34. Cūḷagopālaka Sutta

1.[225] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Vajjian country at Ukkācelā on the banks of the river Ganges. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

2.“Bhikkhus, there was once a foolish Magadhan cowherd who, in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, without examining the near shore or the further shore of the river Ganges, drove his cattle across to the other shore in the Videhan country at a place that had no ford. Then the cattle bunched together in mid-stream in the river Ganges, and they met with calamity and disaster. Why was that? Because that foolish Magadhan cowherd, in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, without examining the near shore or the further shore of the river Ganges, drove his cattle across to the other shore in the Videhan country at a place that had no ford.

3.“So too, bhikkhus, as to those recluses and brahmins who are unskilled in this world and the other world, unskilled in Māra’s realm and what is outside Māra’s realm, unskilled in the realm of Death and what is outside the realm of Death—it will lead to the harm and suffering for a long time of those who think they should listen to them and place faith in them.

4.“Bhikkhus, there was once a wise Magadhan cowherd who, in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, after examining the near shore and the further shore of the river Ganges, drove his cattle across to the other shore in the Videhan country at a place that had a ford. He made the bulls, the fathers and leaders of the herd, enter first, and they breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore. He made the strong cattle and the cattle to be tamed enter next, and they too breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore. He made the heifers and young oxen enter next, and they too breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore. He made the calves and the feeble cattle enter next, and they too breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore. At the time there was a tender calf just born, and being urged on by its mother’s lowing, it too breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore. Why was that? Because that wise Magadhan cowherd, [226] in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, after examining the near shore and the further shore of the river Ganges, drove his cattle across to the other shore in the Videhan country at a place that had a ford.

5.“So too, bhikkhus, as to those recluses and brahmins who are skilled in this world and the other world, skilled in Māra’s realm and what is outside Māra’s realm, skilled in the realm of Death and what is outside the realm of Death—it will lead to the welfare and happiness for a long time of those who think they should listen to them and place faith in them.

6.“Bhikkhus, just as the bulls, the fathers and leaders of the herd, breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore, so too, those bhikkhus who are arahants with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and are completely liberated through final knowledge—by breasting Māra’s stream they have gotten safely across to the further shore.

7.“Just as the strong cattle and the cattle to be tamed breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore, so too, those bhikkhus who, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, will reappear spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and there attain final Nibbāna without ever returning from that world—by breasting Māra’s stream they will get safely across to the further shore.

8.“Just as the heifers and young oxen breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore, so too, those bhikkhus who, with the destruction of three fetters and with the attenuation of lust, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, returning once to this world to make an end of suffering—by breasting Māra’s stream they too will get safely across to the further shore.

9.“Just as the calves and the feeble cattle breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore, so too, those bhikkhus who, with the destruction of three fetters, are stream-enterers, no longer subject to perdition, bound [for deliverance], headed for enlightenment—by breasting Māra’s stream they too will get safely across to the further shore.

10.“Just as that tender calf just born, being urged on by its mother’s lowing, also breasted the stream of the Ganges and got safely across to the further shore, so too, those bhikkhus who are Dhamma-followers and faith-followers—by breasting Māra’s stream they too will get safely across to the further shore.³⁶⁸ See n.273.

11.“Bhikkhus, I am [227] skilled in this world and in the other world, skilled in Māra’s realm and in what is outside Māra’s realm, skilled in the realm of Death and in what is outside the realm of Death. It will lead to the welfare and happiness for a long time of those who think they should listen to me and place faith in me.”

12.That is what the Blessed One said. When the Sublime One had said that, the Teacher said further:

“Both this world and the world beyond
Are well described by the one who knows,
And what is still in Māra’s reach
And what is out of reach of Death.

Knowing directly all the world,
The Enlightened One who understands
Opened the door to the deathless state
By which the safety of Nibbāna may be reached;

For Māra’s stream is breasted now,
Its current blocked, its reeds removed;
Rejoice then, bhikkhus, mightily
And set your hearts where safety lies.”