SN 44.11 — With Sabhiya Kaccāna

At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna: “Worthy Kaccāna, does a realized one still exist after death?” “Vaccha, this has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death?” “This too has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one both still exist and no longer exist after death?” “This has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one neither still exist nor no longer exist after death?” “This too has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Worthy Kaccāna, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha. What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?” “In order to describe him as ‘formed’ or ‘formless’ or ‘percipient’ or ‘non-percipient’ or ‘neither percipient nor non-percipient’, there must be some cause or reason for doing so. But if that cause and reason were to totally and utterly cease without remainder, how could you describe him in any such terms?” “Worthy Kaccāna, how long has it been since you went forth?” “Not long, reverend: three years.” “One who has learned this much in this time, reverend, has learned a lot, who can say what lies ahead!” The Linked Discourses on undeclared questions are complete. The Book of the Six Sense Fields is finished. The Group of Linked Discourses on the Path Linked Discourses on the Eightfold Path Contents The Chapter on Ignorance SN 45.1 Ignorance Avijjāsutta SN 45.2 Half the Spiritual Life Upaḍḍhasutta SN 45.3 Sāriputta Sāriputtasutta SN 45.4 Regarding the Brahmin Jānussoṇi Jāṇussoṇibrāhmaṇasutta SN 45.5 What’s the Goal? Kimatthiyasutta SN 45.6 A Mendicant (1st) Paṭhamaaññatarabhikkhusutta SN 45.7 A Mendicant (2nd) Dutiyaaññatarabhikkhusutta SN 45.8 Analysis Vibhaṅgasutta SN 45.9 A Spike Sūkasutta SN 45.10 With Nandiya Nandiyasutta The Chapter on Meditation SN 45.11 Meditation (1st) Paṭhamavihārasutta SN 45.12 Meditation (2nd) Dutiyavihārasutta SN 45.13 A Trainee Sekkhasutta SN 45.14 Arising (1st) Paṭhamauppādasutta SN 45.15 Arising (2nd) Dutiyauppādasutta SN 45.16 Purified (1st) Paṭhamaparisuddhasutta SN 45.17 Purified (2nd) Dutiyaparisuddhasutta SN 45.18 At the Chicken Monastery (1st) Paṭhamakukkuṭārāmasutta SN 45.19 At the Chicken Monastery (2nd) Dutiyakukkuṭārāmasutta SN 45.20 At the Chicken Monastery (3rd) Tatiyakukkuṭārāmasutta The Chapter on the Wrong Way SN 45.21 The Wrong Way Micchattasutta SN 45.22 Unskillful Qualities Akusaladhammasutta SN 45.23 Practice (1st) Paṭhamapaṭipadāsutta SN 45.24 Practice (2nd) Dutiyapaṭipadāsutta SN 45.25 An Untrue Person (1st) Paṭhamaasappurisasutta SN 45.26 An Untrue Person (2nd) Dutiyaasappurisasutta SN 45.27 Pots Kumbhasutta SN 45.28 Immersion Samādhisutta SN 45.29 Feeling Vedanāsutta SN 45.30 With Uttiya Uttiyasutta The Chapter on Practice SN 45.31 Practice (1st) Paṭhamapaṭipattisutta SN 45.32 Practice (2nd) Dutiyapaṭipattisutta SN 45.33 Missed Out Viraddhasutta SN 45.34 Going to the Far Shore Pāraṅgamasutta SN 45.35 The Ascetic Life (1st) Paṭhamasāmaññasutta SN 45.36 The Ascetic Life (2nd) Dutiyasāmaññasutta SN 45.37 The Brahmin Life (1st) Paṭhamabrahmaññasutta SN 45.38 The Brahmin Life (2nd) Dutiyabrahmaññasutta SN 45.39 The Spiritual Path (1st) Paṭhamabrahmacariyasutta SN 45.40 The Spiritual Path (2nd) Dutiyabrahmacariyasutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on Followers of Other Paths SN 45.41 The Fading Away of Greed Rāgavirāgasutta SN 45.42–47 Six Discourses on Giving Up Fetters, Etc. Saṁyojanappahānādisuttachakka SN 45.48 Extinguishment With No Fuel For Grasping Anupādāparinibbānasutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on the Sun SN 45.49 Good Friends (1st) Kalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.50–54 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. (1st) Sīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.55 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind (1st) Yonisomanasikārasampadāsutta SN 45.56 Good Friends (2nd) Dutiyakalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.57–61 