Index of the Suttas of the
Saṃyutta Nikāya
Saḷāyatana Vagga
Avyakata Saṃyutta
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
PTS: Saṃyutta Nikāya Volume 4, Saḷāyatana-Vagga ed. by M. Léon Feer, London: Pāḷi Text Society 1894. The html formatted Pāḷi Text Society edition of the Pāḷi text.
BJT: Saṃyutta Nikāya Volume 4, Saḷāyatana-Vagga The Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tripitaka Series Pāḷi text.
The Pāḷi text for individual suttas listed below is adapted from the Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tripitaka Series [BJT], not from the PTS version.
Each translation is linked to its Pāḷi version and to the PTS, Olds and where available to the ATI Bhk. Thanissaro translation, and each of these is in turn linked back to each of the others. Many, but not all have been checked against the Pāḷi Text Society edition, and many have been reformatted to include the original Pāḷi (and/or organizational) phrase and sentence breaks.
PTS: The Kindred Sayings on the Sixfold Sphere of Sense and Other Subjects, translated by F.L. Woodward,
WP: The Book of the Six Sense Bases, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
ATI: The translations of Bhikkhu Thanissaro and others originally located on Access to Insight.
BD: The translations of M. Olds
X. Avyakata Saṃyutta, IV.374
PTS: The Kindred Sayings about the Unrevealed, IV.265
WP: Connected Discourses on the Undeclared, II.1380
ATI: Undeclared-connected (Introduction) [to the Avyakata Samyutta, by Bhikkhu Thanissaro
1. Khemātherī Suttaṃ, IV.374
King Pasenadi questions bhikkhuni Khema about the existence of the Tathāgata after death and then questions the Buddha in the same way and receives the same answers in the same form.
PTS: Sister Khemā the Elder, IV.265
WP: Khemā, II.1380
ATI: With Khemā Thanissaro, trans.
2. Anurādha Suttaṃ, IV.380
The Buddha teaches the Venerable Anuradha that the one who has attained the goal cannot be described relative to form, sense-experience, perception, own-making or consciousness.
PTS: Anurādha, IV.269
WP: Anurādha, II.1383
ATI: To Anuradha Thanissaro, trans.
3. Paṭhama Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Pagata, or Upagata) Suttaṃ, IV.384
The Venerable Sariputta explains to the Venerable Kotthika that the reason the Buddhas has not made assertions concerning the existence of one who has attained the goal is because any such assertion would limit such a one to existence relative to form, sense experience, perception, own-making and consciousness and that such a one cannot be described by such limited ideas.
As noted by Woodward the Venerable Kotthita is not asking these questions because he needs to know the answers. He is likely asking these questions of Sariputta in front of a gathering of students so that they would hear the answers to properly put questions.
PTS: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika (or 'viewed'), IV.272
WP: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika, II.1383
ATI: Sariputta and Kotthita (1) Thanissaro, trans.
4. Dutiya Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Samudaya) Suttaṃ, IV.386
The Venerable Sariputta explains to the Venerable Kotthika that the reason the Buddhas has not made assertions concerning the existence of one who has attained the goal is because the very question does not arise to one who sees form, sense-experience, perception, own-making and consciousness as they really are.
PTS: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 2 (or 'arising), IV.273
WP: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 2, II.1384
ATI: Sariputta and Kotthita (2) Thanissaro, trans.
5. Tatiya Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Pema) Suttaṃ, IV.387
The Venerable Sariputta explains to the Venerable Kotthika that the reason the Buddhas has not made assertions concerning the existence of one who has attained the goal is because to one who has abandoned passion, desire, affection, thirst, craving for body, sense-experience, perception, own-making and consciousness such questions do not even arise.
PTS: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 3 (or 'affection'), IV.274
WP: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 3, II.1385
ATI: Sariputta and Kotthita (3) Thanissaro, trans.
6. Catuttha Sāriputta-Koṭṭhika (or Ārāma) Suttaṃ, IV.388
The Venerable Sariputta explains to the Venerable Kotthika other reasons that the Buddhas has not made assertions concerning the existence of one who has attained the goal is that these questions do not arise for one who has abandoned delight in body, sense-experience, own-making and consciousness; or for one who has abandoned delight in becoming; or for one who has abandoned delight in thirst. He then asserts that there is no reason more encompassing for not making such assertions than that such do not occur for one who has abandoned thirst.
