed One would advise me earnestly, advise me respectfully, advise me frequently, advise me again and again, and instruct me.’ Therefore, that brahmin said:

“Surely, they too would abandon suffering, those whom you, O Sage, would advise earnestly. That Nāga, having approached, I worship; if only the Blessed One would advise me earnestly.”

28.

Whom you would know as a brahmin, one who has attained supreme knowledge, possessing nothing, unattached to the realm of sensual existence; truly, he has crossed this flood. Having crossed to the far shore, he is without defect, without doubt.

A brahmin is so called because of having expelled seven things: personality-view is expelled, doubt is expelled, adherence to rules and observances is expelled, passion is expelled, aversion is expelled, delusion is expelled, and conceit is expelled. For him, evil, unwholesome states that are defiling, that lead to renewed existence, that are accompanied by distress, that result in suffering, and that are the cause of future birth, aging, and death, are expelled.

The Blessed One addressed him, 'Satiya': Having dispelled all evil things, stainless, well-composed, and steadfast; having transcended saṃsāra, complete, unattached, and imperturbable—he is called a Brahmā.

As for `vedagū`: knowledge in the four paths is called 'veda'... Having transcended all enmities, he is steadfast; such a one is called `vedagū`. As for `abhijaññā`: one should know him exceedingly, know him by making him an object, know him specifically, know him again and again, and know him by penetration. This is the meaning of the phrase `yaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ vedagūmabhijaññā`.

'Without impediment, unattached to sensual existence.' 'Without impediment' (`akiñcanaṃ`) refers to one for whom the impediments of passion, aversion, delusion, conceit, views, defilements, and misconduct are abandoned, cut off, stilled, pacified, incapable of arising, and burned by the fire of knowledge; such a one is called 'one without impediment.' 'Sensual pleasures' (`kāmā`) are, in brief, of two kinds: sensual objects and sensual defilements. 'Existence' (`bhavā`) is of two kinds: the kamma-process existence and the rebirth-linking existence. 'Without impediment, unattached to sensual existence' refers to a person without impediment who is unattached to the realm of sensual existence, unclinging, unhindered, gone forth, relinquished, completely freed, disjoined, and dwelling with a boundless mind.

"Truly, he has crossed this flood." "Truly" (addhā) is a term of certainty... it is a word of affirmation—"truly." "Flood" (ogha) means the flood of sensual pleasure, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance. "Crossed" (atāri) means he surmounted (with the path of stream-entry), went beyond (with the path of the once-returner), overcame (with the path of the non-returner), and passed beyond—thus, "truly, he has crossed this flood."

Regarding 'He has crossed over to the far shore, is unimpeded and without doubt.' As for 'crossed over': he has crossed the flood of sensual desire, crossed the flood of existence, crossed the flood of views, crossed the flood of ignorance; he has crossed, crossed over, completely crossed, surpassed, and gone beyond the path of saṃsāra. He is one who has lived the noble life, has mastery in the practice, has gone beyond the long journey, has reached the destination which is Nibbāna, has reached the summit, has guarded the noble practice, has attained the supreme right view, has developed the path, has abandoned defilements, has penetrated the unshakable, and has realized cessation. By him, suffering has been fully understood, its origin abandoned, the path developed, cessation realized. What was to be known by direct knowledge has been known by direct knowledge, what was to be fully understood has been fully understood, what was to be abandoned has been abandoned, what was to be developed has been developed, what was to be realized has been realized. He has the crossbar lifted, has an unmixed moat, has the gate-post pulled up, is without a bolt, is a noble one with banner lowered, burden laid down, and is disjoined. He has abandoned the five factors, is endowed with the six factors, has the one guard, has the four supports, has dispelled the individual truths, has well-abandoned seeking, has clear intentions, has bodily formation calmed, his mind is well liberated, his wisdom is well liberated, he is complete, has lived the noble life, is the supreme person, the ultimate person, one who has reached the supreme attainment. He neither accumulates nor destroys; having destroyed, he is established. He neither abandons nor clings; having abandoned, he is established. He is not bound nor does he rise up; having dispelled conceit, he is established. He neither extinguishes nor inflames; having extinguished the fire of defilements, he is established. He is established because of being endowed with the adept's aggregate of virtue. He is established because of being endowed with the adept's aggregate of concentration... with the aggregate of wisdom... with the aggregate of liberation... with the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. He is established having fulfilled the truth. He is established having transcended agitation. He is established having extinguished the fire of defilements. He is established by the state of not returning again. How, having undertaken, is he established? He is established by resorting to liberation. He is established through the purity of loving-kindness. He is established through the purity of compassion... of appreciative joy... of equanimity. He is established through ultimate purity. He is established through the purity of non-identification. He is established through the state of being liberated. He is established through the state of contentment. He is established at the end of the aggregates. He is established at the end of the elements. He is established at the end of the sense bases. He is established at the end of destinations. He is established at the end of existence. He is established at the end of relinking. He is established at the end of existence. He is established at the end of saṃsāra. He is established at the end of the round. He is established in the final existence. He is established in the final body. Bearing his final body, he is an Arahant.

