The venerable Dhotaka asks the Buddha to free him from doubt and teach the principle of peace. The Buddha explains that liberation cannot be bestowed by another but arises from directly knowing the Dhamma. He instructs Dhotaka to see even the act of knowing as a ‘sticking point’ in the world, and to abandon craving for any state of existence.
“Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ,
(iccāyasmā dhotako)
Vācābhikaṅkhāmi mahesi tuyhaṁ;
Tava sutvāna nigghosaṁ,
Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.
“I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this,”
(thus said the venerable Dhotaka)
“I long for your word, great sage;
Having heard your |utterance::saying, speech [nigghosa]|,
I shall train for my own |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|.”
“Tenahātappaṁ karohi,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Idheva nipako sato;
Ito sutvāna nigghosaṁ,
Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.
“In that case, apply |effort::exertion, application [ātappa]|,
(Dhotaka,” said the Blessed One)
“Be |prudent::sensible and careful when making judgments and decisions, astute, discerning [nipaka]| and |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]| right here;
Having heard this utterance,
you should train for your own Nibbāna.”
“Passāmahaṁ devamanussaloke,
Akiñcanaṁ brāhmaṇamiriyamānaṁ;
Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samantacakkhu,
Pamuñca maṁ sakka kathaṅkathāhi”.
“I see in the world of gods and humans,
A sage moving about |with nothing::without possessions; epithet of an arahant [akiñcana]|;
To that |All Seeing One::epithet of the Buddha [samantacakkhu]|, I pay homage,
free me, |Sakka::able one, capable one, proficient one [sakka]|, from |doubt::confusion, perplexity [kathaṅkathā]|.”
“Nāhaṁ sahissāmi pamocanāya,
Kathaṅkathiṁ dhotaka kañci loke;
Dhammañca seṭṭhaṁ abhijānamāno,
Evaṁ tuvaṁ oghamimaṁ taresi”.
“I cannot free anyone in the world,
Dhotaka, who is doubtful;
But |directly knowing::experientially understanding [abhijānamāna]| the |foremost::best, most important [seṭṭha]| |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|,
you will thus cross this flood.”
“Anusāsa brahme karuṇāyamāno,
Vivekadhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ;
Yathāhaṁ ākāsova abyāpajjamāno,
Idheva santo asito careyyaṁ”.
“Extending |compassion::mental quality of wise empathy in response to suffering, which counters qualities of harm or cruelty [karuṇā]|, instruct me, O Brahmā,
the |principle of true knowledge::nature of understanding [vivekadhamma]| that I myself may comprehend;
Just as space is totally unobstructed,
I would fare on peaceful and |unattached::untied, free [asita]|.
“Kittayissāmi te santiṁ,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
Tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“I will proclaim that |peace::calm, tranquility [santi]|,
(Dhotaka,” 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 santimuttamaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“And I delight in, great sage,
in that unsurpassed peace;
Having understood which, living mindfully,
one can cross over attachment to the world.”
“Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe;
Etaṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,
Bhavābhavāya mākāsi taṇhan”ti.
“Whatever you |know::comprehend, are aware of, perceive [sampajānāti]|,
(Dhotaka,” said the Blessed One)
“above, below, across, and in the middle;
Having known this as a |sticking point::bond, snare, clinging, attachment, holding on [saṅga]| in the world,
do not crave for |any state of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|.”
“I ask you, Blessed One, please tell me this,”
(thus said the venerable Dhotaka)
“I long for your word, great sage;
Having heard your |utterance::saying, speech [nigghosa]|,
I shall train for my own |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|.”
“In that case, apply |effort::exertion, application [ātappa]|,
(Dhotaka,” said the Blessed One)
“Be |prudent::sensible and careful when making judgments and decisions, astute, discerning [nipaka]| and |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]| right here;
Having heard this utterance,
you should train for your own Nibbāna.”
“I see in the world of gods and humans,
A sage moving about |with nothing::without possessions; epithet of an arahant [akiñcana]|;
To that |All Seeing One::epithet of the Buddha [samantacakkhu]|, I pay homage,
free me, |Sakka::able one, capable one, proficient one [sakka]|, from |doubt::confusion, perplexity [kathaṅkathā]|.”
“I cannot free anyone in the world,
Dhotaka, who is doubtful;
But |directly knowing::experientially understanding [abhijānamāna]| the |foremost::best, most important [seṭṭha]| |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|,
you will thus cross this flood.”
“Extending |compassion::mental quality of wise empathy in response to suffering, which counters qualities of harm or cruelty [karuṇā]|, instruct me, O Brahmā,
the |principle of true knowledge::nature of understanding [vivekadhamma]| that I myself may comprehend;
Just as space is totally unobstructed,
I would fare on peaceful and |unattached::untied, free [asita]|.
“I will proclaim that |peace::calm, tranquility [santi]|,
(Dhotaka,” 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.”
“And I delight in, great sage,
in that unsurpassed peace;
Having understood which, living mindfully,
one can cross over attachment to the world.”
“Whatever you |know::comprehend, are aware of, perceive [sampajānāti]|,
(Dhotaka,” said the Blessed One)
“above, below, across, and in the middle;
Having known this as a |sticking point::bond, snare, clinging, attachment, holding on [saṅga]| in the world,
do not crave for |any state of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|.”
“Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ,
(iccāyasmā dhotako)
Vācābhikaṅkhāmi mahesi tuyhaṁ;
Tava sutvāna nigghosaṁ,
Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.
“Tenahātappaṁ karohi,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Idheva nipako sato;
Ito sutvāna nigghosaṁ,
Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.
“Passāmahaṁ devamanussaloke,
Akiñcanaṁ brāhmaṇamiriyamānaṁ;
Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samantacakkhu,
Pamuñca maṁ sakka kathaṅkathāhi”.
“Nāhaṁ sahissāmi pamocanāya,
Kathaṅkathiṁ dhotaka kañci loke;
Dhammañca seṭṭhaṁ abhijānamāno,
Evaṁ tuvaṁ oghamimaṁ taresi”.
“Anusāsa brahme karuṇāyamāno,
Vivekadhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ;
Yathāhaṁ ākāsova abyāpajjamāno,
Idheva santo asito careyyaṁ”.
“Kittayissāmi te santiṁ,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
Tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“Tañcāhaṁ abhinandāmi,
mahesi santimuttamaṁ;
Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,
tare loke visattikaṁ”.
“Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi,
(dhotakāti bhagavā)
Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe;
Etaṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,
Bhavābhavāya mākāsi taṇhan”ti.