“Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ,
(iccāyasmā mettagū)
Maññāmi taṁ vedaguṁ bhāvitattaṁ;
Kuto nu dukkhā samudāgatā ime,
Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā”.
“I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this,
(thus said the venerable Mettagū)
I regard you as a |master of wisdom::who has complete understanding [vedagū]|, |who is awakened::who is self-developed, who has a developed mind [bhāvitatta]|;
From where have these sufferings arisen,
in their many forms in the world?”
“Dukkhassa ve maṁ pabhavaṁ apucchasi,
(mettagūti bhagavā)
Taṁ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṁ;
Upadhinidānā pabhavanti dukkhā,
Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā.
“You have asked me about the origin of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|,
(Mettagū,” said the Blessed One)
“I will explain to you as I have known it;
Sufferings in their many forms in the world,
have |acquisitions::attachment, taking as mine, appropriation, sense of ownership, identification [upadhi]| as their source.
Yo ve avidvā upadhiṁ karoti,
Punappunaṁ dukkhamupeti mando;
Tasmā pajānaṁ upadhiṁ na kayirā,
Dukkhassa jātippabhavānupassī”.
The ignorant person who pursues acquisitions,
that |undeveloped one::dull-witted person [manda]| experiences suffering repeatedly;
Clearly understanding, one should not pursue acquisitions,
observing the birth and origin of suffering.”
“Yaṁ taṁ apucchimha akittayī no,
Aññaṁ taṁ pucchāma tadiṅgha brūhi;
Kathaṁ nu dhīrā vitaranti oghaṁ,
Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca;
Taṁ me muni sādhu viyākarohi,
Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo”.
“What we asked, you have explained to us,
now we ask you further, please tell us this;
How do the |steadfast::firm, stable, wise [dhīra]| cross over the flood,
of birth and old age, sorrow and grief;
Explain this to me clearly, O Sage,
for this Dhamma is surely known to you.”
“Kittayissāmi te dhammaṁ,
(mettagūti bhagavā)
Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
Tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“I will proclaim to you a Dhamma,
(Mettagū,” said the Blessed One)
“directly visible, not based on hearsay;
Having understood which, living mindfully,
one can cross over |attachment to::ensnarement in, entanglement in [visattika]| the world.”
“Tañcāhaṁ abhinandāmi,
mahesi dhammamuttamaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“I delight in that, O great seer,
in that unsurpassed Dhamma;
Having understood which, living mindfully,
one can cross over attachment to the world.”
“Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi,
(mettagūti bhagavā)
Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe;
Etesu nandiñca nivesanañca,
Panujja viññāṇaṁ bhave na tiṭṭhe.
“Whatever you comprehend,
(Mettagū,” said the Blessed One)
“above, below, across, and in the middle;
Having dispelled |delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]| and |attachment::clinging, fixing; lit. entering down [nivesana]| in these,
|consciousness::that dependently arisen knowing which, when rooted in ignorance and supported by intentional constructs, finds a footing and becomes established in a sense realm, a form realm, or a formless realm leading to production of renewed existence in the future [viññāṇa]| will not remain in [states of] |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|.
Evaṁvihārī sato appamatto,
Bhikkhu caraṁ hitvā mamāyitāni;
Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca,
Idheva vidvā pajaheyya dukkhaṁ”.
A bhikkhu so dwelling, |mindful::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, feelings in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of itself [sata]|, |diligent::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|,
having abandoned all sense of ‘mine’;
Would abandon birth, old age, sorrow, and grief,
the wise one would cast off suffering right here.”
“Etābhinandāmi vaco mahesino,
Sukittitaṁ gotamanūpadhīkaṁ;
Addhā hi bhagavā pahāsi dukkhaṁ,
Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo.
“I rejoice in this word of the great sage,
well proclaimed, O Gotama, is the state |free from attachment::free from acquisition, free from taking things as mine; lit. not placing near state [anūpadhīka]|;
Certainly the Blessed One has abandoned suffering,
for this Dhamma is known to you.
Te cāpi nūnappajaheyyu dukkhaṁ,
Ye tvaṁ muni aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya;
Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samecca nāga,
Appeva maṁ bhagavā aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya”.
And they too would surely abandon suffering,
whomever you, O Sage, would always instruct;
Having come to you, O Great One, I pay you homage,
perhaps the Blessed One would always instruct me too.”
“Yaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ vedagumābhijaññā,
Akiñcanaṁ kāmabhave asattaṁ;
Addhā hi so oghamimaṁ atāri,
Tiṇṇo ca pāraṁ akhilo akaṅkho.
“Whatever sage you know to be a master of wisdom,
|possessing nothing::with nothing, without possessions; epithet of an arahant [akiñcana]| and unattached to |sensual existence::existence in the realm of sensual desire [kāmabhava]|;
Surely he has crossed over this flood,
he has reached the far shore, open-hearted and free from doubt.
Vidvā ca yo vedagū naro idha,
Bhavābhave saṅgamimaṁ visajja;
So vītataṇho anīgho nirāso,
Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.
And the |wise::who is knowing, intelligent; lit. having the knowing quality [vidvant]| man here who is with perfect knowledge,
having untied attachment to |various states of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|;
He is |free from craving::without wanting, yearning, longing, attachment [vītataṇhā]|, |untroubled::undisturbed, calm, free from affliction [anīgha]|, |fulfilled::free from hope, desire-less [nirāsa]|,
I say that he has crossed over birth and old age.”