For him, this is the last existence; this is the final embodiment. The wandering-on of birth and death is no more; for him, there is no renewed existence.

And 'crossed over to the far shore': the far shore is called the deathless, Nibbāna. That which is the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of all substrates of existence, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. He has gone to the far shore by the path, has reached the far shore by the fruit; has gone to the end by the path, has reached the end by the fruit; has gone to the culmination by the path, has reached the culmination by the fruit; has gone to the limit by the path, has reached the limit by the fruit; has gone to the conclusion by the path, has reached the conclusion by the fruit; has gone to protection by the path, has reached protection by the fruit; has gone to shelter by the path, has reached shelter by the fruit; has gone to refuge by the path, has reached refuge by the fruit; has gone to safety by the path, has reached safety by the fruit; has gone to the imperishable by the path, has reached the imperishable by the fruit; has gone to the deathless by the path, has reached the deathless by the fruit; has gone to Nibbāna by the path, has reached Nibbāna by the fruit. He has lived the noble life, has fulfilled the practice... the wandering-on of birth and death, renewed existence, is no more for him—this is the meaning of 'crossed over to the far shore'.

'Without stubbles' means that lust is a stubble, hatred is a stubble, delusion is a stubble, anger is a stubble, resentment is a stubble... all unwholesome volitional formations are stubbles. One for whom these stubbles have been abandoned, cut off, pacified, and stilled, made incapable of arising again, burned by the fire of wisdom—such a one is called 'without stubbles.' 'Without doubt' means doubt about suffering, doubt about the origin of suffering, doubt about the cessation of suffering, doubt about the path leading to the cessation of suffering, doubt about the past, doubt about the future, doubt about the past and the future, doubt about phenomena that are dependently arisen based on specific conditionality—whatever doubt, doubting, state of doubt, uncertainty, wavering, indecision, divided path, perplexity, grasping at many alternatives, vacillation, irresolution, non-penetration, bewilderment of mind, or mental scraping there may be. One for whom these doubts have been abandoned, cut off, pacified, and stilled, made incapable of arising again, burned by the fire of wisdom—such a one is called 'without doubt.' This is the meaning of 'crossed over to the far shore, without stubbles, and without doubt.' Therefore, the Blessed One said:

That brahmin whom one would know as a master of knowledge, who is without possessions, unattached to sensual existence—truly, he has crossed over this flood; he has crossed to the far shore, without stubbles, and without doubt.

29.

Whichever person in this Dispensation, being wise and having reached the end of knowledge, has abandoned this attachment to any state of existence, that person is free from craving, free from affliction, and without longing. That one has crossed over birth and aging, thus I declare.

Regarding 'The wise one here, who has reached the end of knowledge, a person...': As for 'wise' (vidvā): one has arrived at knowledge, is endowed with wisdom, is one who cultivates with wisdom, is discerning. As for 'one' (yo): whichever person... be it a human... As for 'one who has reached the end of knowledge' (vedagū): 'knowledges' (vedā) are said to be the wisdom in the four paths, understanding, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the awakening-factor of investigation of dhammas, examination, insight, and right view. By means of these knowledges, one has gone to the end of birth, aging, and death, has reached the end, has gone to the culmination, has reached the culmination, has gone to the limit, has reached the limit, has gone to the conclusion, has reached the conclusion, has gone to protection, has reached protection, has gone to shelter, has reached shelter, has gone to refuge, has reached refuge, has gone to safety, has reached safety, has gone to the imperishable, has reached the imperishable, has gone to the deathless, has reached the deathless, has gone to Nibbāna, has reached Nibbāna. Alternatively, one has gone to the end of the defilements (vedānaṃ), thus one is 'vedagū'. Alternatively, by means of knowledges (vedehi), one has reached the end [which is the fruit, the end of the suffering of the round], thus one is 'vedagū'. Alternatively, because of having understood seven things, one is 'vedagū'. Identity view is understood by them, doubt... clinging to rites and rituals... lust... hatred... delusion... conceit is understood. The evil, unwholesome states that are defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by distress, having suffering as their result, and causing future birth, aging, and death are understood by them.

