1Then the Venerable Phagguna approached the Blessed One … and said to him:

2"Venerable sir, is there any eye by means of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them—those who have attained final Nibbāna, cut through proliferation, cut through the rut, exhausted the round, and transcended all suffering? [n.46] Spk explains chinnapapañca, "cut through proliferation," as referring to "the proliferation of craving," and chinnavaṭuma, "cut through the rut," as referring to "the rut of craving." The meaning of the question seems to be: Do the Buddhas of the past, on attaining the Nibbāna element without residue, still retain the six sense faculties? Is there any ear by way of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them? … Is there any mind by way of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them—those who have attained final Nibbāna, cut through proliferation, cut through the rut, exhausted the round, and transcended all suffering?"

3"There is no eye, Phagguna, by means of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them—those who have attained final Nibbāna, cut through proliferation, cut through the rut, exhausted the round, and transcended all suffering. There is no ear by means of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them … . sn.iv.53 There is no mind by means of which one describing the Buddhas of the past could describe them—those who have attained final Nibbāna, cut through proliferation, cut through the rut, exhausted the round, and transcended all suffering."

1Atha kho āyasmā phagguno … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā phagguno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

2"Atthi nu kho, bhante, taṁ cakkhu, yena cakkhunā atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya … pe … atthi nu kho, bhante, sā jivhā, yāya jivhāya atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya … pe … atthi nu kho so, bhante, mano, yena manena atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyyā"ti?

3"Natthi kho taṁ, phagguna, cakkhu, yena cakkhunā atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya … pe … natthi kho sā, phagguna, jivhā, yāya jivhāya atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya … pe … natthi kho so, phagguna, mano, yena manena atīte buddhe parinibbute chinnapapañce chinnavaṭume pariyādinnavaṭṭe sabbadukkhavītivaṭṭe paññāpayamāno paññāpeyyā"ti.

Dasamaṁ.
Gilānavaggo tatiyo.

4Gilānena duve vuttā,
rādhena apare tayo;
Avijjāya ca dve vuttā,
bhikkhu loko ca phaggunoti.