MN72: Aggivacchasutta - To Vacchagotta on Fire
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side and asked the Blessed One:
2"How is it, Master Gotama, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The world is eternal: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The world is eternal: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
3"How then, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The world is not eternal: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The world is not eternal: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
4"How is it, Master Gotama, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The world is finite: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The world is finite: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
5"How then, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The world is infinite: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The world is infinite: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
6"How is it, Master Gotama, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The soul and the body are the same: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?"[n.718] The view that the soul (jīva) and the body are the same is materialism, which reduces the soul to the body. The following view that the soul and the body are different is an eternalist view, which regards the soul as a persisting spiritual principle that can exist independently of the body. "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The soul and the body are the same: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
7"How then, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘The soul is one thing and the body another: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘The soul is one thing and the body another: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
8"How is it, Master Gotama, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata exists: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?"[n.719] The view that a Tathāgata exists after death is a form of eternalism that regards the Tathāgata, or spiritually perfect individual, as possessing a self that attains eternal deliverance after the death of the body. The view that a Tathāgata does not exist after death also identifies the Tathāgata as self, but holds that this self is annihilated upon the death of the body. The third view attempts a synthesis of these two, which the Buddha rejects because both components involve a wrong view. The fourth view seems to be a sceptical attempt to reject both alternatives or to avoid taking a definite stand. "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata exists: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
9"How then, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
10"How is it, Master Gotama, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata both exists and does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata both exists and does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
11"How then, does Master Gotama hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong’?" "Vaccha, I do not hold the view: ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’"
12–13"How is it then, Master Gotama? When Master Gotama is asked each of these ten questions, he replies: ‘I do not hold that view.’
14What danger does Master Gotama see that he does not take up any of these speculative views?"
15"Vaccha, the speculative view that the world is eternal is a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a vacillation of views, a fetter of views. It is beset by suffering, by vexation, by despair, and by fever, and it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
"The speculative view that the world is not eternal … that the world is finite … that the world is infinite … that the soul and the body are the same … that the soul is one thing and the body another … that after death a Tathāgata exists … that after death a Tathāgata does not exist … that after death a Tathāgata both exists and does not exist … that after death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist is a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a vacillation of views, a fetter of views. It is beset by suffering, by vexation, by despair, and by fever, and it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. Seeing this danger, I do not take up any of these speculative views."
16"Then does Master Gotama hold any speculative view at all?"
"Vaccha, ‘speculative view’ is something that the Tathāgata has put away. For the Tathāgata, Vaccha, has seen[n.720] In the Pali a word play is involved between diṭṭ̣higata, "speculative view," which the Tathāgata has put away, and diṭṭ̣ha, what has been "seen" by the Tathāgata with direct vision, namely, the rise and fall of the five aggregates. this: ‘Such is material form, such its origin, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origin, such its disappearance; such is perception, such its origin, such its disappearance; such are formations, such their origin, such their disappearance; such is consciousness, such its origin, such its disappearance.’ Therefore, I say, with the destruction, fading away, cessation, giving up, and relinquishing of all conceivings, all excogitations, all I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit, the Tathāgata is liberated through not clinging."
17"When a bhikkhu's mind is liberated thus, Master Gotama, where does he reappear after death?"
"The term ‘reappears’ does not apply, Vaccha."[n.721] MA says that "does not reappear" actually does apply, in the sense that the arahant does not undergo a new existence. But if Vacchagotta were to hear this he would misapprehend it as annihilationism, and thus the Buddha denies that it applies in the sense that annihilation is not a tenable position.
"Then he does not reappear, Master Gotama?"
"The term ‘does not reappear’ does not apply, Vaccha."
"Then he both reappears and does not reappear, Master Gotama?"
"The term ‘both reappears and does not reappear’ does not apply, Vaccha."
"Then he neither reappears nor does not reappear, Master Gotama?"
"The term ‘neither reappears nor does not reappear’ does not apply, Vaccha."
