1–3On one occasion the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was dwelling at Ñātika in the Brick Hall. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him:

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"How is it, Master Kaccāna, does the Tathāgata exist after death?"

All as in §1 down to: sn.iv.402

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"What then, Master Kaccāna, is the cause and reason why this has not been declared by the Blessed One?"

"Vaccha, as to the cause and condition for describing him as ‘consisting of form’ or as ‘formless’ or as ‘percipient’ or as ‘nonpercipient’ or as ‘neither percipient nor nonpercipient’: if that cause and condition were to cease completely and totally without remainder, in what way could one describe him as ‘consisting of form’ or as ‘formless’ or as ‘percipient’ or as ‘nonpercipient’ or as ‘neither percipient nor nonpercipient’?"

"How long has it been since you went forth, Master Kaccāna?"

"Not long, friend. Three years."

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"One, friend, who has gotten so much in such a time has indeed gotten much, [n.386] Yassa p’ assa āvuso etam ettakena ettakam eva, tam p’ assa bahuṃ I translate this obscure exclamation with the aid of Spk. not to speak of one who has surpassed this!" sn.iv.403

The Book of the Six Sense Bases is finished.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike vihārati giñjakāvasathe. Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:

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"Kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti? "Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti. "Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti? "Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

2"Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti? "Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti. "Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti? "Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

3"‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

‘Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā – hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā – neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.

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Ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ samaṇena gotamenā"ti?

"Yo ca, vaccha, hetu, yo ca paccayo paññāpanāya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā, so ca hetu, so ca paccayo sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjheyya. Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti vā arūpīti vā saññīti vā asaññīti vā nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā"ti.

"Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā"ti?

"Naciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī"ti.

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"Yassapassa, āvuso, etamettakena ettakameva tampassa bahu, ko pana vādo evaṁ abhikkante"ti.

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Ekādasamaṁ.

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Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.

Abyākatasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

Saḷāyatanavaggo catuttho.

Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.