SN 2.26

Rohitassasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho rohitasso devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “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? “Yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī”ti.

With Rohitassa

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, the godling Rohitassa said to the Buddha: “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?” “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. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’ti.

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, rohitasso nāma isi ahosiṁ bhojaputto iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo javo ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma daḷhadhammā dhanuggaho susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano lahukena asanena appakasireneva tiriyaṁ tālacchāyaṁ atipāteyya. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpo padavītihāro ahosi; seyyathāpi nāma puratthimā samuddā pacchimo samuddo. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evarūpaṁ icchāgataṁ uppajji: ‘ahaṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ pāpuṇissāmī’ti. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evarūpena javena samannāgato evarūpena ca padavītihārena, aññatreva asitapītakhāyitasāyitā aññatra uccārapassāvakammā aññatra niddākilamathapaṭivinodanā vassasatāyuko vassasatajīvī vassasataṁ gantvā appatvāva lokassa antaṁ antarāva kālaṅkato.

Once upon a time, I was a seer named Rohitassa, son of the benefactors. I was a sky-walker with psychic powers. 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. My stride was such that it could span from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. This wish came to me: ‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’ 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. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṁ taṁ gamanena lokassa antaṁ ñāteyyaṁ daṭṭheyyaṁ patteyyanti vadāmī’”ti.

It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha. ‘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. Api ca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, imasmiṁyeva byāmamatte kaḷevare sasaññimhi samanake lokañca paññapemi lokasamudayañca lokanirodhañca lokanirodhagāminiñca paṭipadanti.

“But Reverend, I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world. 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, lokassanto kudācanaṁ; Na ca appatvā lokantaṁ, dukkhā atthi pamocanaṁ.

The end of the world can never be reached by traveling. But without reaching the end of the world, there’s no release from suffering.

Tasmā have lokavidū sumedho, Lokantagū vusitabrahmacariyo; Lokassa antaṁ samitāvi ñatvā, Nāsīsati lokamimaṁ parañcā”ti.

So an intelligent person, understanding the world, has completed the spiritual journey and gone to the end of the world. Assuaged, knowing the end of the world, they do not hope for this world or the next.”