Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
16. Kassapa Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
16. Kindred Sayings on Kassapa

Sutta 12

Tathāgata Param-Māraṇa Suttaṃ

After Death

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward

Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain

 

---

[222] [150]

[1][bodh] Thus have I heard:

The venerable Mahā-Kassapa and the venerable Sāriputta
were once staying at Benares,
at Isipatana in the Deerpark.

And the venerable Sāriputta
rising at eventide from meditation
came to Mahā-Kassapa,
greeted him with courtesy and friendly words
and sat down beside him.

So seated he said this:

"How is it, friend Kassapa,
does a Tathāgata^[1]
come to be after death?"

"The Exalted One, friend,
has not declared that it is so."

"But, friend, does a Tathāgata
not come to be after death?"

[151] "Neither has the Exalted One, friend,
declared that this is so."

"Well then, friend, does a Tathāgata
both come to be and also not come to be after death?"

"The Exalted One, friend,
has not declared that it is so."

"Well then, friend, does a Tathāgata
neither come to be nor not come to be after death?"

"The Exalted One, friend,
has not declared that it is so."

"Why, friend, has the Exalted One
not declared this?"

"Because this, friend,
doth not pertain to our good,
it belongs not to the first principles of the divine life,
it doth not conduce to repulsion,
to fading away,
to ceasing,
to quiet,
to super-knowledge,
to enlightenment,
to Nibbāna.

Therefore is it undeclared by the Exalted One."

"Come then, friend,
what hath the Exalted One declared?

'This is ill' -
so, friend, hath the Exalted One declared.

'This is the uprising of ill' -
so hath the Exalted One declared.

'This is the ceasing of ill' -
so hath the Exalted One declared.

'This is the way going to the ceasing of ill' -
so hath the Exalted One declared."

"And why, friend,
hath the Exalted One declared this?"

"Because this, friend,
pertaineth to our good,
it belongs to the first principles of the divine life,
it conduces to repulsion,
to fading away,
to ceasing,
to quiet,
to super-knowledge,
to enlightenment,
to Nibbāna.

Therefore it is declared by the Exalted One."

 

---

^[1] It is interesting that B. paraphrases Tathāgato by satto, 'being,' as if it were a question of the survival of any individual. The doctrine leaves no doubt about the survival of any one except of an Arahant. That is left in mystery.