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 4
Dutiya Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Samudaya) Suttaṃ
Sāriputta and Koṭṭhita (ii) (or 'arising')
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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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,
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.'
"What is the reason, friend,
what is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Exalted One?"
§
"By not knowing, friend,
by not seeing body
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the arising of body
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the ceasing of body
and the way that goes to the ceasing of body,
as they really are,
one holds the view:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
"The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By not knowing, friend,
by not seeing feeling
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the arising of feeling
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the ceasing of feeling
and the way that goes to the ceasing of feeling,
as they really are,
one holds the view:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By not knowing, friend,
by not seeing perception
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the arising of perception
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the ceasing of perception
and the way that goes to the ceasing of perception,
as they really are,
one holds the view:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By not knowing, friend,
by not seeing the activities
as they really are:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the arising of the activities
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the ceasing of the activities
and the way that goes to the ceasing of the activities,
as they really are,
one holds the view:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By not knowing, friend,
by not seeing consciousness
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the arising of consciousness
as it really is:
by not knowing,
by not seeing the ceasing of consciousness
and the way that goes to the ceasing of consciousness,
as they really are,
one holds the view:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
§
"By knowing, friend,
by seeing body
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the arising of body
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the ceasing of body
and the way that goes to the ceasing of body,
as they really are,
this view does not occur:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
"By knowing, friend,
by seeing feeling
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the arising of feeling
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the ceasing of feeling
and the way that goes to the ceasing of feeling,
as they really are,
this view does not occur:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By knowing, friend,
by seeing perception
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the arising of perception
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the ceasing of perception
and the way that goes to the ceasing of perception,
as they really are,
this view does not occur:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By knowing, friend,
by seeing the activities
as they really are:
by knowing,
by seeing the arising of the activities
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the ceasing of the activities
and the way that goes to the ceasing of the activities,
as they really are,
this view does not occur:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
■
By knowing, friend,
by seeing consciousness
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the arising of consciousness
as it really is:
by knowing,
by seeing the ceasing of consciousness
and the way that goes to the ceasing of consciousness,
as they really are,
this view does not occur:
'The Tathāgata, exists after death.'
'The Tathāgata, exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, both exists and exists not after death.'
'The Tathāgata, neither exists nor not-exists after death.'
[274] That, friend, is the reason,
that is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Tathāgata."[1]
[1] It is to be remembered that Tathāgata, is defined by the Comy. here and elsewhere as equivalent to satta, any being. The question is that common to all, 'What becomes of us after death?' not only 'What becomes of the Tathāgata, (as Buddha)?' There are many passages, however, where the Master refers to himself in this connexion. At the Udāna Comy., p. 340, Tathāgata = attā, 'the self.' At M. i, 338 it = a Saint. See Brethren, 393, n. 4; K.S. iii, 95 n. Perhaps 'liberated being' is the best term for general use
