The Questions of Jatukaṇṇī

“Hearing of the hero <j>with no desire for sensual pleasures,”said Venerable Jatukaṇṇī,“who has passed over the flood, I’ve come <j>with a question for that desireless one.Tell me the state of peace, O natural visionary.*While the exact sense of the unique term sahajanetta is open to interpretation, surely Norman’s “omniscient one” (following Niddesa) is not right.Tell me this, Blessed One, as it really is.

“Sutvānahaṁ vīramakāmakāmiṁ, (iccāyasmā jatukaṇṇi) Oghātigaṁ puṭṭhumakāmamāgamaṁ; Santipadaṁ brūhi sahajanetta, Yathātacchaṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ.

“Hearing of the hero <j>with no desire for sensual pleasures,”“Sutvānahaṁ vīramakāmakāmiṁ, said Venerable Jatukaṇṇī,(iccāyasmā jatukaṇṇi) “who has passed over the flood, I’ve come <j>with a question for that desireless one.Oghātigaṁ puṭṭhumakāmamāgamaṁ; Tell me the state of peace, O natural visionary.*While the exact sense of the unique term sahajanetta is open to interpretation, surely Norman’s “omniscient one” (following Niddesa) is not right.Santipadaṁ brūhi sahajanetta, Tell me this, Blessed One, as it really is.Yathātacchaṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ.

For, having mastered sensual desires, <j>the Blessed One proceeds,*The following line lacks a verb, and Norman, Bodhi, and Ñāṇadīpa all construe it with abhibhuyya: the sun “overcomes” the earth. But that doesn’t make sense. Rather, the idiom abhibhuyya iriyati leans on irayati in the sense “to keep going, to proceed”. The Buddha “proceeds” (i.e. keeps living) after mastering desires, like the sun “proceeds” shedding light on the earth.as the blazing sun shines on the earth.May you of vast wisdom explain the teachingto me of little wisdom so that I may understandthe giving up of rebirth and old age here.”

Bhagavā hi kāme abhibhuyya iriyati, Ādiccova pathaviṁ tejī tejasā; Parittapaññassa me bhūripañña, Ācikkha dhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ; Jātijarāya idha vippahānaṁ”.

For, having mastered sensual desires, <j>the Blessed One proceeds,*The following line lacks a verb, and Norman, Bodhi, and Ñāṇadīpa all construe it with abhibhuyya: the sun “overcomes” the earth. But that doesn’t make sense. Rather, the idiom abhibhuyya iriyati leans on irayati in the sense “to keep going, to proceed”. The Buddha “proceeds” (i.e. keeps living) after mastering desires, like the sun “proceeds” shedding light on the earth.Bhagavā hi kāme abhibhuyya iriyati, as the blazing sun shines on the earth.Ādiccova pathaviṁ tejī tejasā; May you of vast wisdom explain the teachingParittapaññassa me bhūripañña, to me of little wisdom so that I may understandĀcikkha dhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ; the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”Jātijarāya idha vippahānaṁ”.

“With desire for sensual pleasures dispelled,”*Niddesa, followed by Bodhi, Norman, and Ñāṇadīpa, takes vinaya as optative. But where the same phrase occurs at Kp 9:10.3 and Snp 1.8:10.3 it is clearly absolutive. Moreover, the next includes the absolutive daṭṭhu, which elsewhere follows a similar line with an absolutive verb: kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā.replied the BuddhaBuddhaEl nombre dado a quien redescubre por sí mismo el sendero liberador del Dhamma, tras un largo período de haber sido olvidado por el mundo. Según la tradición, una larga línea de Buddhas se extiende hasta el pasado distante. El Buddha más reciente nació como Siddhattha Gotama en la India alrededor del año 500 a.e.c. Un joven bien educado y acomodado, renunció a su familia y su herencia principesca en la flor de la vida para buscar la verdadera libertad y el fin del sufrimiento (dukkha). Después de siete años de austeridades en el bosque, redescubrió el «camino medio» y alcanzó su meta, convirtiéndose en el Buddha.Ver en el glosario,“seeing renunciation as sanctuary,don’t be taking up or putting down*As in the Aṭṭhakavagga, it is essential that this phrase be rendered in an active present tense. It is not that nothing has ever been taken up or put down, but that they are no longer actively engaging in taking up and putting down.anything at all.

“Kāmesu vinaya gedhaṁ, (jatukaṇṇīti bhagavā) Nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato; Uggahītaṁ nirattaṁ vā, *Uggahītaṁ → uggahitaṁ (; cnd5:580 [Pucchāniddesa/ Jatukaṇṇimāṇavapucchāniddesa])Mā te vijjittha kiñcanaṁ.

“With desire for sensual pleasures dispelled,”*Niddesa, followed by Bodhi, Norman, and Ñāṇadīpa, takes vinaya as optative. But where the same phrase occurs at Kp 9:10.3 and Snp 1.8:10.3 it is clearly absolutive. Moreover, the next includes the absolutive daṭṭhu, which elsewhere follows a similar line with an absolutive verb: kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā.“Kāmesu vinaya gedhaṁ, replied the Buddha,(jatukaṇṇīti bhagavā) “seeing renunciation as sanctuary,Nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato; don’t be taking up or putting down*As in the Aṭṭhakavagga, it is essential that this phrase be rendered in an active present tense. It is not that nothing has ever been taken up or put down, but that they are no longer actively engaging in taking up and putting down.Uggahītaṁ nirattaṁ vā, *Uggahītaṁ → uggahitaṁ (; cnd5:580 [Pucchāniddesa/ Jatukaṇṇimāṇavapucchāniddesa])anything at all.Mā te vijjittha kiñcanaṁ.

What came before, let wither away,and after, let there be nothing.If you don’t grasp at the middle,you will live at peace.

Yaṁ pubbe taṁ visosehi, pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṁ; Majjhe ce no gahessasi, upasanto carissasi.

What came before, let wither away,Yaṁ pubbe taṁ visosehi, and after, let there be nothing.pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṁ; If you don’t grasp at the middle,Majjhe ce no gahessasi, you will live at peace.upasanto carissasi.

One rid of greed, brahmin,for the whole realm of name and form,has no defilements by whichthey might fall under the sway of Death.”

Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ, Vītagedhassa brāhmaṇa; Āsavāssa na vijjanti, Yehi maccuvasaṁ vaje”ti.

One rid of greed, brahmin,Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ, for the whole realm of name and form,Vītagedhassa brāhmaṇa; has no defilements by whichĀsavāssa na vijjanti, they might fall under the sway of Death.”Yehi maccuvasaṁ vaje”ti.