Signless Serenity of Heart

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1][pts] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time Old Man Moggallāna The Great,
Sāvatthī-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There then Old Man Moggallāna The Great addressed the beggars:

"Beggars, my friends!"

"Friend!" the beggars responded to Moggallāna.

Old Man Moggallāna The Great said to them:

"Here, friends,
as I had retreated into solitude
there arose in my heart
this train of thought:

'"Signless serenity of heart!
signless serenity of heart!"
so they say.

Now what then is signless serenity of heart?'

So then it recurred to me, friends:

'Here a beggar,
by not studying any signs
abides getting a grip
on signless serenity of heart.

This is what they call signless serenity of heart'

Then I, friends,
by not studying any signs
abided getting a grip
on signless serenity of heart.

But then, friends,
as I abided in this abiding,
there came consciousness of following signs.

There then, friends,
The Lucky man, through his majesty,
approached me and said:

'Moggallāna!

Moggallāna!

Do not, Brahmin,
be careless with signless serenity of heart!

Set your heart on signless serenity of heart!

Make one with your heart signless serenity of heart.

Steady your heart in signless serenity of heart!'

So then I, friends,
by not studying any signs
abided getting a grip
on signless serenity of heart.

He who would, speaking highly of one, friends, say:

'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge,'

would, speaking highly of me, say:

'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge.'"