“For those overwhelmed by old age and death,” said Venerable Kappa, “stuck mid-stream as the terrifying flood arises, tell me an island, good fellow. Explain to me an island so this may occur no further.”
“For those overwhelmed by old age and death,” replied the Buddha, “stuck mid-stream as the terrifying flood arises, I shall tell you an island, Kappa.
Having nothing, taking nothing: this is the island with nothing further. I call it extinguishment, the ending of old age and death.
Those who have fully understood this, mindful, are quenched in this very life. They don’t fall under Māra’s sway, nor are they his footmen.”
The Questions of Kappa
Snp 5.11 · Kappamāṇavapucchā
Connections
Collection & context
- Sutta NipātaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- On The Way To The Far Shore: Q&A with The Buddha on the Way to AwakeningLeigh Brasington · Commentary
- Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.