18"When Master Gotama is asked these four questions, he replies: ‘The term "reappears" does not apply, Vaccha; the term "does not reappear" does not apply, Vaccha; the term "both reappears and does not reappear" does not apply, Vaccha; the term "neither reappears nor does not reappear" does not apply, Vaccha.’ Here I have fallen into bewilderment, Master Gotama, here I have fallen into confusion, and the measure of confidence I had gained through previous conversation with Master Gotama has now disappeared."
19"It is enough to cause you bewilderment, Vaccha, enough to cause you confusion. For this Dhamma, Vaccha, is profound, hard to see and hard to understand, peaceful and sublime, unattainable by mere reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. It is hard for you to understand it when you hold another view, accept another teaching, approve of another teaching, pursue a different training, and follow a different teacher.
20So I shall question you about this in return, Vaccha. Answer as you choose.
"What do you think, Vaccha? Suppose a fire were burning before you. Would you know: ‘This fire is burning before me’?"
"I would, Master Gotama."
21"If someone were to ask you, Vaccha: ‘What does this fire burning before you burn in dependence on?’ — being asked thus, what would you answer?"
"Being asked thus, Master Gotama, I would answer: ‘This fire burns in dependence on fuel of grass and sticks.’"
22"If that fire before you were to be extinguished, would you know: ‘This fire before me has been extinguished’?"
"I would, Master Gotama."
23"If someone were to ask you, Vaccha: ‘When that fire before you was extinguished, to which direction did it go: to the east, the west, the north, or the south?’ — being asked thus, what would you answer?"
"That does not apply, Master Gotama. The fire burned in dependence on its fuel of grass and sticks. When that is used up, if it does not get any more fuel, being without fuel, it is reckoned as extinguished."
24"So too, Vaccha, the Tathāgata has abandoned that material form by which one describing the Tathāgata might describe him;[n.722] MA says this is the material form by which one would describe the Tathāgata as a being (or self) possessing material form. MṬ adds that the material form has been abandoned by the abandonment of the fetters connected with it, and it has thus become incapable of arising again in the future. he has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, done away with it so that it is no longer subject to future arising. The Tathāgata is liberated from reckoning in terms of material form, Vaccha, he is profound, immeasurable, hard to fathom like the ocean. ‘He reappears’ does not apply; ‘he does not reappear’ does not apply; ‘he both reappears and does not reappear’ does not apply; ‘he neither reappears nor does not reappear’ does not apply.[n.723] This passage should be connected with the simile of the extinguished fire. Just as the extinguished fire cannot be described as having gone to any direction, so the Tathāgata who has attained to final Nibbāna cannot be described in terms of the four alternatives. The simile concerns solely the legitimacy of conceptual and linguistic usage and is not intended to suggest, as some scholars have held, that the Tathāgata attains to some mystical absorption in the Absolute. The words "profound, immeasurable, hard to fathom" point to the transcendental dimension of the liberation attained by the Accomplished One, its inaccessibility to discursive thought.
It seems that at this point in the dialogue, the Buddha resorts to imagery to suggest what concepts cannot convey. The two images — of the extinguished fire and the deep ocean — establish between themselves a dialectical tension, and thus both must be taken into account to avoid falling into one-sided views. The image of the extinguished fire, taken alone, veers in the direction of total extinction, and thus must be balanced by the image of the ocean; the image of the ocean, taken alone, suggests some eternal mode of being, and thus must be balanced by the image of the extinguished fire. Again, the truth lies in the middle that transcends untenable extremes.
25The Tathāgata has abandoned that feeling by which one describing the Tathāgata might describe him;
26… has abandoned that perception by which one describing the Tathāgata might describe him;
27… has abandoned those formations by which one describing the Tathāgata might describe him;
28… has abandoned that consciousness by which one describing the Tathāgata might describe him; he has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, done away with it so that it is no longer subject to future arising. The Tathāgata is liberated from reckoning in terms of consciousness, Vaccha; he is profound, immeasurable, hard to fathom like the ocean. ‘He reappears’ does not apply; ‘he does not reappear’ does not apply; ‘he both reappears and does not reappear’ does not apply; ‘he neither reappears nor does not reappear’ does not apply."
