Song: ACROSS THE SHORE OF SUFFERING Inspired by The Khuddaka Nikāya, Cūḷaniddesa, Pārāyanavagga, Soḷasa Māṇavapucchāniddesa
[Intro]
Sixteen seekers came to learn,
With questions deep and hearts that yearn.
Before the Buddha, wise and kind,
They sought the truth that frees the mind.
[Verse 1]
They came to ask what lies beyond
The chains of craving, fear, and wrong.
Not just for words that sound so wise,
But for the truth that clears the eyes.
The Dhamma is more than words we hear,
It asks for practice, year by year.
Reflect, awaken, learn to see,
What binds the heart and what sets it free.
[Chorus]
Across the shore of suffering,
Toward the peace of Nibbāna,
Let wisdom be the path we walk,
Let truth become the way we talk.
Release the chains that hold us down,
Let mindfulness turn life around.
Step by step, with hearts made clear,
The path grows brighter as we persevere.
[Verse 2]
Right view to help us understand,
Right thought to guide the heart and hand.
Right speech and action, honest ways,
Right livelihood through all our days.
Right effort keeps the mind awake,
Right mindfulness for each step we take.
Right concentration, calm and deep,
A noble path for us to keep.
[Chorus]
Across the shore of suffering,
Toward the peace of Nibbāna,
Let wisdom be the path we walk,
Let truth become the way we talk.
Release the chains that hold us down,
Let mindfulness turn life around.
Step by step, with hearts made clear,
The path grows brighter as we persevere.
[Bridge]
Do not stop at what you hear,
Bring the teaching close and near.
Question deeply, practice well,
Let insight break the bonds that bind.
The near shore holds our fears and pain,
The far shore brings release from craving.
Through the path the Buddha showed,
Walk with wisdom on the road.
[Outro]
Sixteen seekers, one great quest,
To find the truth beyond unrest.
May wisdom guide the steps we take,
May understanding help us wake.
Across the shore, beyond the sea,
May all who seek learn to be free.
With mindful hearts and effort true,
Let the Dhamma guide us through.
The Sixteen Brahmins Seek the Path Beyond Suffering: Lessons from the Soḷasa Māṇavapucchāniddesa
A teaching from the Cūḷaniddesa highlights the search for truth through wisdom, the importance of practicing the Dhamma, and the journey from the shore of defilements to the shore of Nibbāna.
The Soḷasa Māṇavapucchāniddesa, found in the Tipiṭaka, Volume 30, Sutta Piṭaka, Volume 22, Khuddaka Nikāya, Cūḷaniddesa, Pārāyanavagga, concerns sixteen Brahmins who approached the Buddha with subtle and profound questions. Each sought understanding of the Dhamma and the path to liberation from suffering. The Buddha answered their questions appropriately, bringing them joy and confidence in his teaching.
The sixteen Brahmins named in the text are Ajita, Tissametteyya, Puṇṇaka, Mettagū, Dhotaka, Upasīva, Nanda, Hemaka, Todeyya, Kappa, Jatukaṇṇī, Bhadrāvudha, Udaya, Posāla, Mogharāja, and Piṅgiya. They approached the Buddha, accomplished in conduct and wisdom, in search of answers to questions that could not be resolved through speculation alone.
Profound Questions in the Search for Truth
The Cūḷaniddesa explains that these questions concern matters that are deep, difficult to see and difficult to realize. They concern peaceful and subtle truths that the wise must approach through proper learning and understanding, rather than relying solely on speculation or belief unsupported by practice.
The Buddha responded to the Brahmins according to the nature of their questions and taught the Dhamma in a way that could be understood and practiced. The passage therefore highlights the importance of sincere inquiry, openness to instruction, and the continuing development of deeper understanding.
From the Shore of Defilements to the Shore of Nibbāna
The concluding discussion of the Pārāyanavagga describes practicing the Dhamma taught by the Buddha as a way to cross from the “near shore” to the “far shore.” The explanation identifies the near shore with defilements, the aggregates, and conditioned formations associated with suffering. The far shore is described as deathless Nibbāna: the calming of all formations, relinquishment of attachments, the ending of craving, the fading of passion, and cessation.
This image conveys an important principle: liberation does not arise merely from knowing theoretical answers. It requires sustained practice along the right path, loosening the mental bonds that perpetuate suffering.
The Noble Eightfold Path as the Heart of Practice
The Cūḷaniddesa identifies the noble path as the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Cultivating this path provides a way to move from confusion and defilement toward right understanding and freedom from suffering.
Study and listening to teachings are important beginnings, but putting the Dhamma into practice in daily life is equally essential. This includes thinking rightly, speaking truthfully, acting ethically, earning a livelihood responsibly, making an effort to abandon unwholesome states, cultivating mindfulness, and developing mental concentration.
A Lesson for Today: Ask Sincerely and Practice Deeply
The Soḷasa Māṇavapucchāniddesa remains meaningful for contemporary students of Buddhism. It illustrates that the search for truth calls for curiosity, humility in learning, and perseverance in practice. Students should not stop at memorizing words; they should reflect on their meaning and cultivate the teachings in everyday life.
The central message is that those who practice the Dhamma taught by the Buddha can follow a path from the shore of defilements and suffering toward the shore of peace and Nibbāna, with the Noble Eightfold Path serving as a central guide.
Source: Tipiṭaka, Volume 30; Sutta Piṭaka, Volume 22; Khuddaka Nikāya, Cūḷaniddesa, Pārāyanavagga, Soḷasa Māṇavapucchāniddesa and the related concluding exposition of the Pārāyanavagga.
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