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mixed prose and verse, exposition, verse, inspired utterance, 'thus said', birth story, wonderful phenomena, questions and answers. Relying on that learning, wit arises – this is ready wit concerning learning. What is ready wit concerning questioning? Here, someone is skilled in questioning concerning meaning and method, characteristics and causes, right and wrong occasions. Relying on that questioning, wit arises – this is ready wit concerning questioning. What is ready wit concerning realization? Here, for some, the four foundations of mindfulness are realized, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the Noble Eightfold Path, the four Noble Paths, the four fruits of recluseship, the four analytical knowledges, the six supernormal powers. For them, the meaning is known, the Dhamma is known, the language is known. When the meaning is known, meaning arises; when the Dhamma is known, Dhamma... Ah, it shines forth! When the expression is known, the expression shines forth. Among these three knowledges, the knowledge is analytical insight. The Blessed One is endowed, fully endowed, possessed, fully possessed, attained, fully attained, accomplished with this analytical insight. Therefore, the Buddha is insightful. For whom there is no learning, no questioning, no realization, what will shine forth for him? — The unblemished one is insightful. Therefore, Thera Piṅgiya said: “I am even more serene, having heard the Sage's words; The Fully Awakened One, with cover removed, is unblemished and insightful.” 119. Having directly known the supreme deities, he knew all, both higher and lower; The Teacher, who ends all questions, for those who acknowledge their doubts. "Having directly known the supreme deities" means: Deities are of three kinds – conventional deities, born deities, purified deities. Who are the conventional deities? Conventional deities are called kings, and princes, and queens. These are called conventional deities. Who are the born deities? Born deities are called the Devas of the Four Great Kings, the Tāvatiṃsa Devas…and so on… the Brahma-group Devas, and those Devas beyond them. These are called born deities. Who are the purified deities? Purified deities are called Tathāgatas, disciples of Tathāgatas, Arahants whose taints are destroyed, and Paccekasambuddhas. These are called purified deities. The Blessed One, having directly known the conventional deities as supreme deities, having directly known the born deities as supreme deities, having directly known the purified deities as supreme deities, having known, weighed, determined, clarified, and made manifest – this is "having directly known the supreme deities." "He knew all, both higher and lower" means: The Blessed One knew, understood, touched, and penetrated the qualities that make one a supreme deity, both for himself and for others. What are the qualities that make one a supreme deity for oneself? Right practice, suitable practice, unopposed practice, meaningful practice, practice in accordance with the Dhamma; perfect fulfillment in virtues, guardedness of the sense doors… Moderation in food, devotion to wakefulness, mindfulness and clear comprehension, the four foundations of mindfulness, ... the Noble Eightfold Path. These are called the qualities that make one a god to oneself. Which are the qualities that make one a god to others? Right practice, ... the Noble Eightfold Path. These are called the qualities that make one a god to others. Thus the Blessed One knew, understood, touched, and penetrated these qualities that make one a god to oneself and to others— He knew all, the highest and the lowest. The Teacher, the Blessed One, is the terminator of questions. He is the terminator, the ender, the definer, the resolver of the questions of the Pārāyana. He is the terminator, the ender, the definer, the resolver of the questions of Sabhiya. He is the terminator, the ender, the definer, the resolver of the questions of Sakka, ... of Suyāma, ... of monks, ... of nuns, ... of male lay followers, ... of female lay followers, ... of kings, ... of khattiyas, ... of brahmins, ... of vessas, ... of suddas, ... of devas, ... of brahmas— the terminator of questions. The Teacher, the Blessed One, is a caravan leader. Just as a caravan leader leads the caravan across the wilderness, leads across the wilderness of thieves, leads across the wilderness of wild beasts, leads across the wilderness of famine, leads across the waterless wilderness, brings them out, brings them through, brings them over, brings them to the land of safety; even so, the Blessed One, the caravan leader, leads beings across the wilderness, leads across the wilderness of birth, leads across the wilderness of old age, ... leads across