Difference between revisions of "Rohitassa Sutta"
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[[Thanissaro Bhikkhu]]}}<br/><br/> | [[Thanissaro Bhikkhu]]}}<br/><br/> | ||
| − | On one occasion the [[Blessed One]] was staying near [[Savatthi]], in [[Jeta's Grove]], [[Anathapindika's monastery]]. Then Rohitassa, the son of a [[deva]], in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance [[lighting up]] the entirety of [[Jeta's Grove]], went to the [[Blessed One]]. On arrival, having [[bowed]] down to the [[Blessed One]], he stood to one side. As he was [[standing]] there he said to the [[Blessed One]]: "Is it possible, [[lord]], by traveling, to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away or reappear?" | + | On one [[occasion]] the [[Blessed One]] was staying near [[Savatthi]], in [[Jeta's Grove]], [[Anathapindika's monastery]]. Then Rohitassa, the son of a [[deva]], in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance [[lighting up]] the entirety of [[Jeta's Grove]], went to the [[Blessed One]]. On arrival, having [[bowed]] down to the [[Blessed One]], he stood to one side. As he was [[standing]] there he said to the [[Blessed One]]: "Is it possible, [[lord]], by traveling, to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away or reappear?" |
"I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear." | "I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear." | ||
| − | "It is amazing, [[lord]], and awesome, how well that has been said by the [[Blessed One]]: 'I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear.' Once I was a [[seer]] named Rohitassa, a [[student]] of [[Bhoja]], a powerful sky-walker. My speed was as fast as that of a strong archer — well-trained, a practiced hand, a practiced sharp-shooter — shooting a light arrow across the shadow of a palm [[tree]]. My stride stretched as far as the [[east]] sea is from the [[west]]. To me, endowed with such speed, such a stride, there came the [[desire]]: 'I will go traveling to the end of the [[cosmos]].' I — with a one-hundred year [[life]], a one-hundred year span — spent one hundred years traveling — apart from the [[time]] spent on eating, drinking, chewing & [[tasting]], urinating & defecating, and [[sleeping]] to fight off weariness — but without reaching the end of the [[cosmos]] I [[died]] along the way. So it is amazing, [[lord]], and awesome, how well that has been said by the [[Blessed One]]: 'I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear.'" | + | "It is amazing, [[lord]], and awesome, how well that has been said by the [[Blessed One]]: 'I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear.' Once I was a [[seer]] named Rohitassa, a [[student]] of [[Bhoja]], a powerful sky-walker. My {{Wiki|speed}} was as fast as that of a strong archer — well-trained, a practiced hand, a practiced sharp-shooter — shooting a {{Wiki|light}} arrow across the shadow of a palm [[tree]]. My stride stretched as far as the [[east]] sea is from the [[west]]. To me, endowed with such {{Wiki|speed}}, such a stride, there came the [[desire]]: 'I will go traveling to the end of the [[cosmos]].' I — with a one-hundred year [[life]], a one-hundred year span — spent one hundred years traveling — apart from the [[time]] spent on eating, drinking, chewing & [[tasting]], urinating & defecating, and [[sleeping]] to fight off weariness — but without reaching the end of the [[cosmos]] I [[died]] along the way. So it is amazing, [[lord]], and awesome, how well that has been said by the [[Blessed One]]: 'I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear.'" |
| − | [When this was said, the [[Blessed One]] responded:] "I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear. But at the same [[time]], I tell you that there is no making an end of [[suffering]] & [[stress]] without reaching the end of the [[cosmos]]. Yet it is just within this fathom-long [[body]], with its [[perception]] & {{Wiki|intellect}}, that I declare that there is the [[cosmos]], the origination of the [[cosmos]], the [[cessation]] of the [[cosmos]], and the [[path]] of practice leading to the [[cessation]] of the [[cosmos]]." | + | [When this was said, the [[Blessed One]] responded:] "I tell you, [[friend]], that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the [[cosmos]] where one does not take [[birth]], age, [[die]], pass away, or reappear. But at the same [[time]], I tell you that there is no making an end of [[suffering]] & [[stress]] without reaching the end of the [[cosmos]]. Yet it is just within this fathom-long [[body]], with its [[perception]] & {{Wiki|intellect}}, that I declare that there is the [[cosmos]], the origination of the [[cosmos]], the [[cessation]] of the [[cosmos]], and the [[path]] of [[practice]] leading to the [[cessation]] of the [[cosmos]]." |
It's not to be reached by traveling, | It's not to be reached by traveling, | ||
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And it's not without reaching | And it's not without reaching | ||
the end of the [[cosmos]] | the end of the [[cosmos]] | ||
| − | that there is release | + | that there is [[release]] |
from [[suffering]] & [[stress]]. | from [[suffering]] & [[stress]]. | ||
Latest revision as of 07:35, 9 March 2015
To Rohitassa
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Rohitassa, the son of a deva, in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, he stood to one side. As he was standing there he said to the Blessed One: "Is it possible, lord, by traveling, to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away or reappear?"
"I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear."
"It is amazing, lord, and awesome, how well that has been said by the Blessed One: 'I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear.' Once I was a seer named Rohitassa, a student of Bhoja, a powerful sky-walker. My speed was as fast as that of a strong archer — well-trained, a practiced hand, a practiced sharp-shooter — shooting a light arrow across the shadow of a palm tree. My stride stretched as far as the east sea is from the west. To me, endowed with such speed, such a stride, there came the desire: 'I will go traveling to the end of the cosmos.' I — with a one-hundred year life, a one-hundred year span — spent one hundred years traveling — apart from the time spent on eating, drinking, chewing & tasting, urinating & defecating, and sleeping to fight off weariness — but without reaching the end of the cosmos I died along the way. So it is amazing, lord, and awesome, how well that has been said by the Blessed One: 'I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear.'"
[When this was said, the Blessed One responded:] "I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear. But at the same time, I tell you that there is no making an end of suffering & stress without reaching the end of the cosmos. Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos."
It's not to be reached by traveling, the end of the cosmos — regardless.
And it's not without reaching the end of the cosmos that there is release from suffering & stress.
So, truly, the wise one, an expert with regard to the cosmos, a knower of the end of the cosmos, having fulfilled the holy life, calmed, knowing the cosmos' end, doesn't long for this cosmos or for any other.
