AN 4.45 Rohitassa-sutta

A teaching to Rohitassa

At one time the Buddha was staying in Savatthi at the Jetavana, Anātha-pindika's park.

And then late one night Rohitassa, a stunningly beautiful and young deity, having illuminated the entire Jetavana, approached the Buddha, bowed to him and stood to one side. Then Rohitassa said to the Buddha, "Is it possible, sir, by travelling to know or see or attain the end of the world where one is not born, does not age, is not killed, does not die and is not re-born?"

"Friend, I do not say that by travelling the end of the world could be known, seen or attained where one is not born, does not age, is not killed, does not die and is not re-born."

"Marvellous, sir, amazing! How well spoken by the Buddha, sir: 'Friend, I do not say that by travelling the end of the world could be known, seen or attained where one is not born, does not age, is not killed, does not die and is not re-born.'

"In the past, sir, I was a shaman by the name of Rohitassa, a member of the Bhoja people, with supernormal powers, able to travel through the sky. Sir, I had such speed as a skilful, practised and experienced archer with a strong bow might with little difficulty shoot a light arrow though the shadow of a palm tree. I had such a stride as the western ocean is from the eastern ocean. Endowed with such speed and such a stride, this kind of longing arose, 'I will attain the end of the world by travelling.' Then, sir, apart from eating and drinking, apart from answering the call of nature, and apart from removing sleepiness, having a life-span of one hundred years and living for one hundred years [I] travelled [but] died not having arrived at the end of the world.

"Marvellous, sir, amazing! How well spoken by the Buddha, sir: 'Friend, I do not say that by travelling the end of the world could be known, seen or attained where one is not born, does not age, is not killed, does not die and is not re-born.'"

"Friend, I do not say that by travelling the end of the world could be known, seen or attained, where one is not born, does not age, is not killed, does not die and is not re-born. And yet, friend, I do not say there is an ending of suffering without arriving at the end of the world. Indeed, friend, in this very fathom-long body, endowed with perception and intelligence, I proclaim the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world."

Not by travelling could
the end of the world ever be reached;
And yet, not having reached the end of the world,
there's no liberation from suffering.

So the wise one, the true knower of the world,
who's gone to the end of the world and fulfilled the spiritual journey;
At peace, having known the end of the world,
Has no desire for this world, or the next.