29When this was said, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: "Master Gotama, suppose there were a great sāla tree not far from a village or town, and impermanence wore away its branches and foliage, its bark and sapwood, so that on a later occasion, being divested of branches and foliage, divested of bark and sapwood, it became pure, consisting entirely of heartwood; so too, this discourse of Master Gotama's is divested of branches and foliage, divested of bark and sapwood, and is pure, consisting entirely of heartwood.
"Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms. I go to Master Gotama for refuge and to the Dhamma and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge for life."
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
2"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
3"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
4"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘antavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘antavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
5"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘anantavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘anantavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
6"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
7"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
8"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
9"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
10"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
11"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo"ti? "Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’"ti.
12"‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, antavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — antavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, anantavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — anantavā loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.
13‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti — evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti – evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavaṁ gotamo’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na kho ahaṁ, vaccha, evaṁdiṭṭhi — neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.
14Kiṁ pana bho gotamo ādīnavaṁ sampassamāno evaṁ imāni sabbaso diṭṭhigatāni anupagato"ti?
15"‘Sassato loko’ti kho, vaccha, diṭṭhigatametaṁ diṭṭhigahanaṁ diṭṭhikantāro diṭṭhivisūkaṁ diṭṭhivipphanditaṁ diṭṭhisaṁyojanaṁ sadukkhaṁ savighātaṁ saupāyāsaṁ sapariḷāhaṁ, na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.
‘Asassato loko’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘antavā loko’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘anantavā loko’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, vaccha … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, vaccha, diṭṭhigatametaṁ diṭṭhigahanaṁ diṭṭhikantāro diṭṭhivisūkaṁ diṭṭhivipphanditaṁ diṭṭhisaṁyojanaṁ sadukkhaṁ savighātaṁ saupāyāsaṁ sapariḷāhaṁ, na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati. Imaṁ kho ahaṁ, vaccha, ādīnavaṁ sampassamāno evaṁ imāni sabbaso diṭṭhigatāni anupagato"ti.
16"Atthi pana bhoto gotamassa kiñci diṭṭhigatan"ti?
"Diṭṭhigatanti kho, vaccha, apanītametaṁ tathāgatassa. Diṭṭhañhetaṁ, vaccha, tathāgatena: ‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā, iti vedanāya samudayo, iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo; iti saññā, iti saññāya samudayo, iti saññāya atthaṅgamo; iti saṅkhārā, iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo, iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo; iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. Tasmā tathāgato sabbamaññitānaṁ sabbamathitānaṁ sabbaahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayānaṁ khayā virāgā nirodhā cāgā paṭinissaggā anupādā vimuttoti vadāmī"ti.
17"Evaṁ vimuttacitto pana, bho gotama, bhikkhu kuhiṁ upapajjatī"ti?
"Upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upeti".
"Tena hi, bho gotama, na upapajjatī"ti?
"Na upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upeti".
"Tena hi, bho gotama, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatī"ti?
"Upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upeti".
"Tena hi, bho gotama, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatī"ti?
"Neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upeti".
18"‘Evaṁ vimuttacitto pana, bho gotama, bhikkhu kuhiṁ upapajjatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upetī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, bho gotama, na upapajjatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘Na upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upetī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, bho gotama, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upetī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, bho gotama, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti kho, vaccha, na upetī’ti vadesi. Etthāhaṁ, bho gotama, aññāṇamāpādiṁ, ettha sammohamāpādiṁ. Yāpi me esā bhoto gotamassa purimena kathāsallāpena ahu pasādamattā sāpi me etarahi antarahitā"ti.
19"Alañhi te, vaccha, aññāṇāya, alaṁ sammohāya. Gambhīro hāyaṁ, vaccha, dhammo duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo. So tayā dujjāno aññadiṭṭhikena aññakhantikena aññarucikena aññatrayogena aññatrācariyakena.
20Tena hi, vaccha, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi; yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vaccha, sace te purato aggi jaleyya, jāneyyāsi tvaṁ: ‘Ayaṁ me purato aggi jalatī’"ti? "Sace me, bho gotama, purato aggi jaleyya, jāneyyāhaṁ:
‘Ayaṁ me purato aggi jalatī’"ti.
