At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita, and they greeted each other. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākoṭṭhita:
“Reverend Koṭṭhita, does a realized one still exist after death?” … “Reverend, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.
PL
“‘kiṁ nu kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti …pe… ‘kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā— neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.
EN
What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?” “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’ or ‘a realized one no longer exists after death’ or ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’ or
PL
Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti? “Rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, rūparatassa rūpasammuditassa rūpanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti; ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti; ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti;
EN
‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ If you like, love, and enjoy feeling … perception … choices …
consciousness, and don’t truly see the cessation of consciousness, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ If you don’t like, love, and enjoy form …
PL
viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, viññāṇaratassa viññāṇasammuditassa viññāṇanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti. Na rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, na rūparatassa na rūpasammuditassa, rūpanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…
EN
feeling … perception … choices …
PL
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Na vedanārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe… na saññārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe… na saṅkhārārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…
EN
consciousness, and you truly see the cessation of consciousness, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This is the cause, this is the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha.”
PL
na viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, na viññāṇaratassa na viññāṇasammuditassa, viññāṇanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na bhavārāmassa kho, āvuso, na bhavaratassa na bhavasammuditassa, bhavanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na upādānārāmassa kho, āvuso, na upādānaratassa na upādānasammuditassa, upādānanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva, hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na taṇhārāmassa kho, āvuso, na taṇhāratassa na taṇhāsammuditassa, taṇhānirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “Seriously, reverend, what more could you want? For one who is freed due to the ending of craving, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found.”
At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita, and they greeted each other. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākoṭṭhita:
“Reverend Koṭṭhita, does a realized one still exist after death?” … “Reverend, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.
PL
“‘kiṁ nu kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti …pe… ‘kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā— neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.
EN
What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?” “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’ or ‘a realized one no longer exists after death’ or ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’ or
PL
Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti? “Rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, rūparatassa rūpasammuditassa rūpanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti; ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti; ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti;
EN
‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ If you like, love, and enjoy feeling … perception … choices …
consciousness, and don’t truly see the cessation of consciousness, you think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ If you don’t like, love, and enjoy form …
PL
viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, viññāṇaratassa viññāṇasammuditassa viññāṇanirodhaṁ ajānato apassato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti. Na rūpārāmassa kho, āvuso, na rūparatassa na rūpasammuditassa, rūpanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe…
EN
feeling … perception … choices …
PL
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Na vedanārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe… na saññārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe… na saṅkhārārāmassa kho, āvuso …pe…
EN
consciousness, and you truly see the cessation of consciousness, you don’t think ‘a realized one still exists after death’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This is the cause, this is the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha.”
PL
na viññāṇārāmassa kho, āvuso, na viññāṇaratassa na viññāṇasammuditassa, viññāṇanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na bhavārāmassa kho, āvuso, na bhavaratassa na bhavasammuditassa, bhavanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na upādānārāmassa kho, āvuso, na upādānaratassa na upādānasammuditassa, upādānanirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva, hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “There could, reverend. 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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’
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’ … ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ This too is a way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha.”
PL
Na taṇhārāmassa kho, āvuso, na taṇhāratassa na taṇhāsammuditassa, taṇhānirodhaṁ jānato passato yathābhūtaṁ, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti …pe… ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti. Ayampi kho, āvuso, pariyāyo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.
EN
“But reverend, could there be another way of explaining why this was not declared by the Buddha?” “Seriously, reverend, what more could you want? For one who is freed due to the ending of craving, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found.”
Sutraya