English
having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. he sat down. Seated to one side, Venerable Mālukyaputta said this to the Blessed One: 124. “Here, venerable sir, as I was alone, in seclusion, this thought arose in my mind: ‘These speculative views that the Blessed One has left undeclared, set aside, rejected— “The cosmos is eternal,” or “The cosmos is not eternal,” …and so on… or “The Tathāgata neither is nor is not after death”— the Blessed One does not declare them to me. What the Blessed One does not declare to me, that I do not approve of, that I do not accept. So I will approach the Blessed One and question him on this matter. If the Blessed One will declare to me “The cosmos is eternal,” or “The cosmos is not eternal,” …and so on… or “The Tathāgata neither is nor is not after death”— then I will lead the holy life under the Blessed One. If the Blessed One will not declare to me “The cosmos is eternal,” or “The cosmos is not eternal,” …and so on… or “The Tathāgata neither is nor is not after death”— then I will renounce the training and revert to the lower life. If the Blessed One knows “The cosmos is eternal,” let the Blessed One declare to me “The cosmos is eternal.” If the Blessed One knows “The cosmos is not eternal,” let the Blessed One declare to me “The cosmos is not eternal.” If the Blessed One does not know “The cosmos is eternal” or “The cosmos is not eternal,” then for one who does not know, who does not see, this is the straightforward thing: “I do not know, I do not see.” If the Blessed One knows “The cosmos is finite,” let the Blessed One declare to me “The cosmos is finite.” If the Blessed One knows “The cosmos is infinite,” let the Blessed One declare to me “The cosmos is infinite.” If the Blessed One does not know “The cosmos is finite” or “The cosmos is infinite,” then for one who does not know, who does not see, this is the straightforward thing: “I do not know, I do not see.” If the Blessed One knows “The soul and the body are the same,” let the Blessed One declare to me “The soul and the body are the same.” If the Blessed One knows “The soul is one thing, the body another,” 'Is the soul one thing and the body another?' Let the Blessed One declare this to me. If the Blessed One does not know, 'Is the soul the same as the body?' or 'Is the soul one thing and the body another?' For one who does not know, who does not see, this is the straightforward thing to say: 'I do not know, I do not see.' If the Blessed One knows, 'Does the Tathāgata exist after death?' Let the Blessed One declare this to me: 'The Tathāgata exists after death.' If the Blessed One knows, 'Does the Tathāgata not exist after death?' Let the Blessed One declare this to me: 'The Tathāgata does not exist after death.' If the Blessed One does not know, 'Does the Tathāgata exist after death?' or 'Does the Tathāgata not exist after death?' For one who does not know, who does not see, this is the straightforward thing to say: 'I do not know, I do not see.' If the Blessed One knows, 'Does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death?' Let the Blessed One declare this to me: 'The Tathāgata both exists and not exists after death.' If the Blessed One knows, 'Does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death?' Let the Blessed One declare this to me: 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor not exists after death.' If the Blessed One does not know, 'Does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death?' or 'Does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death?' For one who does not know, who does not see, this is the straightforward thing to say: 'I do not know, I do not see.' 125. "Malunkyaputta, did I ever say to you: 'Come, Malunkyaputta, lead the holy life under me, and I will declare to you: "The world is eternal," or "The world is not eternal," or "The world is finite," or "The world is infinite," or "The soul is the same as the body," or "The soul is one thing and the body another," or "The Tathāgata exists after death," or "The Tathāgata does not exist after death," or "The Tathāgata both exists and not exists after death," or "The Tathāgata neither exists nor not exists after death"?' "No, No, venerable sir. Or did you say this to me – ‘Venerable sir, I will lead the holy life under the Blessed One, and the Blessed One will declare to me – “The world is eternal” or “The world is not eternal” or “The world is finite” or “The world is infinite” or “The soul and the body are the same” or “The soul is one thing, the body another” or “The Tathāgata exists after death” or “The Tathāgata does not exist after death” or “The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death” or “The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death”?’ No, venerable sir. So then, Mālunkyāputta, I do not say to you – ‘Come, Mālunkyāputta, lead the holy life under me, and I will declare to you – “The world is eternal” or “The world is not eternal” ... or “The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death”.’ Nor do you say to me – ‘Venerable sir, I will lead the holy life under the Blessed One, and the Blessed One will declare to me – “The world is eternal” or “The world is not eternal” ... or “The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death”.’ That being so, foolish man, who are you, and whom are you gainsaying? 126. Indeed, Mālunkyāputta, if anyone were to say this – ‘I will not lead the holy life under the Blessed One until the Blessed One declares to me – “The world is eternal” or “The world is not eternal” ... or “The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death”’, that, Mālunkyāputta, would remain undeclared by the Tathāgata, and that person would pass away. Just as, Mālunkyāputta, a man might be wounded by an arrow poisoned and thickly smeared. His friends, companions, relatives, and kinsmen would bring a surgeon to him. He might say this – ‘I will not have this arrow removed until I know the man who wounded me, whether he is a warrior or a brahmin or a merchant or a worker’; he might say this – ‘I will not have this arrow remo I will not pull out this dart until I know that man by whom I was pierced, whether he is of such a name, or of such a clan; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that man by whom I was pierced, whether he is tall, or short, or of middle height”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that man by whom I was pierced, whether he is dark, or swarthy, or of a tawny complexion”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that man by whom I was pierced, whether he is from such a village, or town, or city”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that bow by which I was pierced, whether it is a longbow, or a crossbow”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that bowstring by which I was pierced, whether it is of bamboo, or of reed, or of sinew, or of hemp, or of milk-plant”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that shaft by which I was pierced, whether it is wild-grown, or cultivated”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that shaft by which I was pierced, with the feathers of which bird it was fletched, whether of a vulture, or of a heron, or of an osprey, or of a peacock, or of a loose-jawed bird”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that shaft by which I was pierced, with the sinew of which animal it was bound, whether of an ox, or of a buffalo, or of a ferocious beast, or of a wild boar”; He would say thus: “I will not pull out this dart until I know that dart by which I was pierced, whether it is a dart, or a barbed arrow, or a three-pronged arrow, or an iron arrow, or a calf-tooth arrow.” whether it was an oleander leaf. That would be unknown, Mālunkyaputta, to that man. And that man would die. Just so, Mālunkyaputta, whoever would say this: ‘I will not lead the holy life under the Blessed One until the Blessed One declares to me: ‘‘The world is eternal’’ or ‘‘The world is not eternal’’ or ‘‘The world is finite’’ or ‘‘The world is infinite’’ or ‘‘The soul and body are the same’’ or ‘‘The soul is one, the body another’’ or ‘‘The Tathāgata exists after death’’ or ‘‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death’’ or ‘‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’’ or ‘‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’’’ That would remain undeclared, Mālunkyaputta, by the Tathāgata. And that person would die. 127. ‘The world is eternal,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. And if ‘the world is not eternal,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. Even if ‘the world is eternal,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, or if ‘the world is not eternal’ if this view were held, there is still birth, there is aging, there is death, there are sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs; for the destruction of which I teach in this very life. ‘The world is finite,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. And if ‘the world is infinite,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. Even if ‘the world is finite,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, or if ‘the world is infinite’ if this view were held, there is still birth, there is aging, there is death, there are sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs; for the destruction of which I teach in this very life. ‘The soul and body are the same,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. And if ‘the soul is one, the body another,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, the holy life would exist. Even if ‘the soul and body are the same,’ Mālunkyaputta, if this view were held, or if ‘the soul is one, the body another’ if this view were held, there is still birth, there is aging, there is death, there are sorrows, lamentations,