5.15. Posāla’s Question

“Yo atītaṁ ādisati,

(iccāyasmā posālo)

Anejo chinnasaṁsayo;

Pāraguṁ sabbadhammānaṁ,

Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ.

Vibhūtarūpasaññissa,

sabbakāyappahāyino;

Ajjhattañca bahiddhā ca,

natthi kiñcīti passato;

Ñāṇaṁ sakkānupucchāmi,

kathaṁ neyyo tathāvidho”.

“Viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo sabbā,

(posālāti bhagavā)

Abhijānaṁ tathāgato;

Tiṭṭhantamenaṁ jānāti,

Vimuttaṁ tapparāyaṇaṁ.

Ākiñcaññasambhavaṁ ñatvā,

Nandī saṁyojanaṁ iti;

Evametaṁ abhiññāya,

Tato tattha vipassati;

Etaṁ ñāṇaṁ tathaṁ tassa,

Brāhmaṇassa vusīmato”ti.

Posālamāṇavapucchā cuddasamā.

SC 1SC Verse 1119Posāla
To One illuming the past,
the undisturbed who’s cut off doubt,
Gone across the dharmas all,
with this question have I come:

SC 2SC Verse 1120In whom are no perceptions of form,
abandoned it in bodies all,
who sees within, without “there’s nought”,
of such a one, what knowledge known
how will such a one be led?

SC 3SC Verse 1121Buddha
The Tathāgata knows thoroughly
all supports of consciousness:
knows this one as stuck,
that one freed, or bound for the beyond.

SC 4SC Verse 1122Having known the existence of no-thingness
together with its bond of indulgence,
then investigating this and seeing that,
just this is the knowledge of a brahmin perfected.