Oghataraṇa Sutta

 

Thus I have heard,

Once the Awakened One was living at Sāvatthi,

In Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

 

Then a certain devatā,

When the night was far spent,

Shining her effulgent beauty on the entire grove,

Went to the Awakened One,

Paid loving respects, stood to the side and asked:

 

[Devatā]

“How did you, sir, cross over the flood?” [1]

 

[The Buddha]

“Without resting friend,

And without rushing,

I crossed the flood.” [2]

 

[Devatā]

 

“But just how did you sir,

Without resting nor rushing,

Made it through the flood?”

 

[The Buddha]

“Whenever, friend, I came to a stand still, 

There, I sunk.[3]

Whenever, friend, I rushed forward, 

There, I got swept away”.[4]

 

“This is how friend, 

I made it through the flood,

Without resting nor rushing.”

 

[Devatā]

‘Long has passed ‘fore I could see,

A Truth-seeker alas, completely freed,

Who, not resting and not rushing,

Has made it through the world, unlatching.’[5]

 

This is what she said.

The teacher approved.

 

Then that devatā thinking:

“The teacher has acknowledged me,”

Paid loving respects and left, 

And vanished there and then.

 

[1] “kathaṃ nu tvaṃ, mārisa, oghamatarī”ti?

[2] “Appatiṭṭhaṃ khvāhaṃ, āvuso, anāyūhaṃ oghamatarin”ti.

[3] “Yadāsvāhaṃ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṃsīdāmi;  

[4] yadāsvāhaṃ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi.  

[5] “Cirassaṃ vata passāmi, Brāhmaṇaṃ parinibbutaṃ; Appatiṭṭhaṃ anāyūhaṃ, tiṇṇaṃ loke visattikan”ti.