English
"If, Ānanda, when asked by the wanderer Vacchagotta, 'Is there a self?', I had answered 'There is a self,' then that, Ānanda, would have been in agreement with those ascetics and brahmins who are eternalists. If, Ānanda, when asked by the wanderer Vacchagotta, 'Is there no self?', I had answered 'There is no self,' then that, Ānanda, would have been in agreement with those ascetics and brahmins who are annihilationists. If, Ānanda, when asked by the wanderer Vacchagotta, 'Is there a self?', I had answered 'There is a self,' would that, Ānanda, have been conducive to the arising of knowledge for me— "Are all phenomena non-self?" "No, venerable sir." "And Ananda, if I, when asked by the wanderer Vacchagotta 'Is there no self?', were to declare 'There is no self', it would be for the further bewilderment of the bewildered wanderer Vacchagotta, Ananda – 'Surely I had a self before, but now it is gone.'" The Tenth. 11. The Discourse to Sabhiya Kaccana 420. At one time, the venerable Sabhiya Kaccana was staying among the Kaccanas, in the Ginjakavasatha. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the venerable Sabhiya Kaccana; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Sabhiya Kaccana. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the venerable Sabhiya Kaccana: "What now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata after death?" "That, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – 'The Tathagata is after death.'" "But what now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata not after death?" "That too, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – 'The Tathagata is not after death.'" "What now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata both after death and not after death?" "That, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – 'The Tathagata is both after death and not after death.'" "But what now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata neither after death nor not after death?" "That too, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – 'The Tathagata is neither after death nor not after death.'" "'What now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata after death?' – when asked this, you say: 'That, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – the Tathagata is after death.' 'But what now, good Kaccana, is the Tathagata not after death?' – when asked this, you say: 'That, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – the Tathagata is not after death.'" You say: 'What then, good Kaccāna, is the Tathāgata after death, both existent and non-existent?' Being asked thus, you say: 'This, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – the Tathāgata after death is both existent and non-existent.' 'But what then, good Kaccāna, is the Tathāgata after death, neither existent nor non-existent?' Being asked thus, you say: 'This too, Vaccha, has been undeclared by the Blessed One – the Tathāgata after death is neither existent nor non-existent.' What then, good Kaccāna, is the reason, what is the cause, why this has been undeclared by the recluse Gotama?" "Whatever, Vaccha, is the reason, whatever is the cause for describing (one) as 'material' or 'immaterial' or 'percipient' or 'non-percipient' or 'neither percipient nor non-percipient' – that reason and that cause would utterly, completely, entirely, without remainder, cease. By what then, describing him, could one describe him as 'material' or 'immaterial' or 'percipient' or 'non-percipient' or 'neither percipient nor non-percipient'?" "How long have you been ordained, good Kaccāna?" "Not long, friend, three years." "For one, friend, with so little (experience), this much (understanding) is indeed much. What then of one so advanced!" The Eleventh. The Chapter on the Undeclared is finished. Its Summary – Therī Khemā, Anurādha, Sāriputta, Koṭṭhika; Moggallāna and Vaccha, Kutūhalasālā, Ānanda; Sabhiya, the eleventh. The Fourth Section on the Six Sense Bases. Its Summary – Six Sense Bases, Feeling, Women, Jambukhādaka; Sāmaṇḍaka, Moggallāna, Citta, Gāmaṇi, Conditioned; Undeclared, thus ten. The Pāli of the Connected Discourses on the Section of the Six Sense Bases is finished.