Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
44. Avyākata Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
44. Kindred Sayings about the Unrevealed
Sutta 3
Paṭhama Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Pagata, or Upagata) Suttaṃ
Sāriputta and Koṭṭhita[1] (or 'viewed')
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:
Once the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Koṭṭhita the Great were staying at Benares,
in Isipatana,
at Antelope Wood.
Now the venerable Koṭṭhita the Great,
rising at eventide from his solitary meditation,
came to see the venerable Sāriputta,
and on coming to him,
after the exchange of friendly greetings
and the compliments of courtesy,[2]
sat down at one side.
So seated the venerable Kotthita the Great said: -
"How now, friend Sāriputta?
Does the Tathāgata, exist after death?"
"This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend."
-◦-
"Does the Tathāgata, not exist after death?"
"This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend."
-◦-
"Does the Tathāgata, both exist and not exist after death?"
"This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend."
-◦-
"Does the Tathāgata, neither exist nor not-exist after death?"
"This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend."
§
"How then friend?
When I ask the question:
'Does the Tathāgata, exist after death?'
you reply:
'This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend.'
-◦-
When I ask the question:
'Does the Tathāgata, not exist after death?'
you reply:
'This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend.'
-◦-
When I ask the question:
'Does the Tathāgata, both exist and not exist after death?'
you reply:
'This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend.'
-◦-
When I ask the question:
'Does the Tathāgata, neither exist nor not-exist after death?'
you reply:
'This is unrevealed by the Exalted One, friend.'
[373] "What is the reason, friend,
what is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Exalted One?"
§
"To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as body.[3]
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as body.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, both does and does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as body.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as body.
■
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as feeling.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as feeling.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, both does and does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as feeling.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as feeling.
■
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as perception.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as perception.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, both does and does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as perception.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as perception.
■
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as the activities.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as the activities.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, both does and does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as the activities.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as the activities.
■
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as consciousness.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as consciousness.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, both does and does not exist after death,
is to view the Tathāgata, as consciousness.
To hold, friend, that the Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death
is to view the Tathāgata, as consciousness.
That, friend, is the reason,
that is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Exalted One."
[1] See K.S. ii, 79 and n. At K.S. iii, 143-50 the same couple discuss matters. Our text reads Koṭṭhika. The sub-title (pagataṇ) may refer to rūpa- etc. -gataṇ of the text; I cannot find the word elsewhere. (The Uddāna or summary at the end of text, vol. iv, has paganaṇ [?].)
[2] For this oft-recurring phrase see Comy. on S. i, 67 (K.S. i, 92): 'Such as mutual inquiries after health, etc. By all such a pleasant even current is set flowing, as of blended hot and cold streams of water.'
[3] Rūpa-gataṇ etaṇ, lit. 'this is gone to body.
