English
Having relied on nothingness, having abandoned conceit; Supremely devoted to the liberation of perception, He would remain there, not following after.” 42. If he would remain there, not following after, for many years, the all-seeing one; There indeed he would be cooled, liberated, the consciousness of such a one would depart. "If he would remain there, not following after" means if 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 – if he would remain there, not following after. "For many years, the all-seeing one" means. "For many years" means for many years, for many years, for many hundreds of years. Many thousands of years, Many hundreds of thousands of years, Many eons, Many hundreds of eons, Many thousands of eons, Many hundreds of thousands of eons. "All-seeing eye" Is called the knowledge of omniscience... ...the Tathāgata is therefore "all-seeing eye" – For many years, The all-seeing eye. There he would be cool, liberated, Would the consciousness of such a one depart? Meaning, there he would attain coolness, Permanent, stable, eternal, Unchanging in nature, He would remain forever just so. Or, would his consciousness depart, Be cut off, Perish, Be destroyed, Cease to be? Or would a rebirth-linking consciousness arise In the sense-sphere, Or the form-sphere, Or the formless-sphere? This questions permanence and annihilation For one who has attained the sphere of nothingness. Or would he attain final Nibbāna In that very place, With no remainder of clinging? Or, would his consciousness depart, And a rebirth-linking consciousness arise again In the sense-sphere, Or the form-sphere, Or the formless-sphere? This questions final Nibbāna and rebirth For one who has arisen in the sphere of nothingness. "Of such a one" means of such a one, Of that kind, Of that nature, Of that sort, Of that counterpart, Of one who has arisen in the sphere of nothingness. "There he would be cool, liberated, Would the consciousness of such a one depart?" Therefore, that brahmin said – "If he should remain there, Not pursuing, For many years, The all-seeing eye; There he would be cool, liberated, Would the consciousness of such a one depart?" 43. As a flame, Struck by the force of the wind, Goes out And cannot be reckoned; So a sage, Liberated from name-and-body, Goes out And cannot be reckoned. "As a flame, struck by the force of the wind" – "Flame" is called a tongue of fire. "Wind" means easterly winds, Westerly winds, Northerly winds, Southerly winds, Dusty winds, Dustless winds, Cold winds, Hot winds, Gentle winds, Strong winds, [Dark winds], Violent winds, ... Winds of space, winds like a Garuda, winds shaking palm leaves, winds that scatter. By the force of the wind, thrown, by the force of the wind, cast up, pushed, driven away, shaken, violently shaken— like a flame thrown by the force of the wind. "Upasīva," said the Blessed One. The Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name, saying "Upasīva." "Bhagavā" is a term of respect... ...a true designation, that is, "Bhagavā"— "Upasīva," said the Blessed One. He goes to setting, does not go to reckoning. "Goes to setting" means: he goes to setting, he brings to setting, he goes to setting, he ceases, he calms down, he becomes tranquil. "Does not go to reckoning" means: he does not go to reckoning, he does not go to designation, he does not go to counting, he does not go to appellation, "Gone to the eastern direction, or gone to the western direction, or gone to the northern direction, or gone to the southern direction, or gone upwards, or gone downwards, or gone across, or gone to an intermediate direction." There is no such cause, there is no such condition, there is no such reason, by which he would go to reckoning. He goes to setting, does not go to reckoning. Thus the sage is freed from the name-body. "Thus" is the presentation of the simile. "Sage" means wisdom is called silence... ...that sage has transcended the net of attachment. "Freed from the name-body" means: that sage is naturally freed from the form-body even before. Having transcended that component, he is abandoned by the suppression of hindrance. For that sage, having come to existence, the four noble paths are attained. Because of the attainment of the four noble paths, the name-body and the form-body are fully understood. Because of the full understanding of the name-body and the form-body, he is released, freed, completely freed from the name-body and the form-body, by liberation through utter non-clinging. Thus the sage is freed from the name-body. He goes to setting, does not go to reckoning. "Goes to setting" means: he attains final Nibbāna in the element of Nibbāna without remainder. "Does not go to reckoning" means: One who has attained final Nibbana without remainder does not come into reckoning, does not come into designation, does not come into counting, does