the wilderness of sickness, ... leads across the wilderness of death, ... leads across the wilderness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and despair, leads across the wilderness of lust, leads across the wilderness of hatred, ... leads across the wilderness of delusion, ... leads across the wilderness of conceit, ... leads across the wilderness of wrong views, ... leads across the wilderness of defilements, ... leads across the wilderness of misconduct, leads across the thicket of lust, leads across the thicket of hatred, leads across the thicket of delusion, ... leads across the thicket of wrong views, ... leads across the thicket of defilements, ... leads across the thicket of misconduct, brings them out, brings them through, brings them over; He brings them to the safety of the deathless Nibbāna— thus also the Blessed One. The Blessed One is the caravan leader. Or, the Blessed One is the guide, the trainer, the persuader, the instructor, the observer, the one who gladdens; thus the Blessed One is the caravan leader. Or, the Blessed One is the producer of the unarisen path, the generator of the ungenerated path, the proclaimer of the unproclaimed path, the knower of the path, the expert of the path, the skilled in the path; and now his disciples dwell having attained it later. Thus too, the Blessed One is the caravan leader – the Teacher who ends all questions. For those with doubts, who acknowledge: those with doubts come and become free from doubt; those with defilements come and become free from defilements; those with wavering come and become unwavering; those with perplexity come and become free from perplexity; those with lust come and become free from lust; those with hatred come and become free from hatred; those with delusion come and become free from delusion; those with impurities come and become free from impurities – for those with doubts, who acknowledge. Therefore, the elder Piṅgiya said: "Having known the devas, He knew all, higher and lower; The Teacher who ends all questions, For those with doubts, who acknowledge." 120. Unshaken, unperturbed, For which there is no simile anywhere; Surely I shall go, I have no doubt in this, Thus hold me as one with resolute mind. "Unshaken, unperturbed" means "unshaken" is called the deathless Nibbāna. That which is the calming of all formations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. "Unshaken" means Nibbāna, which is unshakable by lust, by hatred, by delusion, by anger, by resentment, by hypocrisy, by malice, by envy, by avarice, by deceit, by craftiness, by obstinacy, by arrogance, by conceit, by excessive pride, by intoxication, by heedlessness, by all defilements, by all misconducts, by all torments, by all cankers, by all anxieties, by all agitations, by all unwholesome volitional formations; it is constant, firm, eternal, of unchangeable nature – that is "unshaken". "Unperturbed" means "unperturbed" is called the deathless Nibbāna. That which is the calming of all formations... (and so on)... cessation, Nibbāna. N For Nibbāna, no arising is perceived, no passing away, no alteration of it is perceived. Nibbāna is permanent, stable, eternal, of unalterable nature – unshakeable, unagitated. "That which has no simile anywhere." "That" means Nibbāna. "No simile" means no simile, no comparison, no likeness, no counterpart, it does not exist, is not found, is not obtained. "Anywhere" means anywhere, in anything, in any place, whether internally or externally or both internally and externally – that which has no simile anywhere. "Surely I shall go, no doubt have I about it." "Surely" is a word of certainty, a word of no doubt, a word of no wavering, a word of no duality, a word of no hesitation, a word of necessity, a word of no uncertainty, a word of no error, a word of establishment – "surely." "I shall go" means I shall go, I shall attain, I shall touch, I shall realize – "surely I shall go." "No doubt have I about it." "About it" means about Nibbāna, there is no doubt, no perplexity, no hesitation, no uncertainty, it does not exist, is not found, is not obtained, it is abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of arising again, burnt by the fire of knowledge – surely I shall go, no doubt have I about it. "Thus hold me, with a mind intent." "Thus hold me" means thus recognize me. "With a mind intent" means inclined towards Nibbāna, tending towards Nibbāna, leaning towards Nibbāna, devoted to Nibbāna – thus hold me, with a mind intent. Therefore the elder Piṅgiya said – "Unshakeable, unagitated, that which has no simile anywhere; Surely I shall go, no doubt have I about it, thus hold me, with a mind intent." The Eighteenth Explanation of the Verses of the Way to the Beyond. The Chapter on the Way to the Beyond is concluded.