Having discerned all the knowledges that ascetics and brahmins here possess, [the Blessed One said,] being free from passion towards all feelings, having transcended all knowledge, that one is a 'vedagū' (one who has reached the end of knowledge).

'A person' (naro) means a being, a man, a human, a person, an individual, a living being, a goer, a creature, an Indagu, a human. 'Here' (idha) means in this view... in this human world—thus, 'the wise one here, who has reached the end of knowledge, a person'.

‘One should abandon this attachment in one existence after another.’ ‘In one existence after another’ means in repeated existence; in repeated destinations, in repeated arising, in repeated relinking, in the repeated manifestation of an individual existence. ‘Attachment’ means seven attachments: the attachment of lust, the attachment of hatred, the attachment of delusion, the attachment of conceit, the attachment of views, the attachment of defilements, and the attachment of misconduct. ‘One should abandon’ means having well abandoned or having well released the attachment. Or alternatively, having shaken off and abandoned the attachments, bonds, particular bonds, various bonds, clingings, particular clingings, firm bonds, and fetters. Just as they render a vehicle, a palanquin, a chariot, a cart, or a litter abandoned, especially abandoned, or dismantled—in this very same way, one abandons by having well abandoned or having well released those attachments. Or alternatively, one abandons by having shaken off the attachments, bonds, particular bonds, various bonds, clingings, particular clingings, firm bonds, and fetters—this is the meaning of ‘one should abandon this attachment in one existence after another’.

He is without craving, without distress, without longing—he has crossed over birth and aging, I say. Craving is craving for forms … craving for mental phenomena. For one whose craving is abandoned, cut off, appeased, allayed, made unable to arise again, and burnt up by the fire of knowledge, he is called ‘one without craving,’ devoid of craving, who has discarded craving, vomited up craving, is released from craving, has abandoned craving, relinquished craving; without lust, who has discarded lust, has abandoned lust, has relinquished lust; desireless, extinguished, become cool, experiencing bliss, abiding with a self that has become sublime—thus, he is ‘without craving.’ Distress: lust is a distress, hatred is a distress, delusion is a distress, anger is a distress, enmity is a distress … all unwholesome formations are a distress. For one whose distresses are abandoned, cut off, appeased, allayed, made unable to arise again, and burnt up by the fire of knowledge, he is called ‘one without distress.’ Without longing: longing is said to be craving. That is, passion, infatuation … covetousness, greed, an unwholesome root. For one whose longing, this craving, is abandoned, cut off, appeased, allayed, made unable to arise again, and burnt up by the fire of knowledge, he is called ‘one without longing.’ Birth is the birth of those various beings … the acquisition of the sense bases. Aging is the aging of those various beings … the maturing of the faculties. This is called aging. He is without craving, without distress, without longing—he has crossed over birth and aging, I say. That one who is without craving, without distress, and without longing has indeed crossed over, passed beyond, gone beyond, surmounted, and overcome birth, aging, and death. Thus I say, I tell, teach, set forth, establish, reveal, analyze, make plain, and declare: ‘He is without craving, without distress, without longing—he has crossed over birth and aging, I say.’ Therefore the Blessed One said:

The wise person here, one who has reached the end of knowledge, having relinquished this attachment to existence and non-existence; he, without craving, without distress, without longing—he has crossed over birth and aging, I say.

At the conclusion of the verse … ‘Venerable sir, the Blessed One is my Teacher; I am his disciple.’

The Explanation of the Questions of the Youth Mettagū, the Fourth.

5. The Explanation of the Questions of the Youth Dhotaka

30.

I ask you, O Blessed One, tell me this, [said the venerable Dhotaka] I long for your utterance, O Great Seer; having heard your proclamation, I shall train for my own Nibbāna.

‘I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this.’ ‘I ask’: there are three kinds of questions: the question illuminating what has not been seen, the question for comparing what has been seen, and the question for cutting off doubt … these are the three kinds of questions … the question about Nibbāna. ‘I ask you’: I ask you, I request you, I entreat you, I implore you, please tell me. Thus: ‘I ask you.’ ‘Blessed One’: this is a term of respect … a designation based on a truth realized, that is, ‘Blessed One.’ ‘Tell me this’: tell, relate, teach, set forth, establish, reveal, analyze, make plain, declare. Thus: ‘I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this.’