1Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him:

"How is it, Master Gotama, is the world eternal?" … as in previous sutta …

2"What, Master Gotama, is the cause and reason why, when wanderers of other sects are asked such questions, they give such answers as: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ And what is the cause and reason why, when Master Gotama is asked such questions, he does not give such answers?"

3"Vaccha, wanderers of other sects regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. They regard feeling as self … perception as self … volitional formations as self … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. Therefore, sn.iv.396 when the wanderers of other sects are asked such questions, they give such answers as: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ But, Vaccha, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, does not regard form as self … or self as in consciousness. Therefore, when the Tathāgata is asked such questions, he does not give such answers."

4Then the wanderer Vacchagotta rose from his seat and approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna. He exchanged greetings with the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna … and said to him:

"How is it, Master Moggallana, is the world eternal?"

All as above down to:

"Vaccha, the Blessed One has not declared this either: ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’"

5"What, Master Moggallana, is the cause and reason why, when wanderers of other sects are asked such questions, they give such answers as: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’? And what is the cause and reason why when the ascetic Gotama is asked such questions, he does not give such answers?" sn.iv.397

6"Vaccha, wanderers of other sects regard form as self … or self as in consciousness. Therefore, when the wanderers of other sects are asked such questions, they give such answers as: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ But, Vaccha, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, does not regard form as self … or self as in consciousness. Therefore, when the Tathāgata is asked such questions, he does not give such answers."

7"It is wonderful, Master Moggallana! It is amazing, Master Moggallana! How the meaning and the phrasing of both teacher and disciple coincide and agree with each other and do not diverge, that is, in regard to the chief matter. Just now, Master Moggallana, I approached the ascetic Gotama and asked him about this matter. The ascetic Gotama explained this matter to me in exactly the same terms and phrases that Master Moggallana used. It is wonderful, Master Moggallana! It is amazing, Master Moggallana! How the meaning and the phrasing of both teacher and disciple coincide and agree with each other and do not diverge, that is, in regard to the chief matter." sn.iv.398

1Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sassato loko"ti? "Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, mayā: ‘sassato loko’ti … pe … . "Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti? "Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ mayā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

2"Ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’ti vā … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā? Ko pana, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yena bhoto gotamassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’tipi … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipī"ti?

3"Aññatitthiyā kho, vaccha, paribbājakā rūpaṁ attato samanupassanti, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. vedanāṁ attato samanupassanti … pe … saññaṁ … pe … saṅkhāre … pe … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassanti, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tasmā aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’ti vā … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā. Tathāgato ca kho, vaccha, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Na vedanāṁ attato samanupassati … pe … na saññaṁ … pe … na saṅkhāre … pe … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tasmā tathāgatassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’tipi … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipī"ti.

4Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako uṭṭhāyāsanā yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahāmoggallānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

"Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, sassato loko"ti? "Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘sassato loko’ti … pe … . "Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti?

"Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’"ti.

5"Ko nu kho, bho moggallāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’ti vā … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā? Ko pana, bho moggallāna, hetu, ko paccayo yena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’tipi … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipī"ti?

6"Aññatitthiyā kho, vaccha, paribbājakā rūpaṁ attato samanupassanti, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. vedanāṁ attato samanupassanti … pe … saññaṁ … pe … saṅkhāre … pe … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassanti, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tasmā aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’ti vā … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā. Tathāgato ca kho, vaccha, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Na vedanāṁ attato samanupassati … pe … na saññaṁ … pe … na saṅkhāre … pe … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tasmā tathāgatassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti: ‘sassato loko’tipi, ‘asassato loko’tipi, ‘antavā loko’tipi, ‘anantavā loko’tipi, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’tipi, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’tipi, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipī"ti.

7"Acchariyaṁ, bho moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, bho moggallāna. Yatra hi nāma satthu ca sāvakassa ca atthena attho byañjanena byañjanaṁ saṁsandissati, samessati, na virodhayissati, yadidaṁ aggapadasmiṁ. Idānāhaṁ, bho moggallāna, samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ apucchiṁ. Samaṇopi me gotamo etehi padehi etehi byañjanehi etamatthaṁ byākāsi, seyyathāpi bhavaṁ moggallāno. Acchariyaṁ, bho moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, bho moggallāna. Yatra hi nāma satthu ca sāvakassa ca atthena attho byañjanena byañjanaṁ saṁsandissati samessati na virodhayissati, yadidaṁ aggapadasmin"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.