1As previously down to:

"What now, friend, is the cause and reason why this has not been declared by the Blessed One?"

"Friend, it is one who is not devoid of lust for form, who is not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for form, that thinks: ‘The Tathāgata exists after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ It is one who is not devoid of lust for feeling … who is not devoid of lust for perception … who is not devoid of lust for volitional formations … who is not devoid of lust for consciousness, who is not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for consciousness, that thinks: ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’ … sn.iv.388 or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’

"But, friend, one who is devoid of lust for form … who is devoid of lust for feeling … who is devoid of lust for perception … who is devoid of lust for volitional formations … who is devoid of lust for consciousness, who is devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for consciousness, does not think: ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’

"This, friend, is the cause and reason why this has not been declared by the Blessed One."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto, āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ vihāranti isipatane migadāye … pe … (sāyeva pucchā.)

"Ko nu kho, āvuso, hetu ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā"ti? "Rūpe kho, āvuso, avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigātataṇhassa ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti. Vedanāya … pe … saññāya … pe … saṅkhāresu … pe … viññāṇe avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigātataṇhassa ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa hoti.

Rūpe ca kho, āvuso, vigatarāgassa … pe … vedanāya … pe … saññāya … pe … saṅkhāresu … pe … viññāṇe vigatarāgassa vigatacchandassa vigatapemassa vigatapipāsassa vigatapariḷāhassa vigātataṇhassa ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipissa na hoti.

Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ bhagavatā"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.