The Buddha crossed the flood of suffering without any support and without struggling.

SN 1.1 Oghataraṇa sutta - Crossing the Flood

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kathaṁ nu tvaṁ, mārisa, oghamatarī”ti?

Then, when the night had advanced, a certain deity, radiant in appearance and illuminating almost the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing there, the deity said this to the Blessed One: “How, dear sir, did you cross over the flood?”

“Appatiṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti.

“Without any support, friend, and without struggling, I crossed over the flood.”

“Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarī”ti?

“But how, dear sir, did you cross over the flood without any support and without struggling?”

“Yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṁsīdāmi; yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi. Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti.

“When I took support, friend, I sank; when I struggled, I was swept away. In this way, friend, without any support, without struggling, I crossed over the flood.”

“Cirassaṁ vata passāmi,
brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ;
Appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ,
tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan”ti.

“After a long time, indeed, I see,
a |sage::Brāhmaṇa, a title used for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]| who is |completely quenched::completely cooled of mental defilements [parinibbuta]|;
without any support, without struggling,
having crossed over |entanglement in::attachment to, ensnarement in [visattika]| the world.”

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

This is what the deity said. The Teacher approved. Then that deity, thinking “The Teacher approves,” paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and disappeared right there.

Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Quenching

Quenching

An experiential state of being “cooled,” where the burning fever of craving has subsided and the mind dwells in a peace free from the anxiety of needing to become something else.

Also known as: being cooled, desirelessness, free from hope, fulfilled, fully satiated, having attained emancipation
Pāli: nibbuta, nirāsa, parinibbāyati
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Last updated on July 11, 2026