In short: in the very first discourse of the Saṁyutta Nikāya (SN 1.1) the Buddha says he crossed the flood of suffering "neither standing nor swimming": neither stalling nor straining. It is a short teaching on the middle way in practice.
A deity asked the Buddha: "Good fellow, how did you cross the flood?" "Neither standing nor swimming." "But how?" "When I stood, I sank under. When I swam, I was swept away. That's how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming."
What it means
The "flood" is the rush of desire, becoming and confusion. Standing still (stagnating, clinging) makes you sink; struggling hard (straining, craving results) sweeps you away. The way across is balanced, neither forcing nor giving up: the middle way. A lovely teaching for anyone who is either pushing too hard or stuck.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (SN1.1). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Evaṁ me sutaṁ— | So I have heard. |
| ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. | At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. |
| Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, |
| “kathaṁ nu tvaṁ, mārisa, oghamatarī”ti? | “Good fellow, how did you cross the flood?” |
| “Appatiṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti. | “Neither standing nor swimming, respectable sir, I crossed the flood.” |
| “Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarī”ti? | “But in what way did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?” |
| “Yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṁsīdāmi; | “When I stood, I sank under. |
| yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi. | When I swam, I was swept away. |
| Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti. | That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.” |
| “Cirassaṁ vata passāmi, | “After a long time I see |
| brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ; | a brahmin fully quenched. |
| Appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ, | Neither standing nor swimming, |
| tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan”ti. | he’s crossed over clinging to the world.” |
| Idamavoca sā devatā. | That is what that deity said, |
| Samanuñño satthā ahosi. | and the Teacher concurred. |
| Atha kho sā devatā: | |
| “samanuñño me satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti. | Then that deity, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there. |
More questions answered in verse: Āḷavaka's questions.
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Questions people ask
What does 'neither standing nor swimming' mean?
In SN 1.1 the Buddha says he crossed the flood of suffering neither by standing still (he would sink) nor by struggling (he would be swept away): a riddle for the balanced middle way.