All texts and translations make the error of switching Sariputta for Kotthita as the questioner at the end of this sutta. My BJT Pāḷi is particularly messed up in this Chapter.
PTS: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 4 (or 'Delight'), IV.274
WP: Sāriputta and Koṭṭhika 4, II.1386
ATI: Sariputta and Kotthita (4) Thanissaro, trans.
7. Moggalāna (or Āyatana) Suttaṃ, IV.391
The Wanderer of the Vaccha Clan asks Mahā Moggallāna a series of questions about existence and non-existence and is told in all cases that these are not questions on which the Buddha has made a declarative statement. When asked why this is so, Mahā Moggallāna explains that it is only because of holding views about the self with regard to the senses that these questions arise and that not holding such views the questions do not arise. Vaccha then goes to the Buddha and puts the same questions and receives the same answers.
This is one of the places which I have here and there mentioned where the bhikkhus themselves, at the time, remark on the fact that both disciples and the Buddha use the same wording and phrasing when responding to the same questions. I suggest this is because the most precise wording and phrasing with regard to questions and answers has been worked out and so is not a matter of remembering what the Buddha said, but of responding in accordance with the most precise understanding. I further suggest that we can and should find such precise wording in our English translations and that that is the way the doctrine will be most profitably understood.
PTS: Moggallāna or 'Sphere', IV.276
WP: Moggallāna, II.1388
ATI: With Moggallāna Thanissaro, trans.
8. Vaccha (or Bandha or Khandha) Suttaṃ, IV.395
The Wanderer of the Vaccha Clan asks Gotama a series of questions about existence and non-existence and is told in all cases that these are not questions on which the Buddha has made a declarative statement. When asked why this is so, Gotama explains that it is only because of holding views about the self with regard to form, sense-expeience, own-making, and consciousness that these questions arise and that not holding such views the questions do not arise. Vaccha then goes to Mahā Moggallāna and puts the same questions and receives the same answers.
PTS: Vaccha (or 'bond'), IV.278
WP: Vacchagotta, II.1390
ATI: With Vacchagotta Thanissaro, trans.
9. Kutūhala-sālā Suttaṃ, IV.398
The Wanderer of the Vaccha Clan asks Gotama about the difference in the way he announces the destinations after death of his disciples versus those of other teachers. He is told that the difference is that the Buddha determines rebirths according to the individual's remaining fuel.
Fuel here is 'upādāna'. Since 'fuel for a fire' is given as a simile, it is certain that we have here a most suitable translation for this term.
PTS: The Debating Hall, IV.279
WP: The Debating Hall, II.1392
ATI: With Vacchagotta Thanissaro, trans.
10. Ānanda (or Atthatta) Suttaṃ, IV.400
The Wanderer of the Vaccha Clan asks Gotama about whether or not there is a self and receives no reply. When asked by Ananda for the reason he did not reply he explains that answering in the affirmative he would be stating the eternalists view, answering in the negative he would be stating the annihilationists view, answering in the affirmative he would be answering contrary to his knowledge of all things as changing, answering in the negative poor bewildered Vacchagotta would have been even more bewildered than before.
PTS: Ananda (or 'The existence of the self'), IV.281
WP: Ananda (Is There a Self?), II.1393
ATI: To Ananda (on Self, No Self, and Not-self), Bhikkhu Thanissaro, trans.
11. Sabhiya Suttaṃ, IV.401
The Wanderer of the Vaccha Clan asks the Venerable Sabhiya a series of questions about existence and non-existence of one who has attained the goal and is told in all cases that these are not questions on which the Buddha has made a declarative statement. When asked why this is so, the Venerable Sabhiya asks in return how one would describe someone if there were no grounds for saying that a thing existed.
PTS: Sabhiya, IV.282
WP: Sabhiya Kaccāna, II.1394
ATI: With Sabhiya Thanissaro, trans.
