1. Kassapavagga
1. Kassapa
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Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.
At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa:
“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso kassapa, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Reverend Kassapa, does a realized one still exist after death?”
‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kiṁ panāvuso, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death?”
‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Well then, does a realized one both still exist and no longer exist after death?”
‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti, na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Well then, does a realized one neither still exist nor no longer exist after death?”
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kasmā cetaṁ, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?
“And why has this not been declared by the Buddha?”
“Na hetaṁ, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ nādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.
“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.
“Idaṁ ‘dukkhan’ti kho, āvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā;
“‘This is suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha.
ayaṁ ‘dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha.”
“Etañhi, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ etaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
“Because it’s beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
Dvādasamaṁ.