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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

44. Abyākatasaṁyutta: On the Undeclared

I. The Undeclared Points — SN44.11: With Sabhiya Kaccāna

1At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Nādika in the brick house. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna:

“Master Kaccāna, does a Realized One exist after death?”

“Vaccha, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Well then, does a Realized One not exist after death?”

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”


2“Well then, does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death?”

“This has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Well then, does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?”

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”


3“Master Kaccāna, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.


What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?”

“In order to describe him as ‘possessing form’ or ‘formless’ or ‘percipient’ or ‘non-percipient’ or ‘neither percipient nor non-percipient’, there must be some cause or reason for doing so. But if that cause and reason were to totally and utterly cease without anything left over, how could you describe him in any such terms?”

“Master Kaccāna, how long has it been since you went forth?”


“Not long, reverend: three years.”

“Well, you’ve learned a lot already, let alone what lies ahead!”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike vihārati giñjakāvasathe. Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:

"Kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

"Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

"Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

"Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.


2"Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

"Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

"Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

"Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.


3"‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

‘Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā – neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.


Ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ samaṇena gotamenā"ti?

"Yo ca, vaccha, hetu, yo ca paccayo paññāpanāya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā, so ca hetu, so ca paccayo sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjheyya. Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā"ti.

"Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā"ti?


"Naciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī"ti.

"Yassapassa, āvuso, etamettakena ettakameva tampassa bahu, ko pana vādo evaṁ abhikkante"ti.


Ekādasamaṁ.

Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.

4Khemātherī anurādho,
sāriputtoti koṭṭhiko;
Moggallāno ca vaccho ca,
kutūhalasālānando;
Sabhiyo ekādasamanti.

Abyākatasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

5Saḷāyatanavedanā,
mātugāmo jambukhādako;
Sāmaṇḍako moggallāno,
citto gāmaṇi saṅkhataṁ;
Abyākatanti dasadhāti.

Saḷāyatanavaggo catuttho.

Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.