English
The great flood of sensual desire, the flood of becoming, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance. "Relying on which, one may cross this flood." Therefore, that brahmin said: "Alone, Sakka, this great flood, Without support, I cannot cross. Tell me the support, All-seeing One, Relying on which, one may cross this flood." 39. "Mindful, seeing nothingness, Relying on 'there is nothing,' cross the flood. Abandoning sensual pleasures, abstaining from talk, See the destruction of craving day and night." "Mindful, seeing nothingness" means that brahmin, by nature, was an attainer of the sphere of nothingness, but did not know the support, thinking "this is my support." To him, the Blessed One explained the support and the further path to liberation. Mindfully entering the attainment of the sphere of nothingness, and rising from that, seeing the mental and volitional states arisen there as impermanent, as suffering, as disease, as a boil, as a dart, as an affliction, as an ailment, as alien, as decaying, as a calamity, as a danger, as fear, as a misfortune, as unstable, as perishable, as impermanent, as having no protection, as having no shelter, as having no refuge, as having become no refuge, as empty, as hollow, as void, as not-self, as disadvantageous, as subject to change, as having no essence, as the root of affliction, as becoming, as non-becoming, as with effluents, as conditioned, as bait for Māra, as subject to birth, as subject to aging, as subject to sickness, as subject to death, as subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, as subject to arising, as subject to passing away. o… from gratification, from danger, from escape, seeing, perceiving, looking at, contemplating, examining. Mindful one: that mindfulness, recollection, remembrance, …etc… right mindfulness— this is called mindfulness. Endowed with this mindfulness, …etc… possessed of it, he is called mindful— the mindful one, seeing nothingness. Upasīva, the Blessed One. Upasīva, the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. Blessed One is a term of respect, …etc… a true designation, that is, Blessed One— Upasīva, the Blessed One. "Relying on 'there is nothing,' cross the flood." "There is nothing" is the attainment of the sphere of nothingness. For what reason is "there is nothing" the attainment of the sphere of nothingness? Having mindfully attained the sphere of infinite consciousness, having risen from that, one makes that very consciousness non-existent, makes it disappear, makes it vanish, and sees "there is nothing." For that reason, relying on, depending on, making the attainment of the sphere of nothingness an object, cross, go beyond, pass over, overcome, transcend the flood of sensuality, the flood of becoming, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance— "Relying on 'there is nothing,' cross the flood." "Having abandoned sensual pleasures, abstained from talk." "Sensual pleasures" by way of summary are two kinds: sensual objects and defilement-sensualities. …etc… these are called sensual objects. …etc… these are called defilement-sensualities. "Having abandoned sensual pleasures" means: having fully understood sensual objects, having abandoned, relinquished, removed, done away with, brought to non-existence defilement-sensualities— "Having abandoned sensual pleasures." "Abstained from talk" means: "talk" is called doubt. Doubt about suffering, …etc… the wavering of mind, the mental perplexity. One dwells with a mind that is ceased, abstained, completely abstained, gone forth, released, liberated, disjoined, unbound from doubt— thus, "abstained from talk." …etc… Or else, one dwells with a mind that is ceased, abstained, completely abstained, gone forth, released, liberated, disjoined, unbound from the thirty-two kinds of animal talk— thus, "abstained from talk." "Having abandoned sensual pleasures." ceased from talk. "See the destruction of craving day and night." Craving means craving for forms... and craving for mental objects. "Nattaṃ" is called night. "Aha" is day. Day and night, see, perceive, discern, observe, contemplate, investigate the destruction of craving, the destruction of passion, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion, the destruction of destinations, the destruction of rebirth, the destruction of re-linking, the destruction of existence, the destruction of transmigration, the destruction of the round of suffering – "See the destruction of craving day and night." Therefore the Blessed One said: "Mindful, seeing nothingness, [Upasīva, said the Blessed One] Relying on 'there is nothing,' cross the flood; Abandoning sensual pleasures, ceased from talk, See the destruction of craving day and night." 