With MoggallānaMoggallānasutta

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahāmoggallānena saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Mahāmoggallāna:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

“Worthy Moggallāna, is this right: ‘the cosmos is eternal’?”“Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, sassato loko”ti?

“Vaccha, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā:

“Then is this right: ‘the cosmos is not eternal’ …“Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, asassato loko”ti? ‘the cosmos is finite’ …“Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, antavā loko”ti? ‘the cosmos is infinite’ …“Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, anantavā loko”ti? ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’ …“Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran”ti? ‘the soul is one thing, the body another’ …“Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran”ti? ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …“Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti? ‘a realized one no longer exists after death’ …“Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti? ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’ …“Kiṁ nu kho, bho moggallāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti? ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’?”“Kiṁ pana, bho moggallāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:

“What’s the cause, worthy Moggallāna, what’s the reason why, when the wanderers of other religions are asked these questions, they declare one of these to be true?“Ko nu kho, bho moggallāna, hetu ko paccayo, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti— And what’s the reason why, when the ascetic Gotama is asked these questions, he does not declare one of these to be true?”Ko pana, bho moggallāna, hetu ko paccayo, yena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti—

“Vaccha, the wanderers of other religions regard the eye like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ They regard the ear … nose …“Aññatitthiyā kho, vaccha, paribbājakā cakkhuṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassanti …pe… tongue … body …jivhaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassanti …pe… mind like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’manaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassanti.

That’s why, when asked, they declare one of those answers to be true.Tasmā aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ puṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti—

The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha regards the eye like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ He regards the ear … nose …Tathāgato ca kho, vaccha, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho cakkhuṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati …pe… tongue … body …jivhaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati …pe… mind like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’manaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati.

That’s why, when asked, he does not declare one of those answers to be true.”Tasmā tathāgatassa evaṁ puṭṭhassa na evaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ hoti—

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta rose from his seat and went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako uṭṭhāyāsanā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. He asked the Buddha the same questions, and received the same answers.Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

He said, “It’s incredible, worthy Gotama, it’s amazing!“Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. How the meaning and the phrasing of the Teacher and the disciple fit together and agree without contradiction when it comes to the chief matter!Yatra hi nāma satthu ca sāvakassa ca atthena attho byañjanena byañjanaṁ saṁsandissati samessati na virodhayissati, yadidaṁ aggapadasmiṁ. Just now I went to the ascetic Mahāmoggallāna and asked him about this matter.Idānāhaṁ, bho gotama, samaṇaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ apucchiṁ. And he explained it to me with these words and phrases, just like the worthy Gotama.Samaṇopi me moggallāno etehi padehi etehi byañjanehi tamatthaṁ byākāsi, seyyathāpi bhavaṁ gotamo. It’s incredible, worthy Gotama, it’s amazing!Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. How the meaning and the phrasing of the Teacher and the disciple fit together and agree without contradiction when it comes to the chief matter!”Yatra hi nāma satthu ca sāvakassa ca atthena attho byañjanena byañjanaṁ saṁsandissati samessati na virodhayissati, yadidaṁ aggapadasmin”ti.