5.6. Dhotaka’s Questions (SNP5.6)

Dhotaka
O Seeker Great, I long to hear your word,
then having heard your speech,
for Nirvāṇa train myself—
I ask the Lord thus, please tell me of this.

Buddha
Ascetically exert yourself,
just wise and mindful here,
then having heard my words,
for Nirvāṇa train yourself.

Dhotaka
In the world of devas and humanity I see
the with-nothing brahmin who wanders about,
to the All-seeing Seer, to you I bow down:
free me, O Sakya, from consuming doubt.

Buddha
I am not able, O Dhotaka, to liberate you
from consuming doubt of whatever kind in the world,*Sujato: lkm had “To liberate, O Dhotaka, from consuming doubt, I do not go about the world”, which relied on the variant reading gamissāmi. This however appears to be incorrect, and I have adopted the reading sahissāmi as used in the Mahāsaṅgīti text; see Norman’s note on page 410 of the Group of Discourses.
but, having Known this Dharma best
beyond this flood you go across.

Dhotaka
Teach me, O Brahma, out of your compassion,
the State of Seclusion that I may know it well,
so that I may live just like the sky,
kind-minded, peaceful, also clinging-free.

Buddha
This Peace I shall explain to you,
Seen-Now and not traditional lore,
knowing which the mindful fare,
and cross the world’s entanglements.

Dhotaka
I am delighted, Seeker Great
with this Peace that’s ultimate,
knowing which the mindful fare,
and cross the world’s entanglements.

Buddha
Whatever you cognize above,
below, across, and in between;
Here having Known clinging just to this,
form no craving for high or low.

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.