Then Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Mahākoṭṭhita sat down to one side, and said to Sāriputta: Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend, when the six fields of contact have faded away and ceased with nothing left over, does something else still exist?” “Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthaññaṁ kiñcī”ti?

“Don’t put it like that, reverend.” “Mā hevaṁ, āvuso”.

“Does something else no longer exist?” “Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā natthaññaṁ kiñcī”ti?

“Don’t put it like that, reverend.” “Mā hevaṁ, āvuso”.

“Does something else both still exist and no longer exist?” “Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthi ca natthi ca aññaṁ kiñcī”ti?

“Don’t put it like that, reverend.” “Mā hevaṁ, āvuso”.

“Does something else neither still exist nor no longer exist?” “Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā nevatthi no natthaññaṁ kiñcī”ti?

“Don’t put it like that, reverend.” “Mā hevaṁ, āvuso”.

“Reverend, when asked whether—when the six fields of contact have faded away and ceased with nothing left over—something else still exists, you say ‘don’t put it like that’. “‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. When asked whether something else no longer exists, ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā natthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: you say ‘don’t put it like that’. ‘mā hevaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. When asked whether something else both still exists and no longer exists, ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthi ca natthi ca aññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: you say ‘don’t put it like that’. ‘mā hevaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. When asked whether something else neither still exists nor no longer exists, ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā nevatthi no natthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: you say ‘don’t put it like that’. ‘mā hevaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. How then should we see the meaning of this statement?” Yathā kathaṁ pana, āvuso, imassa bhāsitassa attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

“In saying that, ‘When the six fields of contact have faded away and ceased with nothing left over, something else still exists’, you’re proliferating the unproliferated. “‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti vadaṁ appapañcaṁ papañceti. In saying that, ‘something else no longer exists’, you’re proliferating the unproliferated. ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā natthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti vadaṁ appapañcaṁ papañceti. In saying that, ‘something else both still exists and no longer exists’, you’re proliferating the unproliferated. ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā atthi ca natthi ca aññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti vadaṁ appapañcaṁ papañceti. In saying that, ‘something else neither still exists nor no longer exists’, you’re proliferating the unproliferated. ‘Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā nevatthi no natthaññaṁ kiñcī’ti, iti vadaṁ appapañcaṁ papañceti. The scope of proliferation extends as far as the scope of the six fields of contact. Yāvatā, āvuso, channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ gati tāvatā papañcassa gati; The scope of the six fields of contact extends as far as the scope of proliferation. yāvatā papañcassa gati tāvatā channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ gati. When the six fields of contact fade away and cease with nothing left over, proliferation stops and is stilled.” Channaṁ, āvuso, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā papañcanirodho papañcavūpasamo”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.