[443] "I shall recite, following him, the Pārāyana — the Way to the Far Shore,"
(thus said the Venerable Piṅgiya,)
"(as he saw, so he declares it:)
the stainless one of vast wisdom,
free from desire, quenched, the nāga —
for what reason would he speak falsely?
Of him who has abandoned stain and delusion,
who has forsaken conceit and denigration,
come now, I shall proclaim
words endowed with praise.
The Buddha, dispeller of darkness, the All-Seeing Eye,
gone to the end of the world, passed beyond all existence,
free from taints (āsava), who has abandoned all suffering (dukkha),
he who is truly named has been attended by me, O brahmin.
As a bird that has left a scrubby wood
might come to dwell in a forest abounding in fruit,
even so I, having left those of little vision,
have arrived, like a swan come to the great ocean.
Those who in former times explained things to me
(elsewhere, apart from Gotama's teaching),
saying, 'So it was, so it shall be' —
all that was hearsay,
all that only fostered speculation;
(therein I found no delight).
Alone, dispelling the darkness, he sits,
radiant, the maker of light —
Gotama of vast knowledge,
Gotama of vast wisdom,
who taught me the Dhamma,
to be seen for oneself, timeless,
the destruction of craving (taṇhā), free from adversity,
the likeness of which exists nowhere."
[The brahmin Bāvari:]
"Why then do you dwell apart from him
even for a moment, Piṅgiya —
from Gotama of vast knowledge,
Gotama of vast wisdom,
who taught you the Dhamma,
to be seen for oneself, timeless,
the destruction of craving, free from adversity,
the likeness of which exists nowhere?"
[The Venerable Piṅgiya:]
"I do not dwell apart from him
even for a moment, brahmin —
from Gotama of vast knowledge,
Gotama of vast wisdom,
who taught me the Dhamma,
to be seen for oneself, timeless,
the destruction of craving, free from adversity,
the likeness of which exists nowhere.
I see him with the mind as though with the eye,
night and day, brahmin, being heedful;
revering him, I pass the night;
therefore I hold there is no dwelling apart from him.
Faith and rapture (pīti), mind and mindfulness (sati),
incline me toward the teaching of Gotama;
to whatever quarter the one of vast wisdom goes,
to that very quarter I am bowed.
I am aged, my strength is feeble,
and for that very reason my body does not go there;
but by a journey of intention I go constantly,
for my mind, brahmin, is yoked to him.
(Lying) in the mire, floundering,
I drifted from island to island;
then I beheld the Fully Awakened One,
who has crossed the flood, free from taints."
[The Blessed One:]
"Just as Vakkali was resolved through faith,
as were Bhadrāvudha and Āḷavi-Gotama,
even so do you too release your faith:
you shall go, Piṅgiya, to the far shore of the realm of Death."
[The Venerable Piṅgiya:]
"All the more am I confident,
having heard the word of the sage (muni):
the Fully Awakened One, the veil drawn aside,
free from barrenness of mind, endowed with ready understanding.
Having directly known the higher gods (adhideva),
he has known all, high and low —
the Teacher who makes an end of questions
for doubters who avow them.
The unassailable, the unshakable,
the likeness of which exists nowhere —
assuredly I shall go there; herein I have no doubt.
Thus bear me in mind as one whose mind is resolved."
The Pārāyana Chapter (Pārāyanavagga), the fifth, is concluded.
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The Summary (uddāna) of the Suttas in the Suttanipāta
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.