Dabba Sutta
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Dabba Sutta: About Dabba Mallaputta
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then Ven. Dabba Mallaputta went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Now is the time for my total unbinding, O One-Well-Gone!"
"Then do, Dabba, what you think it is now time to do."
Then Ven. Dabba Mallaputta, rising from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One and, circling him on the right, rose up into the air and sat cross-legged in the sky, in space. Entering & emerging from the fire property, he was totally unbound. Now, when Dabba Mallaputta rose up into the air and, sitting cross-legged in the sky, in space, entered & emerged from the fire property and was totally unbound, his body burned and was consumed so that neither ashes nor soot could be discerned. Just as when ghee or oil is burned and consumed, neither ashes nor soot can be discerned, in the same way, when Dabba Mallaputta rose up into the air and, sitting cross-legged in the sky, in space, entered & emerged from the fire property and was totally unbound, his body burned and was consumed so that neither ashes nor soot could be discerned.
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
The body broke up, perception ceased, feelings went cold[1] — all — fabrications were stilled, consciousness has come to an end.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. There he addressed the monks, "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded to him.
The Blessed One said, "When Dabba Mallaputta rose up into the air and, sitting cross-legged in the sky, in space, entered & emerged from the fire property and was totally unbound, his body burned and was consumed so that neither ashes nor soot could be discerned. Just as when ghee or oil is burned and consumed, neither ashes nor soot can be discerned, in the same way, when Dabba Mallaputta rose up into the air and, sitting cross-legged in the sky, in space, entered & emerged from the fire property and was totally unbound, his body burned and was consumed so that neither ashes nor soot could be discerned."
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
Just as the destination of a glowing fire struck with a [blacksmith's] iron hammer, gradually growing calm, isn't known:[1] Even so, there's no destination to describe for those rightly released — having crossed over the flood of sensuality's bond — for those who've attained unwavering bliss.
Note
1.
For a discussion of the ancient Buddhist view of what happened to an extinguished fire, see The Mind Like Fire Unbound, Chapters 1 and 2.
2.
Following the reading vedanā sītibhaviṃsu from the Burmese and Sri Lankan editions. In support of this reading, see MN 140 and Iti 44. The Thai edition reads, vedanā-pīti-dahaṃsu: feeling & rapture were burned away.