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

1.4“‘kiṁ nu kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti …pe…“Reverend Koṭṭhita, does a realized one still exist after death?” …

1.5‘kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno:“Reverend, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.1.6‘etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā—1.7neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.1.8Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?”

2.1PTS 4.389“Rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, rūparatassa rūpasammuditassa rūpanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti;“Reverend, if you like, love, and enjoy form, and don’t truly see the cessation of form, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ or2.2‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti;‘a realized one no longer exists after death’ or2.3‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti;‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’ or2.4‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

2.5Vedanārāmassa kho, āvuso, vedanāratassa vedanāsammuditassa, vedanānirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe…If you like, love, and enjoy feeling …2.6saññārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…perception …2.7saṅkhārārāmassa kho āvuso …pe…choices …2.8viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, viññāṇaratassa viññāṇasammuditassa viññāṇanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe…consciousness, and don’t truly see the cessation of consciousness, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …2.9‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

3.1Na rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, na rūparatassa na rūpasammuditassa, rūpanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…If you don’t like, love, and enjoy form …3.2‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.3.3Na vedanārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…feeling …3.4na saññārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…perception …3.5na saṅkhārārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…choices …3.6na viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, na viññāṇaratassa na viññāṇasammuditassa, viññāṇanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…consciousness, and you truly see the cessation of consciousness, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …3.7‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

3.8Ayaṁ 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.”

4.1PTS 4.390“Siyā panāvuso, aññopi pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?”

4.2“Siyā, āvuso.“There could, reverend.4.3Bhavārāmassa kho, āvuso, bhavaratassa bhavasammuditassa, bhavanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe…If you like, love, and enjoy existence, and don’t truly see the cessation of continued existence, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …4.4‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’4.5Na bhavārāmassa kho, āvuso, na bhavaratassa na bhavasammuditassa, bhavanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…If you don’t like, love, and enjoy existence, and you truly see the cessation of continued existence, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …4.6‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’4.7Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”

5.1“Siyā panāvuso, aññopi pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?”

5.2“Siyā, āvuso.“There could, reverend.

5.3Upādānārāmassa kho, āvuso, upādānaratassa upādānasammuditassa, upādānanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe…If you like, love, and enjoy grasping, and don’t truly see the cessation of grasping, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …5.4‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

5.5Na upādānārāmassa kho, āvuso, na upādānaratassa na upādānasammuditassa, upādānanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…If you don’t like, love, and enjoy grasping, and you truly see the cessation of grasping, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …5.6‘neva, hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

5.7Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”

6.1PTS 4.391“Siyā panāvuso, aññopi pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?”

6.2“Siyā, āvuso.“There could, reverend.

6.3Taṇhārāmassa kho, āvuso, taṇhāratassa taṇhāsammuditassa, taṇhānirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe…If you like, love, and enjoy craving, and don’t truly see the cessation of craving, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …6.4‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

6.5Na taṇhārāmassa kho, āvuso, na taṇhāratassa na taṇhāsammuditassa, taṇhānirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…If you don’t like, love, and enjoy craving, and you truly see the cessation of craving, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …6.6‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

6.7Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”

7.1“Siyā panāvuso, aññopi pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?”

7.2“Ettha dāni, āvuso sāriputta, ito uttari kiṁ icchasi?“Seriously, reverend, what more could you want?7.3Taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttassa, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhuno vaṭṭaṁ natthi paññāpanāyā”ti.For one who is freed due to the ending of craving, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found.”

7.4Chaṭṭhaṁ.