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 6
Catuttha Koṭṭhita-Koṭṭhika (or Ārāma) Suttaṃ
Koṭṭhita and Sāriputta (iv) (or 'Delight')
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 Koṭṭhita and the venerable Sāriputta the Great were staying at Benares,
in Isipatana,
at Antelope Wood.
Now the venerable Sāriputta the Great,
rising at eventide from his solitary meditation,
came to see the venerable Koṭṭhita,
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 Koṭṭhita?
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.'
■
[275] "What is the reason, friend,
what is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Exalted One?"
§
"For one who delights in body,
who enjoys body,
rejoices in body,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of body,
there is 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.'
■
For one who delights in feeling,
who enjoys feeling,
rejoices in feeling,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of feeling,
there is 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.
■
For one who delights in perception,
who enjoys perception,
rejoices in perception,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of perception,
there is 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.
■
"For one who delights in the activities,
who enjoys the activities,
rejoices in the activities,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of the activities,
there is 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.
■
For one who delights in consciousness,
who enjoys consciousness,
rejoices in consciousness,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of consciousness,
there is 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.
§
But when he no longer delights in body,
when he no longer enjoys body,
rejoices in body,
and is one who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of body,
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.
■
When he no longer delights in feeling,
when he no longer enjoys feeling,
rejoices in feeling,
and is one who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of feeling,
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.
■
When he no longer delights in perception,
when he no longer enjoys perception,
rejoices in perception,
and is one who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of perception,
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.
■
When he no longer delights in the activities,
when he no longer enjoys the activities,
rejoices in the activities,
and is one who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of the activities,
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.
■
When he no longer delights in consciousness,
when he no longer enjoys consciousness,
rejoices in consciousness,
and is one who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of consciousness,
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.
■
That, friend, is the reason,
that is the cause
why this thing is not revealed by the Exalted One."
§
"But, friend, can there be any other way of showing
why[ed1] this is not revealed by the Exalted One"
"There can, friend.
He who delights in becoming,
enjoys becoming,
rejoices in becoming,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of becoming, -
for him such views exist:
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.
§
But for him who delights not in becoming,
enjoys not becoming,
rejoices not in becoming,
who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of becoming, -
for him such views do not exist:
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.
■
That, friend, is another way of showing
why this was not revealed by the Exalted One."
§
"But, friend, can there be any other way of showing
why this is not revealed by the Exalted One"
"There can, friend.
He who delights in grasping,
enjoys grasping,
rejoices in grasping,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of grasping, -
for him such views exist:
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.
§
But for him who delights not in grasping,
enjoys not grasping,
rejoices not in grasping,
who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of grasping, -
for him such views do not exist:
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.
■
That, friend, is another way of showing
why this was not revealed by the Exalted One."
§
"But, friend, can there be any other way of showing
why this is not revealed by the Exalted One"
"There can, friend.
He who delights in craving,
enjoys craving,
rejoices in craving,
who knows not,
who sees not,
as it really is,
the ceasing of craving, -
for him such views exist:
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.
§
But for him who delights not in craving,
enjoys not craving,
rejoices not in craving,
who knows,
who sees,
as it really is,
the ceasing of craving, -
for him such views do not exist:
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.
■
That, friend, is another way of showing
why this was not revealed by the Exalted One."
§
"But, friend, can there be any other way of showing
why this is not revealed by the Exalted One"
[276] "Now, friend Sāriputta,
why do you want any further explanation?
For a brother who is freed, friend Sāriputta,
by the destruction of craving,
there is nothing more left
to point to as a growing."[1]
[1] Text has vaḍḍhaṇ n'atthi paññāpanāya, 'to point to as growth.' The Burmese has vaṭṭaṇ (tesaṇ) n'atthi p., as at S. iii, 59 (K.S. iii, 52, where see note). Cf. S. i, 15 (K.S. i, 23 n.). There is, however, a v.l. vattaṇ. Comy. is silent here, but on loc. cit. above takes vaṭṭaṇ as the wheel of existence or as cause, lit. 'going on.'
[ed1] Woodward has 'how' here, but these are explanations of why, not how, and this is the wording he has previously used throughout.