40. "He who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures, [thus Venerable Upasīva said] Having abandoned conceit, relying on nothingness; Utterly liberated in the liberation of perception, Would he remain there, not following on?" "He who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures" means: "Sabbesu" (in all) is a word that means all, everything, in every way, completely, without remainder, without exception, exhaustively. "Kāmesu" (in sensual pleasures) means, in summary, two kinds of sensual pleasures: object-sensual pleasures and defilement-sensual pleasures... these are called object-sensual pleasures... these are called defilement-sensual pleasures. "He who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures" means: He who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures, whose passion is gone, abandoned, vomited forth, released, given up, relinquished, suppressed – that is "he who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures." "Thus Venerable Upasīva said" means: "Icca" is a word-junction... "Āyasmā" is an affectionate address... "Upasīva" is the name of that brahmin... a designation – that is "Thus Venerable Upasīva said." "Having abandoned conceit, relying on nothingness" means: Having abandoned, given up, relinquished, transcended, overcome, passed beyond the six lower attainments, he is reliant on, attached to, approached, fully approached, devoted to, resolved upon the attainment of the sphere of nothingness – that is "having abandoned conceit, relying on nothingness." "Utterly liberated in the liberation of perception" means that the seven attainments of perception are called liberations of perception. Of those attainments of perception, for the sphere of nothingness... The liberation of that attainment is foremost and excellent, distinguished and principal, supreme and pre-eminent. In the supreme, foremost, excellent, distinguished, principal, supreme, pre-eminent state, liberated by the liberation of conviction, devoted to that, inclined to that, practicing that, frequenting that, revering that, bent on that, leaning on that, tending towards that, devoted to that, having that as master – supremely devoted to the liberation of perception. Would he remain there, not following after? "Would he remain?" is a question of doubt, a question of uncertainty, a question of perplexity, a question of indecision. "Is it so? Is it not so? What is it? How is it?" – "Would he remain?" "There" means in the dimension of nothingness. "Not following after" means not following after, not existing, not going away, not disappearing, not declining... Or, not being impassioned, not being hateful, not being deluded, not being defiled – Would he remain there, not following after? Therefore, that brahmin said – "He who is dispassionate in all desires, Having relied on nothingness, having abandoned conceit; Supremely devoted to the liberation of perception, Would he remain there, not following after?" He who is dispassionate in all desires, Having relied on nothingness, having abandoned conceit; Supremely devoted to the liberation of perception, He would remain there, not following after. "He who is dispassionate in all desires." "In all" means all in all, in every way all, completely, entirely, exhaustively – this is the meaning of "in all." "In desires" – desires, by enumeration, are two kinds: desires for objects and desires as defilements... these are called desires for objects... these are called desires as defilements. "He who is dispassionate in all desires" means he who is dispassionate in all desires... whose passion is relinquished, suppressed – this is "he who is dispassionate in all desires." "Upasīva," said the Blessed One. "Upasīva" – the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. "Blessed One" is a term of respect... a true designation, namely, "Blessed One" – "Upasīva." The Blessed One. Having relied on nothingness, having abandoned conceit. Having abandoned, given up, renounced, overcome, transcended, gone beyond the six lower attainments, having relied on, clung to, attained, fully attained, settled in, devoted to the attainment of the sphere of nothingness – having relied on nothingness, having abandoned conceit. Supremely devoted to the liberation of perception. The seven attainments of perception are called the liberations of perception. Among these attainments of perception, the liberation of the sphere of nothingness is chief, and excellent, and distinguished, and foremost, and supreme, and pre-eminent. Supremely, chiefly, excellently, distinguishedly, foremostly, supremely, pre-eminently devoted by the liberation of devotion, devoted therein, devoted to that... devoted to that as supreme – supremely devoted to the liberation of perception. He would remain there, not following after. "Would remain" means he would remain for sixty thousand aeons. "There" means in the sphere of nothingness. "Not following after" means not following after, not ceasing, not departing, not disappearing, not declining. Or, not being impassioned, not being hateful, not being deluded, not being defiled – he would remain there, not following after. Therefore, the Blessed One said: “Who is free from passion for all sensual pleasures, (Upasiva, said the Blessed One)