21"Sace pana taṁ, vaccha, evaṁ puccheyya: ‘yo te ayaṁ purato aggi jalati ayaṁ aggi kiṁ paṭicca jalatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭho tvaṁ, vaccha, kinti byākareyyāsī"ti? "Sace maṁ, bho gotama, evaṁ puccheyya: ‘yo te ayaṁ purato aggi jalati ayaṁ aggi kiṁ paṭicca jalatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭho ahaṁ, bho gotama, evaṁ byākareyyaṁ: ‘yo me ayaṁ purato aggi jalati ayaṁ aggi tiṇakaṭṭhupādānaṁ paṭicca jalatī’"ti.
22"Sace te, vaccha, purato so aggi nibbāyeyya, jāneyyāsi tvaṁ: ‘Ayaṁ me purato aggi nibbuto’"ti? "Sace me, bho gotama, purato so aggi nibbāyeyya, jāneyyāhaṁ: ‘Ayaṁ me purato aggi nibbuto’"ti.
23"Sace pana taṁ, vaccha, evaṁ puccheyya: ‘yo te ayaṁ purato aggi nibbuto so aggi ito katamaṁ disaṁ gato — puratthimaṁ vā dakkhiṇaṁ vā pacchimaṁ vā uttaraṁ vā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭho tvaṁ, vaccha, kinti byākareyyāsī"ti?
"Na upeti, bho gotama, yañhi so, bho gotama, aggi tiṇakaṭṭhupādānaṁ paṭicca ajali tassa ca pariyādānā aññassa ca anupahārā anāhāro nibbutotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī"ti.
24"Evameva kho, vaccha, yena rūpena tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya taṁ rūpaṁ tathāgatassa pahīnaṁ ucchinnamūlaṁ tālāvatthukataṁ anabhāvaṁkataṁ āyatiṁ anuppādadhammaṁ. Rūpasaṅkhayavimutto kho, vaccha, tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāḷho — seyyathāpi mahāsamuddo. Upapajjatīti na upeti, na upapajjatīti na upeti, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti na upeti, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti na upeti.
25Yāya vedanāya tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya sā vedanā tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Vedanāsaṅkhayavimutto kho, vaccha, tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāḷho — seyyathāpi mahāsamuddo. Upapajjatīti na upeti, na upapajjatīti na upeti, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti na upeti, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti na upeti.
26Yāya saññāya tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya sā saññā tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Saññāsaṅkhayavimutto kho, vaccha, tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāḷho – seyyathāpi mahāsamuddo. Upapajjatīti na upeti, na upapajjatīti na upeti, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti na upeti, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti na upeti.
27Yehi saṅkhārehi tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya te saṅkhārā tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Sankhārasaṅkhayavimutto kho, vaccha, tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāḷho — seyyathāpi mahāsamuddo. Upapajjatīti na upeti, na upapajjatīti na upeti, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti na upeti, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti na upeti.
28Yena viññāṇena tathāgataṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya taṁ viññāṇaṁ tathāgatassa pahīnaṁ ucchinnamūlaṁ tālāvatthukataṁ anabhāvaṅkataṁ āyatiṁ anuppādadhammaṁ. Viññāṇasaṅkhayavimutto kho, vaccha, tathāgato gambhīro appameyyo duppariyogāḷho — seyyathāpi mahāsamuddo. Upapajjatīti na upeti, na upapajjatīti na upeti, upapajjati ca na ca upapajjatīti na upeti, neva upapajjati na na upapajjatīti na upetī"ti.
29Evaṁ vutte, vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, gāmassa vā nigamassa vā avidūre mahāsālarukkho. Tassa aniccatā sākhāpalāsā palujjeyyuṁ, tacapapaṭikā palujjeyyuṁ, pheggū palujjeyyuṁ; so aparena samayena apagatasākhāpalāso apagatatacapapaṭiko apagataphegguko suddho assa, sāre patiṭṭhito; evameva bhoto gotamassa pāvacanaṁ apagatasākhāpalāsaṁ apagatatacapapaṭikaṁ apagatapheggukaṁ suddhaṁ, sāre patiṭṭhitaṁ.
Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Aggivacchasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.