not come into description— as a noble, or as a brahmin, or as a merchant, or as a worker, or as a householder, or as a renunciant, or as a deity, or as a human, or as having form, or as formless, or as percipient, or as non-percipient, or as neither percipient nor non-percipient. There is no cause, no condition, no reason by which one could come into reckoning. He goes to rest, does not come into reckoning. Therefore the Blessed One said: Just as a flame, flung by the force of the wind, (Upasīva, said the Blessed One) goes to rest, does not come into reckoning; So the sage, freed from the body of name, goes to rest, does not come into reckoning. Has he gone to rest, or does he not exist? Or is he eternally free from illness? Explain that to me well, O Sage, for this Dhamma is known to you. "Has he gone to rest, or does he not exist?" means: Has he gone to rest, or does he not exist, is he ceased, cut off, destroyed? – "Has he gone to rest, or does he not exist?" "Or is he eternally free from illness?" means: Or is he eternal, permanent, everlasting, not subject to change, would he remain just so for all eternity? – "Or is he eternally free from illness?" "Explain that to me well, O Sage." That means: That which I ask, that which I request, that which I implore, that which I seek to clarify. "Sage" means wisdom is called silence... ...he is the sage who has gone beyond the net of attachment. "Explain that to me well" means: Well, declare, teach, make known, establish, reveal, analyze, make clear, make manifest – "Explain that to me well, O Sage." "For this Dhamma is known to you" means: For this Dhamma is known to you, weighed, crossed, made manifest, made clear – "For this Dhamma is known to you." Therefore that brahmin said: Has he gone to rest, or does he not exist? Or is he eternally free from illness? Explain that to me well, O Sage, for this Dhamma is known to you. For one gone to rest, there is no measure, (Upasīva, said the Blessed One) that by which one might speak of him, that is not for him. Sa When all phenomena are uprooted, all paths of speech are uprooted. "For one who has set, there is no measure" means for one who has set, for one who has attained final Nibbāna with no remainder of clinging, there is no measure of form, there is no measure of feeling, there is no measure of perception, there is no measure of mental formations, there is no measure of consciousness. It does not exist, it is not found, it is not apprehended, it is abandoned, cut off, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of future arising, burnt by the fire of knowledge. Thus, "for one who has set, there is no measure." "Upasīva," says the Blessed One. "Upasīva," the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. "Blessed One" is an expression of reverence... ...a true designation, that is, "Blessed One." Thus, "Upasīva," says the Blessed One. "That by which they would describe him, that does not exist for him" means that by which they would describe him with lust, that by which they would describe him with hatred, that by which they would describe him with delusion, that by which they would describe him with conceit, that by which they would describe him with views, that by which they would describe him with restlessness, that by which they would describe him with doubt, those underlying tendencies by which they would describe him— as lustful, or hateful, or deluded, or bound, or grasped, or scattered, or not yet ended, or firm— those formations are abandoned. Because formations are abandoned, the destination by which they would describe him— as a being in hell, or an animal, or a hungry ghost, or a human, or a deva, or with form, or without form, or with perception, or without perception, or neither with nor without perception— that cause does not exist, that condition does not exist, that reason does not exist, by which they would describe, or explain, or speak, or point out, or designate him. Thus, "that by which they would describe him, that does not exist for him." "When all phenomena are uprooted" means when all phenomena, all aggregates, all sense bases, all elements, all destinations, all rebirths, all re-linkings, all existences, all cycles of wandering, all rounds of rebirth are uprooted, completely uprooted, pulled out, completely pulled out, torn out, completely torn out. uprooted, abandoned, eradicated, calmed, subsided, incapable of future arising, burnt by the fire of knowledge – all phenomena being uprooted. All paths of discourse are uprooted: paths of discourse are called defilements, and aggregates, and volitional formations. Its discourses and paths of discourse, and designations and paths of designation, and expressions and paths of expression, and concepts and paths of concept, are uprooted, completely uprooted, lifted up, completely lifted up, pulled out, completely pulled out,