The Samyutta Nikaya
The Grouped Discourses
Samyutta Nikaya I.1
Ogha-tarana Sutta
Crossing over the Flood
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Translator's note:
This
discourse
opens
the
Samyutta
Nikaya
with
a
paradox.
The
Commentary
informs
us
that
the
Buddha
teaches
the
devata
in
terms
of
the
paradox
in
order
to
subdue
her
pride.
To
give
this
paradox
some
context,
you
might
want
to
read
other
passages
from
the
Canon
that
discuss
right
effort.
I
have
heard
that
on
one
occasion
the
Blessed
One
was
staying
near Savatthi
in
Jeta's
Grove, Anathapindika's
monastery.
Then
a
certain
devata,
in
the
far
extreme
of
the
night,
her
extreme
radiance
lighting
up
the
entirety
of
Jeta's
Grove,
went
to
the
Blessed
One.
On
arrival,
having
bowed
down
to
him,
she
stood
to
one
side.
As
she
was
standing
there,
she
said
to
him,
"Tell
me,
dear
sir,
how
you
crossed
over
the
flood."
"I crossed over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place."
"But how, dear sir, did you cross over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place?"
"When I pushed forward, I was whirled about. When I stayed in place, I sank. And so I crossed over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place."
[The devata:]
At long last I see
a brahman, totally unbound,
who without pushing forward,
without staying in place,
has crossed over
the entanglements
of the world.
That
is
what
the
devata
said.
The
Teacher
approved.
Realizing
that
"The
Teacher
has
approved
of
me,"
she
bowed
down
to
him,
circumambulated
him
--
keeping
him
to
her
right
--
and
then
vanished
right
there.
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