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Linked Discourses 44.11 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 44.11

1. The Undeclared Points – 1. Abyākatavagga

SN 44.11 With Sabhiya Kaccāna – Sabhiyakaccānasutta

 

At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Nādika in the brick house.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him.

Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna:

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:

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

“kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

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

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā:

 

‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

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

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

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

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:

 

‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

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

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“This has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā:

 

‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

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

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

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

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:

 

‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

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

“‘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.

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

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

“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,

“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.

how could you describe him in any such terms?”

Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā”ti.

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

“Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā”ti?

“Not long, reverend: three years.”

“Naciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī”ti.

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

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

 

Ekādasamaṁ.

 

Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.

 

Tassuddānaṁ

 

Khemātherī anurādho,

 

sāriputtoti koṭṭhiko;

 

Moggallāno ca vaccho ca,

 

kutūhalasālānando;

The Linked Discourses on undeclared questions are complete.

Sabhiyo ekādasamanti.

 

Abyākatasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

 

Tassuddānaṁ

 

Saḷāyatanavedanā,

 

mātugāmo jambukhādako;

 

Sāmaṇḍako moggallāno,

 

citto gāmaṇi saṅkhataṁ;

The Book of the Six Sense Fields is finished.

Abyākatanti dasadhāti.