AN 6.54 (A iii 366)
Dhammika Sutta
— Āyasmā Dhammika —

In this sutta, the word tathāgata is not used to designate the Buddha but in the common sense, which allows us a better grasp of its meaning.


Note: plain texts


Pāḷi

English



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Bhūtapubbaṃ, brāhmaṇa dhammika, sāmuddikā vāṇijā tīradassiṃ sakuṇaṃ gahetvā nāvāya samuddaṃ ajjhogāhanti. Te atīradakkhiṇiyā nāvāya tīradassiṃ sakuṇaṃ muñcanti. So gacchateva puratthimaṃ disaṃ, gacchati pacchimaṃ disaṃ, gacchati uttaraṃ disaṃ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṃ disaṃ, gacchati uddhaṃ, gacchati anudisaṃ. Sace so samantā tīraṃ passati, tathāgatakova hoti. Sace pana so samantā tīraṃ na passati tameva nāvaṃ paccāgacchati.

In ancient times when seafaring merchants put to sea in ships, they took with them a bird to sight land. When the ship was out of sight of land, they released the bird; and it flew eastward and westward, northward and southward, upward and all around. And if the bird sighted land nearby, it was truly gone. But if the bird saw no land, it returned to the ship.

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Bodhi leaf


Translated from the Pali by Andrew Olendzki.
Access to Insight, 4 July 2010.

———oOo———
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