With Vacchagotta Vacchagotta Sutta (SN 44:8)

- suttas - - evening talks - short morning talks - lectures - guided meditations - talk collections - other themes - chants - - - - à¹à¸à¸¢ - Franā§ais - Espaā±ol - - Portuguāªs - РÑÑÑкий - - - УкÑаÑнÑÑка Submit Search - Home - Suttas - SN - SN 44:8 With Vacchagotta ## Browse Suttas Go to Saṃyutta Nikṅya index SN index ## With Vacchagotta Vacchagotta Sutta  (SN 44:8) Then Vacchagotta the wanderer went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, "Now then, Master Gotama, is the cosmos eternal?" "That has not been declared by me, Vaccha: ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is eternal.â" "Well then, Master Gotama, is the cosmos not eternal?" "Vaccha, that too has not been declared by me: ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is not eternal.â" "Then is the cosmos finite?" ⦠"Is the cosmos infinite?" ⦠"Is the body the same as the soul?" ⦠"Is the body one thing, and the soul another?" ⦠"Does the Tathṅgata exist after death?" ⦠"Does the Tathṅgata not exist after death?" ⦠"Does the Tathṅgata both exist and not exist after death?" ⦠"Does the Tathṅgata neither exist nor not exist after death?" "Vaccha, that too has not been declared by me: ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata neither exists nor does not exist after death." "Now, Master Gotama, what is the cause, what is the reason why—when wanderers of other sects are asked in this way, they answer that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is eternalâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is not eternalâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is finiteâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is infiniteâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The body is the same as the soulâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The body is one thing and the soul anotherâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata exists after deathâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata does not exist after deathâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata both exists and does not exist after death" or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata neither exists nor does not exist after death,â yet when Master Gotama is asked in this way, he does not answer that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is eternalâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is not eternalâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is finiteâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is infiniteâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The body is the same as the soulâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The body is one thing and the soul anotherâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata exists after deathâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata does not exist after deathâ or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata both exists and does not exist after death" or ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata neither exists nor does not exist after deathâ?" "Vaccha, the members of other sects assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form. "They assume feeling to be the self⦠"They assume perception to be the self⦠"They assume fabrications to be the self⦠"They assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness. That is why, when asked in this way, they answer that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is eternalâ ⦠or that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.â "But the Tathṅgata, worthy & rightly self-awakened, doesnât assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form. "He doesnât assume feeling to be the self⦠"He doesnât assume perception to be the self⦠"He doesnât assume fabrications to be the self⦠"He doesnât assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness. That is why, when asked in this way, he does not answer that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The cosmos is eternalâ ⦠or that ),

# Right single quote

('â', The Tathṅgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.â" The Vacchagotta the wanderer, getting up from his seat, went to Ven. Mahṅ Moggallṅna and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he (addressed the same questions to Ven. Mahṅ Moggallṅna and received exactly the same explanation). "Amazing, Master Moggallṅna! Astounding! How the meaning and phrasing of the teacher and disciple agree, coincide, and do not diverge from one another with regard to the supreme teaching! Just now, Master Moggallṅna, I went to the contemplative Gotama and, on arrival, asked him about this matter, and he answered me with the same words, the same phrasing, as Master Moggallṅna. Amazing, Master Moggallṅna! Astounding! How the meaning and phrasing of the teacher and disciple agree, coincide, and do not diverge from one another with regard to the supreme teaching!" - --> - - - -