Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points?” “ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsū”ti?

“Mendicant, it’s due to the cessation of views that a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points. “Diṭṭhinirodhā kho, bhikkhu, sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsu. ‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ; ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, diṭṭhigatametaṁ. An unlearned ordinary person doesn’t understand views, their origin, their cessation, or the practice that leads to their cessation. Assutavā, bhikkhu, puthujjano diṭṭhiṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhisamudayaṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhaṁ nappajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānāti. And so their views grow. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say. Tassa sā diṭṭhi pavaḍḍhati, so na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

A learned noble disciple does understand views, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako diṭṭhiṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhisamudayaṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhaṁ pajānāti, diṭṭhinirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. And so their views cease. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say. Tassa sā diṭṭhi nirujjhati, so parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not answer: ‘A realized one still exists after death’, Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’, ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti; ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not declare the undeclared points. Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ evaṁ abyākaraṇadhammo hoti abyākatavatthūsu. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t shake, tremble, quake, or get nervous regarding the undeclared points. Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ na chambhati, na kampati, na vedhati, na santāsaṁ āpajjati abyākatavatthūsu.

‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is just about craving. … ‘Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, taṇhāgatametaṁ …pe… it’s just about perception … saññāgatametaṁ …pe… it’s a conceiving … maññitametaṁ …pe… it’s a proliferation … papañcitametaṁ …pe… it’s just about grasping … upādānagatametaṁ …pe… ‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso; ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti kho, bhikkhu, vippaṭisāro eso. An unlearned ordinary person doesn’t understand regrets, their origin, their cessation, or the practice that leads to their cessation. Assutavā, bhikkhu, puthujjano vippaṭisāraṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisārasamudayaṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhaṁ nappajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānāti. And so their regrets grow. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say. Tassa so vippaṭisāro pavaḍḍhati, so na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

A learned noble disciple does understand regrets, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako vippaṭisāraṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, vippaṭisāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. And so their regrets cease. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say. Tassa so vippaṭisāro nirujjhati, so parimuccati jātiyā …pe… ‘… dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not answer: ‘A realized one still exists after death’ … Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti …pe… ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi na byākaroti. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not declare the undeclared points. Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ evaṁ abyākaraṇadhammo hoti abyākatavatthūsu. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t shake, tremble, quake, or get nervous regarding the undeclared points. Evaṁ jānaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako evaṁ passaṁ na chambhati, na kampati, na vedhati, na santāsaṁ āpajjati abyākatavatthūsu. This is the cause, this is the reason why a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points.” Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena sutavato ariyasāvakassa vicikicchā nuppajjati abyākatavatthūsū”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.