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. (2nd) Dutiyasīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.62 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind (2nd) Dutiyayonisomanasikārasampadāsutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on One Thing SN 45.63 Good Friends (1st) Kalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.64–68 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. (1st) Sīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.69 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind (1st) Yonisomanasikārasampadāsutta SN 45.70 Good Friends (2nd) Dutiyakalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.71–75 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. (2nd) Dutiyasīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.76 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind (2nd) Dutiyayonisomanasikārasampadāsutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on One Thing SN 45.77 Good Friends Kalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.78–82 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. Sīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.83 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind Yonisomanasikārasampadāsutta SN 45.84 Good Friends (2nd) Dutiyakalyāṇamittasutta SN 45.85–89 Five Discourses on Accomplishment in Ethics, Etc. Dutiyasīlasampadādisuttapañcaka SN 45.90 Accomplishment in Rational Application of Mind (2nd) Dutiyayonisomanasikārasampadāsutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on the Ganges SN 45.91 Slanting East Paṭhamapācīnaninnasutta SN 45.92–95 Four Discourses on Slanting East Dutiyādipācīnaninnasuttacatukka SN 45.96 Sixth Discourse on Slanting East Chaṭṭhapācīnaninnasutta SN 45.97 Slanting to the Ocean Paṭhamasamuddaninnasutta SN 45.98–102 Five Discourses on Slanting to the Ocean Dutiyādisamuddaninnasuttapañcaka The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on the Ganges SN 45.103 Slanting East Paṭhamapācīnaninnasutta SN 45.104–108 Five Discourses on Sloping to the East Dutiyādipācīnaninnasuttapañcaka SN 45.109 Slanting to the Ocean Paṭhamasamuddaninnasutta SN 45.110–114 Slanting to the Ocean Dutiyādisamuddaninnasutta SN 45.115 Slanting East Paṭhamapācīnaninnasutta SN 45.116–120 Slanting East Dutiyādipācīnaninnasutta SN 45.121 Slanting to the Ocean Paṭhamasamuddaninnasutta SN 45.122–126 Sloping to the Ocean Dutiyādisamuddaninnasutta SN 45.127 Slanting East Paṭhamapācīnaninnasutta SN 45.128–132 Slanting East Dutiyādipācīnaninnasutta SN 45.133 Slanting to the Ocean Paṭhamasamuddaninnasutta SN 45.134–138 Slanting to the Ocean Dutiyādisamuddaninnasutta The Chapter of Abbreviated Texts on Diligence SN 45.139 The Realized One Tathāgatasutta SN 45.140 Footprints Padasutta SN 45.141–145 A Roof Peak Kūṭādisutta SN 45.146–148 The Moon, Etc. Candimādisutta The Chapter on Hard Work SN 45.149 Hard Work Balasutta SN 45.150 Seeds Bījasutta SN 45.151 Dragons Nāgasutta SN 45.152 Trees Rukkhasutta SN 45.153 Pots Kumbhasutta SN 45.154 A Spike Sūkasutta SN 45.155 The Sky Ākāsasutta SN 45.156 Storms (1st) Paṭhamameghasutta SN 45.157 Storms (2nd) Dutiyameghasutta SN 45.158 A Ship Nāvāsutta SN 45.159 A Guest House Āgantukasutta SN 45.160 A River Nadīsutta The Chapter on Searches SN 45.161 Searches Esanāsutta SN 45.162 Discriminations Vidhāsutta SN 45.163 Defilements Āsavasutta SN 45.164 States of Existence Bhavasutta SN 45.165 Forms of Suffering Dukkhatāsutta SN 45.166 Kinds of Barrenness Khilasutta SN 45.167 Stains Malasutta SN 45.168 Troubles Nīghasutta SN 45.169 Feelings Vedanāsutta SN 45.170 Craving Taṇhāsutta The Chapter on Floods SN 45.171 Floods Oghasutta SN 45.172 Yokes Yogasutta SN 45.173 Grasping Upādānasutta SN 45.174 Personal Ties Ganthasutta SN 45.175 Tendencies Anusayasutta SN 45.176 Kinds of Sensual Stimulation Kāmaguṇasutta SN 45.177 Hindrances Nīvaraṇasutta SN 45.178 Grasping Aggregates Upādānakkhandhasutta SN 45.179 Lower Fetters Orambhāgiyasutta SN 45.180 Higher Fetters Uddhambhāgiyasutta The Chapter on Ignorance