1At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sāriputta:

2“Reverend Sāriputta, does a Realized One exist after death?”

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

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

Does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death? …

Does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?”

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

3“Reverend, when asked these questions, you say that they have not been declared by the Buddha. What’s the cause, what’s the reason why they have not been declared by the Buddha?”

4“Reverend, ‘does a Realized One exist after death?’ is included in form. ‘Does a Realized One not exist after death?’ is included in form. ‘Does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death?’ is included in form. ‘Does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?’ is included in form.

‘Does a Realized One exist after death?’ is included in feeling … perception … choices … consciousness. ‘Does a Realized One not exist after death?’ is included in consciousness. ‘Does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death?’ is included in consciousness. ‘Does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?’ is included in consciousness.

This is the cause, this is the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto, āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ vihāranti isipatane migadāye.

Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

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

"Kiṁ panāvuso, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

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

"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

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

"Kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti?

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

3"‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno, ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā – hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi … pe … ‘kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā – neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu, ko paccayo yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā"ti?

4"Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, rūpagatametaṁ. Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ. Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ. Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ.

Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, vedanāgatametaṁ. Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ. Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ. Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ. Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, saññāgatametaṁ. Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ. Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ. Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ. Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, saṅkhāragatametaṁ. Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ. Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ. Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ. Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, viññāṇagatametaṁ. Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ. Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ. Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ.

Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.