Dasakanipāta 117

Numbered Discourses 10.117

12. The Ceremony of Descent

With Saṅgārava

1 Then Saṅgārava the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Worthy Gotama, what is the near shore? And what is the far shore?”

“Wrong view is the near shore, brahmin, and right view is the far shore. Wrong purpose is the near shore, and right purpose is the far shore. Wrong speech is the near shore, and right speech is the far shore. Wrong action is the near shore, and right action is the far shore. Wrong livelihood is the near shore, and right livelihood is the far shore. Wrong effort is the near shore, and right effort is the far shore. Wrong mindfulness is the near shore, and right mindfulness is the far shore. Wrong immersion is the near shore, and right immersion is the far shore. Wrong knowledge is the near shore, and right knowledge is the far shore. Wrong freedom is the near shore, and right freedom is the far shore. This is the near shore, and this is the far shore.

2 Few are those among humans

who cross to the far shore.

The rest just run around

on the near shore.

3 When the teaching is well explained,

the people who practice accordingly

will cross over

Death’s dominion so hard to pass.

4 Rid of dark qualities,

an astute person would develop the bright.

Having left home for homelessness

in seclusion, where joy is hard,

5 they’d long for satisfaction there.

Forsaking sensual pleasures, owning nothing,

an astute person would cleanse themselves

of mental corruptions.

6 And those whose minds are rightly developed

in the awakening factors;

who, letting go of attachments,

delight in not grasping—

with defilements ended, brilliant,

they are quenched in this world.”