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Ogha-tarana Sutta: Crossing over the Flood

Ogha-tarana Sutta

Summary: The Buddha explains how he “crossed over the flood” of craving.

SN 1.1 PTS: S i 1 CDB i 89

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

1998-2018

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

Translator's note: This discourse opens the Samyutta Nikaya with a paradox. The Commentary informs us that the Buddha teaches the devata in terms of the paradox in order to subdue her pride. To give this paradox some context, you might want to read other passages from the Canon that discuss right effort.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, she stood to one side. As she was standing there, she said to him, “Tell me, dear sir, how you crossed over the flood.”

“I crossed over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place.”(1)

“But how, dear sir, did you cross over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place?”

“When I pushed forward, I was whirled about. When I stayed in place, I sank. And so I crossed over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place.”

[The devata:]

At long last I see a brahman, totally unbound, who without pushing forward,

without staying in place,

has crossed over

the entanglements
of the world.

That is what the devata said. The Teacher approved. Realizing that “The Teacher has approved of me,” she bowed down to him, circumambulated him — keeping him to her right — and then vanished right there.

Note

1.: Or: “unestablished.” See Ud 8.1. Related references are in SN 12.38 and SN 12.64.

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Provenance:

The source of this work is the gift within Access to Insight “Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14”, last replication 12. March 2013, generously given by John Bullitt and mentioned as: ©1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.

This Zugang zur Einsicht edition is 2013 (ATI 1998-2012).

Translations, rebublishing, editing and additions are in the sphere of responsibility of Zugang zur Einsicht.

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How to cite this document (one suggested style): “Ogha-tarana Sutta: Crossing over the Flood” (SN 1.1), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 17 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn01/sn01.001.than.html . Retrieved on 10 September 2012 (Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14), republished by Zugang zur Einsicht on http://www.zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/sn/sn01/sn01.001.than_en.html retreived on: “date”

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