1Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said: "Bhante, why is it that doubt does not arise in the instructed noble disciple about the undeclared points?" [n.1529] The undeclared points (abyākatavatthūni) are ten matters that the Buddha has not addressed: whether or not the world is eternal, whether the world is finite or infinite, whether the life-principle is the same as the body or different from the body, and the four alternatives concerning the after-death status of the Tathāgata.

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2"With the cessation of views, bhikkhu, doubt does not arise in the instructed noble disciple about the undeclared points.

(1) "‘The Tathāgata exists after death’: this is an involvement with views; ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death’: this is an involvement with views; ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’: this is an involvement with views; ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’: this is an involvement with views.

"Bhikkhu, the uninstructed worldling does not understand views, their origin, their cessation, and the way leading to their cessation. For him, that view increases. He is not freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is not freed from suffering, I say.

3"But the instructed noble disciple understands views, their origin, their cessation, and the way leading to their cessation. For him, that view ceases. He is freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is freed from suffering, I say.

"Knowing thus, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not declare: ‘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.’ Knowing thus, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not make declarations regarding the undeclared points.

"Knowing thus, bhikkhu, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not tremble, does not shake, [n.1530] Na chambhati, na kampati, na vedhati, na santāsaṁ āpajjati abyākatavatthūsu. Ce also has na calati, not in Be or Ee. does not vacillate, and does not become terrified regarding the undeclared points.

4(2) "‘The Tathāgata exists after death’: this is an involvement with craving … (3) … this is an involvement with perception … (4) … something conceived … (5) … a proliferation … (6) … an involvement with clinging … (7) … a ground for remorse; ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death’: this is a ground for remorse; ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’: this is a ground for remorse; ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’: this is a ground for remorse.

"Bhikkhu, the uninstructed worldling does not understand remorse, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. For him, that remorse increases. He is not freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is not freed from suffering, I say.

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5"But the instructed noble disciple understands remorse, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. For him, that remorse ceases. He is freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is freed from suffering, I say.

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"Knowing thus, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not declare: ‘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.’

Knowing thus, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not make declarations regarding the undeclared points.

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"Knowing thus, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple does not tremble, does not shake, does not vacillate, and does not fall into terror regarding the undeclared points.

"Bhikkhu, this is why doubt does not arise in the instructed noble disciple about the undeclared points."

1Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsū"ti?

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2"Diṭṭhinirodhā kho, bhikkhu, sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsu.

‘Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ.

Assutavā, bhikkhu, puthujjano diṭṭhiṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhisamudayaṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhaṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānāti. Tassa sā diṭṭhi pavaḍḍhati, so na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, na parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

3Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako diṭṭhiṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhisamudayaṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhaṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. Tassa sā diṭṭhi nirujjhati, so parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti. Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ evaṁ abyākaraṇadhammo hoti abyākatavatthūsu.

Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ na chambhati, na kampati, na vedhati, na santāsaṁ āpajjati abyākatavatthūsu.

4‘Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, taṇhāgatametaṁ … pe … saññāgatametaṁ … pe … maññitametaṁ … pe … papañcitametaṁ … pe … upādānagatametaṁ … pe … ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso.

Assutavā, bhikkhu, puthujjano vippaṭisāraṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisārasamudayaṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhaṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānāti. Tassa so vippaṭisāro pavaḍḍhati, so na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, na parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

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5Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako vippaṭisāraṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. Tassa so vippaṭisāro nirujjhati, so parimuccati jātiyā … pe … dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

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Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti.

Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ evaṁ abyākaraṇadhammo hoti abyākatavatthūsu.

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Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ na chambhati, na kampati, na vedhati, na santāsaṁ āpajjati abyākatavatthūsu.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsū"ti.

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Paṭhamaṁ.