Loke (world)

AN 4.45 loke is this 6 foot long body

45. Rohitassasutta	45. With Rohitassa

Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho rohitasso devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṃ jetavanaṃ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho rohitasso devaputto bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:	At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, the glorious god Rohitassa, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:

“Yattha nu kho, bhante, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, sakkā nu kho so, bhante, gamanena lokassa anto ñātuṃ vā daṭṭhuṃ vā pāpuṇituṃ vā”ti? “Yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṃ taṃ gamanena lokassa antaṃ ñāteyyaṃ daṭṭheyyaṃ patteyyanti vadāmī”ti.	“Sir, is it possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn?” “Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn.”

“Acchariyaṃ, bhante, abbhutaṃ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitamidaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṃ taṃ gamanena lokassa antaṃ ñāteyyaṃ daṭṭheyyaṃ patteyyanti vadāmī’”ti.	“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.

“Bhūtapubbāhaṃ, bhante, rohitasso nāma isi ahosiṃ bhojaputto iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, evarūpo javo ahosi, seyyathāpi nāma daḷhadhammā dhanuggaho sikkhito katahattho katūpāsano lahukena asanena appakasirena tiriyaṃ tālacchāyaṃ atipāteyya. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, evarūpo padavītihāro ahosi, seyyathāpi nāma puratthimā samuddā pacchimo samuddo. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, evarūpena javena samannāgatassa evarūpena ca padavītihārena evarūpaṃ icchāgataṃ uppajji: ‘ahaṃ gamanena lokassa antaṃ pāpuṇissāmī’ti. So kho ahaṃ, bhante, aññatreva asitapītakhāyitasāyitā aññatra uccārapassāvakammā aññatra niddākilamathapaṭivinodanā vassasatāyuko vassasatajīvī vassasataṃ gantvā appatvāva lokassa antaṃ antarāyeva kālaṅkato.	Once upon a time, I was a seer called Rohitassa, son of Bhoja. I was a sky-walker with psychic powers. I was as fast as a light arrow easily shot across the shadow of a palm tree by a well-trained expert archer with a strong bow. My stride was such that it could span from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. Having such speed and stride, this wish came to me: ‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’ I traveled for my whole lifespan of a hundred years—pausing only to eat and drink, go to the toilet, and sleep to dispel weariness—and I passed away along the way, never reaching the end of the world.

Acchariyaṃ, bhante, abbhutaṃ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitamidaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṃ taṃ gamanena lokassa antaṃ ñāteyyaṃ daṭṭheyyaṃ patteyyanti vadāmī’”ti.	It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.”

“‘Yattha kho, āvuso, na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, nāhaṃ taṃ gamanena lokassa antaṃ ñāteyyaṃ daṭṭheyyaṃ patteyyan’ti vadāmi. Na cāhaṃ, āvuso, appatvāva lokassa antaṃ dukkhassa antakiriyaṃ vadāmi. Api cāhaṃ, āvuso, imasmiṃyeva byāmamatte kaḷevare sasaññimhi samanake lokañca paññāpemi lokasamudayañca lokanirodhañca lokanirodhagāminiñca paṭipadanti.	“Reverend, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. But I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world. For it is in this fathom-long carcass with its perception and mind that I describe the world, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

Gamanena na pattabbo,	The end of the world can never
lokassanto kudācanaṃ;	be reached by traveling.
Na ca appatvā lokantaṃ,	But without reaching the end of the world,
dukkhā atthi pamocanaṃ.	there’s no release from suffering.

Tasmā have lokavidū sumedho,	So a clever person, understanding the world,
Lokantagū vusitabrahmacariyo;	has completed the spiritual journey, and gone to the end of the world.
Lokassa antaṃ samitāvi ñatvā,	A peaceful one, knowing the end of the world,
Nāsīsatī lokamimaṃ parañcā”ti.	does not hope for this world or the next.”