5.12. Jatukaṇṇi’s Questions (SNP5.12)

Jatukaṇṇi
I’ve heard of the heroic one
from desires free for pleasures sensuous,
with Question I come for the flood-crosser,
from desire free
O Lord with Eye innate, tell me the Peaceful State—
how truly it is, tell me of this.

The Lord comports himself as the senses’ conqueror
as the hot sun the earth by its heat,
of small wit am I, Thou of wisdom great,
explain to me Dharma that I may understand.

Buddha
The abandonment here of birth and old age,
greed for sensual pleasures curb,
and safety see in letting-go,
let there not be found in you
grasping or rejection.

Dry up whatever’s gone “before”,
while “after” have no thing at all;
if in the “middle” you don’t grasp,
you’ll fare in Perfect Peace.

O brahmin, from greediness free
for every sort of name-and-form,
the inflows are not found by which
one’d go beneath death’s sway.

Translated by Laurence Khantipalo Mills.

This translation was edited by Bhikkhu Sujato as part of the full translation of the Sutta Nipāta with commentary prepared from a draft handwritten and typed manuscript of Laurence Khantipalo Mills in 2015. The project was managed by Laurence’s students Michael Wells and Gary Dellora, and initial digitizing of the text was by Sean Read. Full text is available at https://suttacentral.net/downloads

In addition to the suttas noted, Bhikkhu Sujato also translated verses 46, 78, 232, 465, 500, 589–597, 865, 885–890, 894–5, 897–901, 902–916, and 919–921.

This text is released dedicated to the Public Domain by way of Creative Commons Zero. No rights reserved.