Rohitassasutta With Rohitassa

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho rohitasso devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: Standing to one side, the godling Rohitassa said to the Buddha:

“yattha nu kho, bhante, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, sakkā nu kho so, bhante, gamanena lokassa anto ñātuṁ vā daṭṭhuṁ vā pāpuṇituṁ vā”ti? “Sir, is it possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn?”

“Yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī”ti. “Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn.”

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: how well said this was by the Buddha. ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’ti.

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, rohitasso nāma isi ahosiṁ bhojaputto iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo. Once upon a time, I was a seer called Rohitassa, son of the benefactors. I was a sky-walker with psychic powers. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo javo ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma daḷhadhammā dhanuggaho susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano lahukena asanena appakasireneva tiriyaṁ tālacchāyaṁ atipāteyya. I was as fast as a light arrow easily shot across the shadow of a palm tree by a well-trained expert archer with a strong bow. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo padavītihāro ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma puratthimā samuddā pacchimo samuddo. My stride was such that it could span from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpaṁ icchāgataṁ uppajji: This wish came to me: ‘ahaṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ pāpuṇissāmī’ti. ‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’ So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evarūpena javena samannāgato evarūpena ca padavītihārena, aññatreva asitapītakhāyitasāyitā aññatra uccārapassāvakammā aññatra niddākilamathapaṭivinodanā vassasatāyuko vassasatajīvī vassasataṁ gantvā appatvāva lokassa antaṁ antarāva kālaṅkato. Having such speed and stride, I traveled for my whole lifespan of a hundred years—pausing only to eat and drink, go to the toilet, and sleep to dispel weariness—and I passed away along the way, never reaching the end of the world.

Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: how well said this was by the Buddha. ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’”ti. ‘Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn.’”

“Na kho panāhaṁ, āvuso, appatvā lokassa antaṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi. “But Reverend, I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world. Api ca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, imasmiṁyeva byāmamatte kaḷevare sasaññimhi samanake lokañca paññapemi lokasamudayañca lokanirodhañca lokanirodhagāminiñca paṭipadanti. For it is in this fathom-long carcass with its perception and mind that I describe the world, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

Gamanena na pattabbo, The end of the world can never lokassanto kudācanaṁ; be reached by traveling. Na ca appatvā lokantaṁ, But without reaching the end of the world, dukkhā atthi pamocanaṁ. there’s no release from suffering.

Tasmā have lokavidū sumedho, So an intelligent person, understanding the world, Lokantagū vusitabrahmacariyo; has completed the spiritual journey and gone to the end of the world. Lokassa antaṁ samitāvi ñatvā, Assuaged, knowing the end of the world, Nāsīsati lokamimaṁ parañcā”ti. they do not hope for this world or the next.”