11.
The Discourse on Sabhiya Kaccāna
420.
On one occasion the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was dwelling at Ñātika in the brick house.
Then the wandering ascetic Vacchagotta approached the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna;
having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna.
Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the wandering ascetic Vacchagotta said this to the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna -
"Now what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder exist after death?"
"This, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One -
'The Truth-finder exists after death.'"
"But what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder not exist after death?"
"This too, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One -
'The Truth-finder does not exist after death.'"
"Now what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder both exist and not exist after death?" "This, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - 'The Truth-finder both exists and does not exist after death.'" "But what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder neither exist nor not exist after death?" "This too, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - 'The Truth-finder neither exists nor does not exist after death.'"
"'Now what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder exist after death?' - thus asked - 'This, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - the Truth-finder exists after death' - you say. 'But what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder not exist after death?' - thus asked - 'This, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - the Truth-finder does not exist after death' - you say. 'Now what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder both exist and not exist after death?' - thus asked - 'This, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - the Truth-finder both exists and does not exist after death' - you say. 'But what, dear Kaccāna, does the Truth-finder neither exist nor not exist after death?' - thus asked - 'This too, Vaccha, has been left undeclared by the Blessed One - the Truth-finder neither exists nor does not exist after death' - you say. What now, dear Kaccāna, is the cause, what is the condition, why this has been left undeclared by the ascetic Gotama?" "Whatever cause and whatever condition there is, Vaccha, for describing as 'material' or 'immaterial' or 'percipient' or 'non-percipient' or 'neither percipient nor non-percipient,' if that cause and that condition were to cease entirely, in every way, without remainder, by what would one describing describe it as 'material' or 'immaterial' or 'percipient' or 'non-percipient' or 'neither percipient nor non-percipient'?" "How long have you been gone forth, dear Kaccāna?" "Not long, friend, three rains retreats." "For anyone, friend, for whom this much in this much time would be this much, that would be much; what then to say of one so advanced!" The eleventh.