snp.5.18 Suttanipata

Homage to the Way to the Far Shore

This was said by the Buddha while staying in the land of the Magadhans at the Pāsāṇake shrine.
When requested by the sixteen brahmin devotees, he answered their questions one by one.
If you understand the meaning and the teaching of each of these questions, and practice accordingly, you may go right to the far shore of old age and death.
These teachings are said to lead to the far shore, which is why the name of this exposition of the teaching is “The Way to the Far Shore”.
Ajita, Tissametteyya,
Puṇṇaka and Mettagū,
Dhotaka and Upasiva,
Nanda and then Hemaka,
both Todeyya and Kappa,
and Jatukaṇṇī the astute,
Bhadrāvudha and Udaya,
and the brahmin Posāla,
Mogharājā the intelligent,
and Piṅgiya the great hermit:
they approached the Buddha,
the hermit of consummate conduct.
Asking their subtle questions,
they came to the most excellent Buddha.
The Buddha answered their questions
in accordance with truth.
The sage satisfied the brahmins
with his answers to their questions.
Those who were satisfied by the all-seer,
the Buddha, kinsman of the Sun,
led the spiritual life in his presence,
the one of such splendid wisdom.
If you practice in accordance
with each of these questions
as taught by the Buddha,
you’ll go from the near shore to the far.
Developing the supreme path,
you’ll go from the near shore to the far.
This path is for going to the far shore;
that’s why it’s called “The Way to the Far Shore”.