Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambi on the bank of the river Ganges.
Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi: “passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?
The Blessed One saw a big log of wood being carried along by the current of the river Ganges. Having seen this, he addressed the bhikkhus: “Do you see, bhikkhus, that big log of wood being carried along by the current of the river Ganges?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Sace so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na majjhe saṁsīdissati, na thale ussīdissati, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissati; evañhi so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho samuddaninno bhavissati samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro. Taṁ kissa hetu? Samuddaninno, bhikkhave, gaṅgāya nadiyā soto samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro.
“If, bhikkhus, that log of wood does not veer towards the near shore, does not veer towards the far shore, does not sink in mid-stream, does not get cast up on high ground, does not get caught by humans, does not get caught by non-humans, does not get sucked in by a whirlpool, and does not become inwardly rotten—then, bhikkhus, that log of wood will incline towards the ocean, slope towards the ocean, and lead towards the ocean. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, the current of the river Ganges itself inclines toward the ocean, slopes toward the ocean, and leads toward the ocean.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, sace tumhepi na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha; na majjhe saṁsīdissatha, na thale ussīdissatha, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūtī bhavissatha; evaṁ tumhe, bhikkhave, nibbānaninnā bhavissatha nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nibbānaninnā, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā”ti.
In the same way, bhikkhus, if you do not veer towards the near shore, do not veer towards the far shore, do not sink in mid-stream, do not get cast up on high ground, do get caught by humans, do net get caught by non-humans, do not get sucked in by a whirlpool, and do not become inwardly rotten—then, bhikkhus, you will incline towards |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|, slope towards Nibbāna, and lead towards Nibbāna. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, |right view::view that is in line with the Dhamma - teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sammādiṭṭhi]| itself inclines toward Nibbāna, slopes toward Nibbāna, and leads toward Nibbāna.”
Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, a certain bhikkhu addressed the Blessed One:
“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ, kiṁ pārimaṁ tīraṁ, ko majjhe saṁsādo, ko thale ussādo, ko manussaggāho, ko amanussaggāho, ko āvaṭṭaggāho, ko antopūtibhāvo”ti?
“Venerable Sir, what is the near shore? What is the far shore? What is sinking mid-stream? What is getting cast up on high ground? What is getting caught by humans? What is getting caught by non-humans? What is being sucked in by a whirlpool? And what is inward rottenness?”
“‘Orimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
“‘The near shore,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the |six internal sense bases::the six internal sense faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—that enable sensory experience [cha + ajjhattika + āyatana]|.
‘Pārimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ bāhirānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘The far shore,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the |six external sense bases::the six external sense objects—forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental objects—that correspond to the six internal sense bases and serve as their respective fields of experience [cha + bāhira + āyatana]|.
‘Majjhe saṁsādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Sinking mid-stream,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for |delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]| and |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|.
‘Thale ussādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, asmimānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Getting cast up on high ground,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the |conceit ‘I am.’::egotism, self-conceit, self comparison [asmimāna]|
Katamo ca, bhikkhu, manussaggāho? Idha, bhikkhu, gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho viharati, sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, manussaggāho.
And what, bhikkhu, is getting caught by humans? Here, a certain person lives closely associated with householders, sharing in their joys and sorrows, being happy when they are happy and miserable when they are miserable, and he involves himself in their affairs and duties. This, bhikkhu, is called getting caught by humans.
Katamo ca, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho? Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho.
And what, bhikkhu, is getting caught by non-humans? Here, a certain person lives the spiritual life with the aspiration [to be reborn] into a certain order of Gods, thinking: ‘By this virtue or observance or asceticism or spiritual life, I will become one of the Gods.’ This, bhikkhu, is called getting caught by non-humans.
‘Āvaṭṭaggāho’ti kho, bhikkhu, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Getting sucked in by a whirlpool,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the five cords of sensual pleasure.
Katamo ca, bhikkhu, antopūtibhāvo? Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asucisaṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, ‘antopūtibhāvo’”ti.
And what, bhikkhu, is inward rottenness? Here, a certain person is |unprincipled::without regard for ethical conduct [dussīla]|, |endowed with harmful qualities::one who has had a long association of harmful mental qualities - of negligence, laziness, having many wishes, irrational application of mind, lack of situational awareness, having bad friends, pursuing bad habits [pāpadhamma]|, of impure and suspicious behavior, who is underhanded in business, no ascetic but claiming to be one, not celibate but pretending to be celibate, rotten inside, oozing with lust, and filthy. This, bhikkhu, is called inward rottenness.”
Tena kho pana samayena nando gopālako bhagavato avidūre ṭhito hoti. Atha kho nando gopālako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Now on that occasion, the cowherd Nanda was standing near the Blessed One. He then said to the Blessed One:
“ahaṁ kho, bhante, na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na majjhe saṁsīdissāmi, na thale ussīdissāmi, na maṁ manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissāmi. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
“Venerable Sir, I will not veer towards the near shore, I will not veer towards the far shore, I will not sink in mid-stream, I will not get cast up on high ground, I will not get caught by humans, I will not get caught by non-humans, I will not get sucked in by a whirlpool, I will not become inwardly rotten. May I receive the going forth under the Blessed One, may I receive the higher ordination.”
“Tena hi tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātehī”ti.
“In that case, Nanda, return the cows to their owners.”
“Gamissanti, bhante, gāvo vacchagiddhiniyo”ti.
“The cows will go back on their own accord, venerable sir, out of longing for the calves.”
“Niyyāteheva tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo”ti.
“Return the cows to their owners, Nanda.”
Atha kho nando gopālako sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “niyyātitā, bhante, sāmikānaṁ gāvo. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
Then the cowherd Nanda, having returned the cows to their owners, went to where the Blessed One was. Having drawn near, he said: “The cows have been returned to their owners, venerable sir. May I receive the going forth under the Blessed One, may I receive the higher ordination.”
Alattha kho nando gopālako bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā nando eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.
Then the cowherd Nanda received the going forth under the Blessed One, and he received the higher ordination. And soon, not long after his higher ordination, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, resolute, and with continuous effort, soon realized with direct knowledge, in this very life, the unsurpassed culmination of the spiritual life, for the purpose of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the household life to the homeless life, and having personally attained it, he dwelled in it.
"Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā nando arahataṁ ahosīti.
He understood: “Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.” And the cowherd Nanda became one among the |arahants::fully awakened ones, free from all mental defilements; worthy of offerings and veneration; also an epithet of the Buddha [arahant]|.