Mettagūmāṇavapucchā

“This I ask. Tell me this, Auspicious One,”
said the venerable Mettagū.
“I deem you wisdom-reached and self-developed.
From where are these uneases arisen,
whichever, manifold in this world?”

“You've asked me of the origination of unease, Mettagū!”
said the Auspicious One.
“That I shall declare to you as I understand.
Originating from dependence uneases originate,
whichever, manifold in this world.
Indeed, he, unknowing, who makes a dependence,
approaches unease again and again, the fool.
Therefore, understanding, one should not make a dependence,
seeing the birth and origination of unease.”

“That which we asked, you have related to us.
Another thing we ask, now come! Tell:
how do the steadfast cross the flood,
of birth, aging, grief, and lamentation?
Explain that well to me, sage,
for so is this order known to you.”

“I shall relate to you the order, Mettagū,”
said the Auspicious One,
“experiential, not hearsay,
knowing which, faring recollected,
one would go beyond entanglement in the world.”

“I rejoice, great sage,
in that supreme order,
knowing which, faring recollected,
one would go beyond entanglement in the world.”

“Whatever you know of, Mettagū,”
said the Auspicious One,
“above, below, across and in the middle;
having dispelled delight and settling down in these,
consciousness would not remain in being.
Dwelling so, recollected, heedful,
a bhikkhu faring having given up what was made his —
birth, aging, grief, and lamentation —
right here the wise one would leave behind unease.”

“I rejoice in this saying of the great seer —
well-related, Gotama, is the state without dependence!
Certainly the Auspicious One has left behind unease,
for so is this order known to you.
Surely, they too would leave behind unease,
those who you regularly instruct, sage.
Having realized that, I bow to you, bull.
Hopefully the Auspicious One would instruct me regularly as well!”

“Whichever brahmin you might recognize to have reached knowledge,
without anything, unstuck in sensual being —
certainly he has crossed the flood,
gone beyond, unobstructed, doubtless.
That wise one, the man who has reached knowledge in this regard,
having released this snare in existence and non-existence —
he is without craving, untrembling, wishless;
he has gone beyond birth and aging, I say.”