Upasīva
Alone, O Sakya, unsupported too,
the mighty flood I do not dare to cross,
All-seeing One, please tell me of the means
using which I may overpass the flood.

Buddha
Mindfully do you no-thingness regard,
rely on “there-is-not” to go across the flood,
abandon conversation, let go of sense-desires,
See craving’s exhaustion by night and by day.

Upasīva
That one who’s unattached to sense-desires,
relying on no-thingness, left others aside,
freed in the highest of consciousness’s freedom,
will that one be established, or fall away from this?

Buddha
That one who’s unattached to sense-desires,
relying on no-thingness, left others aside,
freed in the highest of consciousness’s freedom,
that one will be established, not fall away from this.

Upasīva
Should that one remain even for a heap of years,
O all-Seeing One, but still not fall away?
Would that one liberated cool-become just there,
consciousness ceased in that very state?

Buddha
As flame blown out by force of wind
has gone to its “goal”, cannot be described,
likewise the Sage “in mind and body” freed:
gone to the Goal and cannot be described.

Upasīva
Does one not exist who’s reached the Goal?
Or does one dwell forever free?
O Sage, do well declare this to me now,
for certainly this dharma’s known by you.

Buddha
Of one who’s reached the Goal, no measure’s found,
there is not that by which one could be named,
when dharmas for that one are emptied out,
emptied are the ways of telling too.