The Questions of Mettagū

“I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this,” said Venerable Mettagū, “for I think you are a knowledge master, evolved. Where do all these sufferings come from, in all their countless forms in the world?”

“Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ, (iccāyasmā mettagū) Maññāmi taṁ vedaguṁ bhāvitattaṁ; Kuto nu dukkhā samudāgatā ime, Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā”.

“I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this,” “Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ, said Venerable Mettagū, (iccāyasmā mettagū) “for I think you are a knowledge master, evolved. Maññāmi taṁ vedaguṁ bhāvitattaṁ; Where do all these sufferings come from, Kuto nu dukkhā samudāgatā ime, in all their countless forms in the world?” Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā”.

“You have rightly asked me of the origin of suffering,” 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, “I shall tell you as I understand it. Attachment is the source of suffering in all its countless forms in the world.

“Dukkhassa ve maṁ pabhavaṁ apucchasi, (mettagūti bhagavā) Taṁ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṁ; Upadhinidānā pabhavanti dukkhā, Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā.

“You have rightly asked me of the origin of suffering,” “Dukkhassa ve maṁ pabhavaṁ apucchasi, replied the Buddha, (mettagūti bhagavā) “I shall tell you as I understand it. Taṁ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṁ; Attachment is the source of suffering Upadhinidānā pabhavanti dukkhā, in all its countless forms in the world. Ye keci lokasmimanekarūpā.

When an ignorant person builds up attachments, that dullard returns to suffering again and again. So let one who understands not build up attachments, contemplating the inception of suffering and rebirth.” *Niddesa treats jāti only as “rebirth” and does not connect it with pabhava in the sense of “origin”. Commentary glosses with jātikāraṇa, which at SN 3.24:4.4 glosses jātipaccaya , where it must mean “by reason of birth”.

Yo ve avidvā upadhiṁ karoti, Punappunaṁ dukkhamupeti mando; Tasmā pajānaṁ upadhiṁ na kayirā, Dukkhassa jātippabhavānupassī”.

When an ignorant person builds up attachments, Yo ve avidvā upadhiṁ karoti, that dullard returns to suffering again and again. Punappunaṁ dukkhamupeti mando; So let one who understands not build up attachments, Tasmā pajānaṁ upadhiṁ na kayirā, contemplating the inception of suffering and rebirth.” *Niddesa treats jāti only as “rebirth” and does not connect it with pabhava in the sense of “origin”. Commentary glosses with jātikāraṇa, which at SN 3.24:4.4 glosses jātipaccaya , where it must mean “by reason of birth”.Dukkhassa jātippabhavānupassī”.

“Whatever I asked you have explained to me. I ask you once more, please tell me this: How do the attentive cross the flood of rebirth, old age, sorrow, and lamenting? Please, sage, answer me clearly, for truly you understand this matter.”

“Yaṁ taṁ apucchimha akittayī no, Aññaṁ taṁ pucchāma tadiṅgha brūhi; *pucchāma → pucchāmi (bj, pts-vp-pli1)Kathaṁ nu dhīrā vitaranti oghaṁ, Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca; Taṁ me muni sādhu viyākarohi, Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo”.

“Whatever I asked you have explained to me. “Yaṁ taṁ apucchimha akittayī no, I ask you once more, please tell me this: Aññaṁ taṁ pucchāma tadiṅgha brūhi; *pucchāma → pucchāmi (bj, pts-vp-pli1)How do the attentive cross the flood Kathaṁ nu dhīrā vitaranti oghaṁ, of rebirth, old age, sorrow, and lamenting? Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca; Please, sage, answer me clearly, Taṁ me muni sādhu viyākarohi, for truly you understand this matter.” Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo”.

“I shall extol a teaching to you,” replied the Buddha, “that is apparent in the present, not relying on tradition. Having understood it, one who lives mindfully may cross over clinging in the world.”

“Kittayissāmi te dhammaṁ, (mettagūti bhagavā) Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ; Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ, Tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“I shall extol a teaching to you,” “Kittayissāmi te dhammaṁ, replied the Buddha, (mettagūti bhagavā) “that is apparent in the present, not relying on tradition. Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ; Having understood it, one who lives mindfully Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ, may cross over clinging in the world.” Tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“And I rejoice, great seer, in that supreme teaching, having understood which, one who lives mindfully may cross over clinging in the world.”

“Tañcāhaṁ abhinandāmi, mahesi dhammamuttamaṁ; Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ, tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“And I rejoice, great seer, “Tañcāhaṁ abhinandāmi, in that supreme teaching, mahesi dhammamuttamaṁ; having understood which, one who lives mindfully Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ, may cross over clinging in the world.” tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“Once you’ve expelled relishing and dogmatism,” replied the Buddha, “regarding everything you are aware of—above, below, all round, between—*Taking nivesana here as “dogma”, the same sense as in the Aṭṭhakavagga. Otherwise it might just mean “strong attachment”.having cast aside consciousness, don’t continue in existence.

“Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi, (mettagūti bhagavā) Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe; Etesu nandiñca nivesanañca, Panujja viññāṇaṁ bhave na tiṭṭhe.

“Once you’ve expelled relishing and dogmatism,” “Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi, replied the Buddha, (mettagūti bhagavā) “regarding everything you are aware of—Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe; above, below, all round, between—*Taking nivesana here as “dogma”, the same sense as in the Aṭṭhakavagga. Otherwise it might just mean “strong attachment”.Etesu nandiñca nivesanañca, having cast aside consciousness, don’t continue in existence. Panujja viññāṇaṁ bhave na tiṭṭhe.

A mendicant who wanders meditating like this, diligent and mindful, calling nothing their own, would, being wise, give up the suffering of rebirth, old age, sorrow and lamenting right here.”

Evaṁvihārī sato appamatto, Bhikkhu caraṁ hitvā mamāyitāni; Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca, Idheva vidvā pajaheyya dukkhaṁ”.

A mendicant who wanders meditating like this, Evaṁvihārī sato appamatto, diligent and mindful, calling nothing their own, Bhikkhu caraṁ hitvā mamāyitāni; would, being wise, give up the suffering Jātiṁ jaraṁ sokapariddavañca, of rebirth, old age, sorrow and lamenting right here.” Idheva vidvā pajaheyya dukkhaṁ”.

“I rejoice in the words of the great seer! You have expounded non-attachment well, Gotama. Clearly the Buddha has given up suffering, for truly you understand this matter.

“Etābhinandāmi vaco mahesino, Sukittitaṁ gotamanūpadhīkaṁ; Addhā hi bhagavā pahāsi dukkhaṁ, Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo.

“I rejoice in the words of the great seer! “Etābhinandāmi vaco mahesino, You have expounded non-attachment well, Gotama. Sukittitaṁ gotamanūpadhīkaṁ; Clearly the Buddha has given up suffering, Addhā hi bhagavā pahāsi dukkhaṁ, for truly you understand this matter. Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo.

Surely, sage, those you’d regularly instruct would also give up suffering. Having met, I bow especially to you, O spiritual giant; *The expression taṁ taṁ namassāmi also occurs at Snp 5.6:3.3 and Ja 159:1.3. In each case the context is similar: it is an address in second person, followed by a wish or aspiration. The commentary explains the phrase either as tasmā taṁ (“therefore I bow to you”) or as taṁ evarūpaṁ (“I bow to you of such a kind”). The Niddesa ignores the doubled pronoun, which implies it did not give it any special significance (Cnd 8:93.1). I take it as emphatic: “I bow especially to you”.hopefully the Buddha may regularly instruct me.”

Te cāpi nūnappajaheyyu dukkhaṁ, Ye tvaṁ muni aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya; Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samecca nāga, Appeva maṁ bhagavā aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya”.

Surely, sage, those you’d regularly instruct Te cāpi nūnappajaheyyu dukkhaṁ, would also give up suffering. Ye tvaṁ muni aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya; Having met, I bow especially to you, O spiritual giant; *The expression taṁ taṁ namassāmi also occurs at Snp 5.6:3.3 and Ja 159:1.3. In each case the context is similar: it is an address in second person, followed by a wish or aspiration. The commentary explains the phrase either as tasmā taṁ (“therefore I bow to you”) or as taṁ evarūpaṁ (“I bow to you of such a kind”). The Niddesa ignores the doubled pronoun, which implies it did not give it any special significance (Cnd 8:93.1). I take it as emphatic: “I bow especially to you”.Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samecca nāga, hopefully the Buddha may regularly instruct me.” Appeva maṁ bhagavā aṭṭhitaṁ ovadeyya”.

“Any brahmin recognized as a knowledge master, who has nothing, unattached to sensual life, clearly has crossed this flood, crossed to the far shore, kind, wishless.

“Yaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ vedagumābhijaññā, Akiñcanaṁ kāmabhave asattaṁ; Addhā hi so oghamimaṁ atāri, Tiṇṇo ca pāraṁ akhilo akaṅkho.

“Any brahmin recognized as a knowledge master, “Yaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ vedagumābhijaññā, who has nothing, unattached to sensual life, Akiñcanaṁ kāmabhave asattaṁ; clearly has crossed this flood, Addhā hi so oghamimaṁ atāri, crossed to the far shore, kind, wishless. Tiṇṇo ca pāraṁ akhilo akaṅkho.

And a wise person here, a knowledge master, having untied the bond to life after life, free of craving, untroubled, with no need for hope, has crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.”

Vidvā ca yo vedagū naro idha, *yo → so (bj, sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)Bhavābhave saṅgamimaṁ visajja; So vītataṇho anīgho nirāso, Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.

And a wise person here, a knowledge master, Vidvā ca yo vedagū naro idha, *yo → so (bj, sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)having untied the bond to life after life, Bhavābhave saṅgamimaṁ visajja; free of craving, untroubled, with no need for hope, So vītataṇho anīgho nirāso, has crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.” Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.