The First Discourse about Dabba (UD8.9)

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Rājagaha, in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then venerable Dabba Mallaputta went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side.

While sat on one side venerable Dabba Mallaputta said this to the Gracious One: “Now is the time for my Complete Emancipation, Fortunate One.”

“Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Dabba.”

Then venerable Dabba Mallaputta, after rising from his seat, worshipping and circumambulating the Gracious One, after going up into the sky, and sitting in cross-legged posture in the air, in the firmament, entering the fire-element, and emerging, attained Complete Emancipation.

Then while venerable Dabba Mallaputta—after going up into the sky, and sitting in cross-legged posture in the air, in the firmament, entering the fire-element, and emerging—was attaining Complete Emancipation, his body burning and being consumed, there was no charcoal and no ash evident.

Just as while ghee or oil is burning and being consumed there is no charcoal and no ash evident, so also while venerable Dabba Mallaputta—after going up into the sky, and sitting in cross-legged posture in the air, in the firmament, entering the fire-element, and emerging—was attaining Complete Emancipation, his body burning and being consumed, there was no charcoal and no ash evident.

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“The body broke up, perception ceased,
All feelings became cool,
Mental processes were pacified,
consciousness came to rest.”

Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti from the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka text. Version 2.2, revised February 2008.

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.