Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.12

The Related Suttas Collection 16.12

1. Kassapavagga

1. Kassapa

Paraṁmaraṇasutta

The Realized One After Death

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa:

“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso kassapa, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Friend Kassapa, does a Realized One exist after death?”

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Friend, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a Realized One not exist after death?”

“Evampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a Realized One both exist and not exist after death?”

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā: ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso, neva hoti, na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a Realized One neither exist nor not exist after death?”

“Evampi kho, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Kasmā cetaṁ, āvuso, abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?

“And why has this not been declared by the Buddha?”

“Na hetaṁ, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ nādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati. Tasmā taṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.

“Because it’s not beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and Nibbana. That’s why it has not been declared by the Buddha.”

“Atha kiñcarahāvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti? “Idaṁ ‘dukkhan’ti kho, āvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā; ayaṁ ‘dukkhasamudayo’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā; ayaṁ ‘dukkhanirodho’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā; ayaṁ ‘dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.

“So what now has been declared by the Buddha?” “‘This is suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha. ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’ has been declared by the Buddha.”

“Kasmā cetaṁ, āvuso, byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti?

“And why has this been declared by the Buddha?”

“Etañhi, āvuso, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ etaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati. Tasmā taṁ byākataṁ bhagavatā”ti.

“Because it’s beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and Nibbana. That’s why it has been declared by the Buddha.”

Dvādasamaṁ.