English
Speculators on the Future 74. "There are, bhikkhus, some ascetics and brahmins who are speculators on the future, holding views about the future, who, concerning the future, declare various kinds of speculative propositions in forty-four ways. And those venerable ascetics and brahmins, on what basis, concerning what, are they speculators on the future, holding views about the future, concerning the future, declaring various kinds of speculative propositions in forty-four ways?" The Doctrine of a Conscious Self 75. "There are, bhikkhus, some ascetics and brahmins who are 'conscious-after-death' theorists, holding the doctrine of a conscious self, who declare a conscious self after death in sixteen ways. And those venerable ascetics and brahmins, on what basis, concerning what, are they 'conscious-after-death' theorists, holding the doctrine of a conscious self, declaring a conscious self after death in sixteen ways?" 76. "'The self is material, healthy after death, and conscious'—thus they declare it. 'The self is immaterial, healthy after death, and conscious'—thus they declare it. 'The self is both material and immaterial… (and so on)… 'The self is neither material nor immaterial… 'The self is finite… 'The self is infinite… 'The self is both finite and infinite… 'The self is neither finite nor infinite… 'The self is of uniform consciousness… 'The self is of diverse consciousness… The self is percipient... The self is with limited perception... The self is with immeasurable perception... The self is entirely happy... The self is entirely suffering. The self is happy and suffering. The self is neither suffering nor happy, healthy after death, percipient' — thus they declare it. 77. "By these, monks, those ascetics and brahmins, who are upholders of the view of a percipient self after death, declare a percipient self after death in sixteen ways. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who are upholders of the view of a percipient self after death, declare a percipient self after death, all of them do so by these sixteen ways, or by one of them, there is nothing outside of these... by which, speaking rightly, they would truly describe the Tathāgata. The View of a Non-Percipient Self 78. "There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins, who are upholders of the view of a non-percipient self after death, declaring a non-percipient self after death in eight ways. And those venerable ascetics and brahmins, on what basis, on what account, do they, upholders of the view of a non-percipient self after death, declare a non-percipient self after death in eight ways? 79. "'The self is material, healthy after death, non-percipient' — thus they declare it. 'The self is immaterial, healthy after death, non-percipient' — thus they declare it. 'The self is both material and immaterial...' 'The self is neither material nor immaterial...' 'The self is finite...' 'The self is infinite...' 'The self is both finite and infinite...' 'The self is neither finite nor infinite, healthy after death, non-percipient' — thus they declare it. 80. "By these, monks, those ascetics and brahmins, who are upholders of the view of a non-percipient self after death, declare a non-percipient self after death in eight ways. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who are upholders of the view of a non-percipient self after death, declare a non-percipient self after death, all of them do so by these eight ways, or by one of them, there is nothing outside of these... by which, speaking rightly, they would truly describe the Tathāgata. speaking, they would speak. The Doctrine of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception 81. ‘‘There are, monks, some recluses and brahmins who postulate a higher state after death, proponents of neither perception nor non-perception, who declare the self to be in a state of neither perception nor non-perception after death, by eight grounds. And these venerable recluses and brahmins, based on what, starting from what, do they postulate a higher state after death, proponents of neither perception nor non-perception, declaring the self to be in a state of neither perception nor non-perception after death, by eight grounds? 82. ‘‘They declare him thus: ‘The self is material, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is immaterial, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is both material and immaterial, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is neither material nor immaterial, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is finite, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is infinite, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is both finite and infinite, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ ‘The self is neither finite nor infinite, healthy, after death, in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.’ Thus they declare him. 83. ‘‘By these, monks, these recluses and brahmins who postulate a higher state after death, proponents of neither perception nor non-perception, declare the self to be in a state of neither perception nor non-perception after death, by these eight grounds. Whatever recluses or brahmins, monks, who postulate a higher state after death, proponents of neither perception nor non-perception, declare the self to be in a state of neither perception nor non-perception after death, all of them do so by these eight grounds. By which, speaking rightly, they would speak the true praise of the Tathāgata. The Doctrine of Annihilation 84. ‘‘There are, monks, some recluses and brahmins who are annihilationists, who declare the cutting off, destruction, and disappearance of an existing being, by seven grounds. And these venerable recluses and brahmins, based on what, starting from what, are they annihilationists, declaring the cutting off, destruction, and disappearance of an existing being, by seven grounds? 85. ‘‘Here, monks, a certain recluse or brahmin holds such a doctrine, such a view: ‘Indeed, sirs, since this self is material, composed of the four great elements, born of mother and father, upon the breaking up of the body, is cut off, is destroyed, does not exist after death. To this extent, sirs, this self is completely annihilated.’ Thus. In this way some declare the cutting off, destruction, annihilation of an existing being. 86. Another says thus: ‘Indeed, sir, there is that self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist; but indeed, sir, this self is not utterly cut off by that much. Indeed, sir, there is another self, divine, material, of the sense-sphere, feeding on solid food. That you do not know, you do not see. That I know, I see. Indeed, sir, when that self, at the breaking up of the body, is cut off, is destroyed, does not exist after death, by that much, indeed, sir, this self is utterly cut off,’ they say. In this way some declare the cutting off, destruction, annihilation of an existing being. 87. Another says thus: ‘Indeed, sir, there is that self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist; but indeed, sir, this self is not utterly cut off by that much. Indeed, sir, there is another self, divine, material, mind-made, complete in all its limbs and parts, not deficient in its faculties. That you do not know, you do not see. That I know, I see. Indeed, sir, when that self, at the breaking up of the body, is cut off, is destroyed, does not exist after death, by that much, indeed, sir, this self is utterly cut off,’ they say. In this way some declare the cutting off, destruction, annihilation of an existing being. 88. Another says thus: ‘Indeed, sir, there is that self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist; but indeed, sir, this self is not utterly cut off by that much. Indeed, sir, there is another self, by utterly transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, by not attending to perceptions of diversity, thinking "space is infinite," one enters the sphere of infinite space. That you do not know, you do not see. That I know, I see. Indeed, sir, when that self, at the breaking up of the body, is cut off, is destroyed, does not exist after death, by that much, indeed, sir, this self is utterly cut off,’ they say. In this way some declare the cutting off, destruction, annihilation of an existing being. 89. Another says thus: ‘Indeed, sirs, there is this self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist; but indeed, sirs, this self is not utterly annihilated by this much. Indeed, sirs, there is another self, having entirely surpassed the dimension of infinite space, reaching the dimension of infinite consciousness, thinking "infinite consciousness." That you do not know, you do not see. That I know, I see. Indeed, sirs, when that self, upon the body's breaking up, is cut off, perishes, does not exist after death, by this much, indeed, sirs, this self is utterly annihilated.’ Thus some proclaim the cutting off, perishing, and annihilation of an existing being. Another says this to him: ‘Indeed, sirs, there is that self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist; but indeed, sirs, this self is not utterly annihilated by this much. Indeed, sirs, there is another self, having entirely surpassed the dimension of infinite consciousness, reaching the dimension of nothingness, thinking "there is nothing." That you do not know, you do not see. That I know, I see. Indeed, sirs, when that self, upon the body's breaking up, is cut off, perishes, does not exist after death, by this much, indeed, sirs, this self is utterly annihilated.’ Thus some proclaim the cutting off, perishing, and annihilation of an existing being. Another says this to him: ‘Indeed, sirs, there is this self you speak of, I do not say it does not exist;