1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Now at that time two renunciates— the wanderer Muṇḍiya and Jāliya the pupil of Dārupattika—came to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they stood to one side and said to the Buddha,

“Reverend Gotama, are the soul and the body the same thing, or they are different things?”

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2“Well then, reverends, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, reverend,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Take the case when a Realized One arises in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha … That’s how a mendicant is accomplished in ethics. …

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3They enter and remain in the first absorption …

When a mendicant knows and sees like this, would it be appropriate to say of them: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’?”

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“It would, reverend.”

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“But reverends, I know and see like this. Nevertheless, I do not say: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’. … They enter and remain in the second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

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When a mendicant knows and sees like this, would it be appropriate to say of them: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’?”

“It would, reverend.”

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“But reverends, I know and see like this. Nevertheless, I do not say: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’. …

They extend and project the mind toward knowledge and vision … When a mendicant knows and sees like this, would it be appropriate to say of them: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’?”

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“It would, reverend.”

“But reverends, I know and see like this. Nevertheless, I do not say: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’. …

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4They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’ When a mendicant knows and sees like this, would it be appropriate to say of them: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’?”

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“It would not, reverend.”

“But reverends, I know and see like this. Nevertheless, I do not say: ‘The soul and the body are the same thing’ or ‘The soul and the body are different things’.”

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5That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the two renunciates were happy with what the Buddha said.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena dve pabbajitā—muṇḍiyo ca paribbājako jāliyo ca dārupattikantevāsī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho te dve pabbajitā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso gotama, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ, udāhu aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran"ti?

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2"Tena hāvuso, suṇātha sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evamāvuso"ti kho te dve pabbajitā bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

"idhāvuso, tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ, sammāsambuddho … pe … Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu sīlasampanno hoti.

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3… pe … Paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

Yo kho, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, kallaṁ nu kho tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

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Yo so, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, kallaṁ tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

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Ahaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, evaṁ jānāmi evaṁ passāmi. Atha ca panāhaṁ na vadāmi: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vā … pe … dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

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Yo kho, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, kallaṁ nu kho tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti?

Yo so, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati kallaṁ, tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

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Ahaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, evaṁ jānāmi evaṁ passāmi. Atha ca panāhaṁ na vadāmi: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vā … pe … ñāṇadassanāya cittaṁ abhinīharati abhininnāmeti …

yo kho, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, kallaṁ nu kho tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

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Yo so, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati kallaṁ tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

Ahaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, evaṁ jānāmi evaṁ passāmi. Atha ca panāhaṁ na vadāmi: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vā … pe … .

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4… pe … Nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti. Yo kho, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, kallaṁ nu kho tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti?

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Yo so, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁ jānāti evaṁ passati, na kallaṁ tassetaṁ vacanāya: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vāti.

Ahaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, evaṁ jānāmi evaṁ passāmi. Atha ca panāhaṁ na vadāmi: 'taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran'ti vā 'aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran'ti vā"ti.

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5Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā te dve pabbajitā bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

Jāliyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.