5:8 The Questions of Hemaka

(Said the Venerable Hemaka) [210]

1084“Those who in the past explained things to me,
before [my meeting with] Gotama’s teaching,
saying, ‘Such it was, such it will be,’
all that was hearsay,
all was an increase of thought;
I did not delight in it.I follow the verse division of Be and Ce, which is also supported by Nidd II. Ee takes nāhaṃ tattha abhiramiṃ as the beginning of the next verse. (1)

1085“Declare to me the Dhamma,
O muni, the destruction of craving,
having understood which, living mindfully,
one can cross over attachment to the world.” (2)

1086“The dispelling of desire and lust, Hemaka,
for things here seen, heard, sensed, and cognized —
for whatever has a pleasing nature —
is the state of nibbāna, the imperishable. (3)

1087“Having understood this, those mindful ones
are quenched in this very life.
And always peaceful, they have crossed over
attachment to the world.” (4)

Hemakamāṇavapucchā

(iccāyasmā hemako):

1084"Ye me pubbe viyākaṁsu,
Huraṁ gotamasāsanā;
Iccāsi iti bhavissati,
Sabbaṁ taṁ itihītihaṁ;
Sabbaṁ taṁ takkavaḍḍhanaṁ,
Nāhaṁ tattha abhiramiṁ.

1085 Tvañca me dhammamakkhāhi,
taṇhānigghātanaṁ muni;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
tare loke visattikaṁ".

1086 "Idha diṭṭhasutamutaviññātesu,
Piyarūpesu hemaka;
Chandarāgavinodanaṁ,
Nibbānapadamaccutaṁ.

1087 Etadaññāya ye satā,
Diṭṭhadhammābhinibbutā;
Upasantā ca te sadā,
Tiṇṇā loke visattikan"ti.

Hemakamāṇavapucchā aṭṭhamā.