The Young Man Upasīva’s Questions (SNP5.7)

“Alone, Sakyan, with nothing to depend on,” said venerable Upasīva,
“I am not able to cross over the great flood.
Please tell me of a support, All-Seeing Visionary,
depending on which I can cross over this flood.”

“Looking to nothingness, and being mindful, Upasīva,” said the Gracious One,
“depending on nothing, cross over the flood.
Having given up sense pleasures, abstaining from talk,
day and night you must look for the end of suffering.”

“He who is passionless regarding all sense pleasures,” said venerable Upasīva,
“who is depending on nothingness, having given up all else,
intent on the highest freedom which still has perception—
will he remain there without going away?”

“He who is passionless regarding all sense pleasures, Upasīva,” said the Gracious One,
“who is depending on nothingness, having given up all else,intent on the highest freedom which still has perception—
he will remain there without going away.”

“If he remains there without going away
for a great number of years, All-Seeing Visionary,
will he become cool and free right there,
or will the consciousness of such a one fall away?”

“As a flame overthrown by the force of the wind, Upasīva,” said the Gracious One,
“goes to rest and can no longer be discerned,
just so the Sage free from the mental body
goes to rest and can no longer be discerned.”

“The one who has come to rest, is he then nothing?” said venerable Upasīva,
“or is he actually eternally healthy?
Please explain this to me, O Sage,
for this Teaching has been understood by you.”

“There is no measure of the one who has come to rest, Upasīva,” said the Gracious One,
“there is nothing by which they can speak of him,
when everything has been completely removed,
all the pathways for speech are also completely removed.”

The Young Man Upasīva’s Questions are Finished

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu.

Original translation 1999, revised, May 2007.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.