3.
The Discourse on Mahākoṭṭhika
173.
Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached the Venerable Sāriputta;
having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta.
Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the Venerable Sāriputta -
"Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there something else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there not something else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there and is there not something else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there neither nor is there not something else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"When asked 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there something else?' you say 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there not something else?' - you say 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there and is there not something else?' - you say 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, is there neither nor is there not something else?' - you say 'Do not say so, friend.' But in what way, friend, is the meaning of this statement to be seen?"
"Saying 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, there is something else,' thus speaking one obsesses about what is free from obsession. Saying 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, there is not something else,' thus speaking one obsesses about what is free from obsession. Saying 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, there is and is not something else,' thus speaking one obsesses about what is free from obsession. Saying 'Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact, there neither is nor is not something else,' thus speaking one obsesses about what is free from obsession. Friend, as far as the destination of the six sense bases of contact extends, so far extends the destination of obsession; as far as the destination of obsession extends, so far extends the destination of the six sense bases of contact. Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact comes the cessation of obsession, the appeasement of obsession." The third.