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Linked Discourses 16.12 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.12
1. Kassapa – 1. Kassapavagga
SN 16.12 The Realized One After Death – Paraṁmaraṇasutta
At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi.
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa:
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:
“Reverend Kassapa, does a Realized One exist after death?”
“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso kassapa, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Reverend, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā:
‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a Realized One not exist after death?”
“Kiṁ panāvuso, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Evampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:
‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death?”
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā:
‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?”
“Kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti, na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Evampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“And why has this not been declared by the Buddha?”
“Kasmā cetaṁ, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?
“Because it’s not beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
“Na hetaṁ, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ nādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.
That’s why it has not been declared by the Buddha.”
Tasmā taṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
“So what now has been declared by the Buddha?”
“Atha kiñcarahāvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?
“‘This is suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha.
“Idaṁ ‘dukkhan’ti kho, āvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā;
‘This is the origin of suffering’ …
ayaṁ ‘dukkhasamudayo’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā;
‘This is the cessation of suffering’ …
ayaṁ ‘dukkhanirodho’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā;
‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha.”
ayaṁ ‘dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
“And why has this been declared by the Buddha?”
“Kasmā cetaṁ, āvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?
“Because it’s beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
“Etañhi, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ etaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
That’s why it has been declared by the Buddha.”
Tasmā taṁ byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.