riverwatere

 

Oghatarana Sutta.

Discourse on Crossing the Flood.

Thus have I heard:

Once the Bhagavā was residing at the Jetavana Monastery of Anāthapindika in Sāvatthi. Then, soon after the middle watch of the night, a certain deva of exceeding beauty approached the Bhagavā, illuminating the entire Jetavana Monastery. After paying homage to the Bhagavā, he stood at a suitable place. Thus standing, he addressed the Bhagavā:

"Sir, how did you cross the flood?"

"Friend, by not remaining still, and by not putting forth strenuous effort, I crossed the flood."

"But Sir, in what way did you cross the flood, neither remaining still, nor putting forth strenuous effort?"

"Friend, if I remain still, I sink; if I put forth strenuous effort, I drift. Thus, by neither remaining still nor putting forth strenuous effort, I crossed the flood."

"In the sentient world, only after a long time do I see one in whom the āsavas are extinct, one in whom defilements have been extinguished, and who, neither remaining still nor putting forth strenuous effort, has crossed the ocean of Craving."

Thus said the deva. The Teacher approved. Having noted the approval of the Teacher, the deva paid homage to the Lord Buddha, respectfully withdrew, and vanished from there.

End of the Oghatarana Sutta.

Navigating the Flood: The Buddha's Middle Path to Liberation

The Oghatarana Sutta presents one of the most profound and practical teachings in the early Buddhist texts - the Middle Way between extremes as the path to liberation. The dialogue between the Buddha and the deva encapsulates the essence of the Buddhist path in a few powerful sentences.

Understanding the Flood

The "flood" or ogha represents the powerful currents of suffering that keep beings trapped in samsara - the endless cycle of birth and death. This flood consists of four interconnected streams:

First, the flood of sensual desire (kāmogha), which is the strong attachment to pleasures through the five senses. This includes not just obvious indulgences but also the subtle clinging to comfort and pleasant experiences.

Second, the flood of becoming (bhavogha), representing attachment to existence itself - whether in the material realms or the formless realms of meditation. This includes the craving for continued existence and the fear of non-existence.

Third, the flood of wrong views (diṭṭhogha), comprising sixty-two specific misconceptions about reality as detailed in the Brahmajāla Sutta. These range from beliefs in eternalism and nihilism to various speculations about the nature of the self and the world.

Fourth, and most fundamental, is the flood of ignorance (avijjogha) - the failure to understand the Four Noble Truths and the true nature of reality.

The Two Extremes

The Buddha's response reveals why most spiritual seekers fail to cross this flood. He identifies two common mistakes:

"If I remain still, I sink" describes the error of spiritual passivity. This includes both indulgence in sensual pleasures and simple spiritual laziness. When one makes no effort to cultivate wholesome qualities or abandon unwholesome ones, one inevitably sinks into lower states of existence. This represents the extreme of sensual indulgence that the Buddha witnessed among ordinary people.

"If I put forth strenuous effort, I drift" represents the opposite error - excessive striving. This includes self-mortification practices the Buddha himself tried and rejected before his enlightenment. More subtly, it also describes performing good deeds while still attached to their results, or striving for spiritual attainments with a sense of self. Such efforts, though seemingly virtuous, still bind one to the cycle of existence because they are rooted in craving and ego.

The Middle Way

The Buddha's solution is neither passive acceptance nor violent striving, but what he called the Middle Way. This is the Noble Eightfold Path - a gradual training that combines right understanding with balanced effort. It involves:

Mindful awareness of the present moment without forcing or suppressing experience

Cultivating wholesome qualities naturally and gradually

Practicing with wisdom and compassion rather than willful determination

Maintaining continuous gentle effort rather than alternating between bursts of energy and periods of laziness

This balanced approach allows one to navigate the flood without being overwhelmed by either current - neither swept away by sensual temptations nor exhausted by futile striving.

The Liberated One

The deva's concluding recognition highlights the rarity of such attainment. The one who has crossed the flood is described as having extinct āsavas - the deep-rooted mental intoxicants of sensual desire, becoming, ignorance, and wrong views. This refers to the arahant or Buddha, one who has completely uprooted the causes of suffering.

The historical context adds depth to this recognition. The deva in this discourse had known the previous Buddha Kassapa, and after many aeons without a fully enlightened teacher, finally encountered another Buddha in Gotama. This underscores both the rarity of Buddhas and the continuity of the Dhamma across time.

The Oghatarana Sutta thus serves as both a profound metaphysical teaching and a practical guide to spiritual practice. It reminds us that liberation comes not through extreme measures but through balanced, persistent, and mindful practice - the Middle Way that avoids both sinking in complacency and drifting in futile striving.