Tripiṭaka 1. Abyākatavagga
1. The Undeclared Points
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.
At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.
Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna:
“kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Worthy Kaccāna, does a realized one still exist after death?”
‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, 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, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Well then, does a realized one both exist and not exist after death?”
‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Well then, does a realized one neither exist nor not exist after death?”
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:
“Worthy Kaccāna, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.
‘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.
Ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ samaṇena gotamenā”ti?
What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?”
“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.
“In order to describe him as ‘formed’ 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 remainder,
Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā”ti.
how could you describe him in any such terms?”
“Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā”ti?
“Worthy Kaccāna, how long has it been since you went forth?”
“Yassapassa, āvuso, etamettakena ettakameva tampassa bahu, ko pana vādo evaṁ abhikkante”ti.
“One who has learned this much in this time, reverend, has learned a lot, who can say what lies ahead!”
Ekādasamaṁ.
Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Khemātherī anurādho,
sāriputtoti koṭṭhiko;
Moggallāno ca vaccho ca,
kutūhalasālānando;
Sabhiyo ekādasamanti.
Tassuddānaṁ
Saḷāyatanavedanā,
mātugāmo jambukhādako;
Sāmaṇḍako moggallāno,
citto gāmaṇi saṅkhataṁ;
Abyākatanti dasadhāti.
Saḷāyatanavaggo catuttho.