1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto, āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana.

1.2Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.1.3Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sāriputta:

2.1PTS 4.385“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?“Reverend Sāriputta, does a realized one still exist after death?”

2.2“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā:“Reverend, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”2.3‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

2.4“Kiṁ panāvuso, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?“Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death? …2.5“Etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:2.6‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

2.7“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?Does a realized one both still exist and no longer exist after death? …2.8“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā:2.9‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

2.10“Kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?Does a realized one neither still exist nor no longer exist after death?”

2.11“Etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”2.12‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

3.1“‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno, ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā—“Reverend, when asked these questions, you say that they have not been declared by the Buddha.3.2hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi …pe…3.3‘kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno:3.4‘etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā—3.5neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.3.6Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu, ko paccayo yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?What’s the cause, what’s the reason why they have not been declared by the Buddha?”

4.1PTS 4.386“Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, rūpagatametaṁ.“Reverend, ‘Does a realized one still exist after death?’ is included in form.4.2Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one no longer exist after death?’ is included in form.4.3Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one both still exist and no longer exist after death?’ is included in form.4.4Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, rūpagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one neither still exist nor no longer exist after death?’ is included in form.

4.5Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, vedanāgatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one still exist after death?’ is included in feeling …4.6Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ.4.7Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ.4.8Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, vedanāgatametaṁ.4.9Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, saññāgatametaṁ.perception …4.10Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ.4.11Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ.4.12Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saññāgatametaṁ.4.13Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, saṅkhāragatametaṁ.choices …4.14Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ.4.15Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ.4.16Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, saṅkhāragatametaṁ.4.17Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti kho, āvuso, viññāṇagatametaṁ.consciousness.4.18Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one no longer exist after death?’ is included in consciousness.4.19Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one both still exist and no longer exist after death?’ is included in consciousness.4.20Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti, viññāṇagatametaṁ.‘Does a realized one neither still exist nor no longer exist after death?’ is included in consciousness.

4.21Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.This is the cause, this is the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha.”

4.22Tatiyaṁ.