5:6 The Questions of Upasīva

(Said the Venerable Upasīva)

1069“Alone, Sakya, unsupported,
I am not able to cross over the great flood.
Declare to me a basis, O universal eye,
supported by which I might cross over this flood.”I read the verb as the first person tareyyaṃ, with Be and Ce and all three editions of Nidd II, as against Ee tareyya. (1)

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(“Upasīva,” said the Blessed One)

1070“Contemplating nothingness, mindful,
supported by ‘there is not,’ cross over the flood. [206]
Having abandoned sensual pleasures, refraining from perplexity,
night and day see into the destruction of craving.” (2)

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(Said the Venerable Upasīva)

1071“One devoid of lust for all sensual pleasures,
supported by nothingness, having discarded all else,
liberated in the supreme emancipation of perception: All three editions have vimutto here but Ce has dhimutto (= adhimutto) in the parallel line of the next verse. Pj II does not cite the line, but Niddesa has dhimutto. In the text, I read vimutto with Be and Ee as against Ce dhimutto (= adhimutto). Pj II does not gloss the word. Nidd II glosses adhimutto tatrādhimutto tadadhimutto. Despite this, it seems this meditator has already attained the base of nothingness, which would correspond better to vimutto. In contrast, adhimutto suggests resolution on attaining it.
would he stay there without departing?” (3)

(“Upasīva,” said the Blessed One)

1072“One devoid of lust for all sensual pleasures,
supported by nothingness, having discarded all else,
liberated in the supreme emancipation of perception,
would stay there without departing.” (4)

1073“If he would stay there without departing
even for a multitude of years, O universal eye,
would he become cool, liberated right there —
[or] would the consciousness of such a one pass away?”Ee’s bhavetha should be corrected to cavetha. I have added “or” in brackets, following the explanations of Niddesa and Pj II. Norman, however, does not see alternatives here, but translates: “If he should remain there . . . would consciousness disappear for him in such a state?” (5)

(“Upasīva,” said the Blessed One)

1074“As a flame, thrown by a gust of wind,
goes out and cannot be designated, [207]
so the muni, liberated from the mental body,
goes out and cannot be designated.” (6)

1075“But does one who has gone out not exist,
or else is he intact through eternity?
Explain this matter clearly to me, O muni,
for this Dhamma has been understood by you.” (7)

(“Upasīva,” said the Blessed One)

1076“There is no measure of one who has gone out,
There is no means by which they might speak of him.
When all phenomena have been uprooted,
all pathways of speech are also uprooted.” (8)

Upasīvamāṇavapucchā

(iccāyasmā upasīvo):

1069"Eko ahaṁ sakka mahantamoghaṁ,
Anissito no visahāmi tārituṁ;
Ārammaṇaṁ brūhi samantacakkhu,
Yaṁ nissito oghamimaṁ tareyyaṁ".

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(upasīvāti bhagavā):

1070 "Ākiñcaññaṁ pekkhamāno satimā,
Natthīti nissāya tarassu oghaṁ;
Kāme pahāya virato kathāhi,
Taṇhakkhayaṁ nattamahābhipassa".

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(iccāyasmā upasīvo):

1071 "Sabbesu kāmesu yo vītarāgo,
Ākiñcaññaṁ nissito hitvā maññaṁ;
Saññāvimokkhe parame vimutto,
Tiṭṭhe nu so tattha anānuyāyī".

(upasīvāti bhagavā):

1072 "Sabbesu kāmesu yo vītarāgo,
Ākiñcaññaṁ nissito hitvā maññaṁ;
Saññāvimokkhe parame vimutto,
Tiṭṭheyya so tattha anānuyāyī".

1073 "Tiṭṭhe ce so tattha anānuyāyī,
Pūgampi vassānaṁ samantacakkhu;
Tattheva so sītisiyā vimutto,
Cavetha viññāṇaṁ tathāvidhassa".

(upasīvāti bhagavā):

1074 "Accī yathā vātavegena khittā,
Atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ;
Evaṁ munī nāmakāyā vimutto,
Atthaṁ paleti na upeti saṅkhaṁ".

1075 "Atthaṅgato so uda vā so natthi,
Udāhu ve sassatiyā arogo;
Taṁ me munī sādhu viyākarohi,
Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo".

(upasīvāti bhagavā):

1076 "Atthaṅgatassa na pamāṇamatthi,
Yena naṁ vajjuṁ taṁ tassa natthi;
Sabbesu dhammesu samohatesu,
Samūhatā vādapathāpi sabbe"ti.

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Upasīvamāṇavapucchā chaṭṭhī.