Ānandasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 44.10

Linked Discourses 44.10

1. Abyākatavagga

1. The Undeclared Points

Ānandasutta

With Ānanda

Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, atthattā”ti?

“Worthy Gotama, does the self survive?”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi.

But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent.

“Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, natthattā”ti?

“Then does the self not survive?”

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi.

But for a second time the Buddha kept silent.

Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta rose from his seat and left.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando acirapakkante vacchagotte paribbājake bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

And then, not long after Vacchagotta had left, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha:

“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, bhagavā vacchagottassa paribbājakassa pañhaṁ puṭṭho na byākāsī”ti?

“Sir, why didn’t you answer Vacchagotta’s question?”

“Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘atthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘atthattā’ti byākareyyaṁ, ye te, ānanda, samaṇabrāhmaṇā sassatavādā tesametaṁ saddhiṁ abhavissa.

“Ānanda, when Vacchagotta asked me whether the self survives, if I had answered that ‘the self survives’ I would have been siding with the ascetics and brahmins who are eternalists.

Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘natthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthattā’ti byākareyyaṁ, ye te, ānanda, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ucchedavādā tesametaṁ saddhiṁ abhavissa.

When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self does not survive, if I had answered that ‘the self does not survive’ I would have been siding with the ascetics and brahmins who are annihilationists.

Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘atthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘atthattā’ti byākareyyaṁ, api nu me taṁ, ānanda, anulomaṁ abhavissa ñāṇassa uppādāya:

When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self survives, if I had answered that ‘the self survives’, would that have facilitated the arising of the knowledge that

‘sabbe dhammā anattā’”ti?

all things are not-self?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.”

“Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘natthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthattā’ti byākareyyaṁ, sammūḷhassa, ānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa bhiyyo sammohāya abhavissa:

“When Vacchagotta asked me whether the self does not survive, if I had answered that ‘the self does not survive’, Vacchagotta—who is already confused—would have got even more confused, thinking:

‘ahuvā me nūna pubbe attā, so etarahi natthī’”ti.

‘It seems that the self that I once had no longer survives.’”

Dasamaṁ.