Oghataraṇasutta — Reader

Crossing the Flood

Oghataraṇasutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Good fellow, how did you cross the flood?” “Neither standing nor swimming, respectable sir, I crossed the flood.” “But in what way did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?” “When I stood, I sank under.

“kathaṁ nu tvaṁ, mārisa, oghamatarī”ti? “Appatiṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti. “Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarī”ti? “Yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṁsīdāmi;

When I swam, I was swept away. That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.” “After a long time I see a brahmin fully quenched.

yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi. Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti. “Cirassaṁ vata passāmi, brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ;

Neither standing nor swimming, he’s crossed over clinging to the world.” That is what that deity said, and the Teacher concurred.

Appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ, tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan”ti. Idamavoca sā devatā. Samanuñño satthā ahosi.

Then that deity, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho sā devatā: “samanuñño me satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.