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Ten Metaphysical Questions

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the ฤyasmฤ Mahฤmoggallฤna. Having approached, he exchanged cordial greetings with the ฤyasmฤ Mahฤmoggallฤna. After exchanging polite and memorable conversation, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said this to the ฤyasmฤ Mahฤmoggallฤnaโ€”

1800. โ€œIs the world eternal, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œVaccha, this has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜the world is eternal.โ€™โ€

โ€œBut is the world not eternal, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œThis too, Vaccha, has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜the world is not eternal.โ€™โ€

โ€œIs the world finite, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œVaccha, this has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜the world is finite.โ€™โ€

โ€œBut is the world infinite, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œThis too, Vaccha, has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜the world is infinite.โ€™โ€

โ€œIs the soul the same as the body, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œVaccha, this has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜jฤซvaแนƒ (the soul) is the same as sarฤซraแนƒ (the body).โ€™โ€

โ€œBut is the soul different from the body, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œThis too, Vaccha, has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜the soul is different from the body.โ€™โ€

โ€œDoes a Tathฤgata remain after death, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œVaccha, this has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜a Tathฤgata remains after death.โ€™โ€

โ€œBut does a Tathฤgata not remain after death, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œThis too, Vaccha, has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜a Tathฤgata does not remain after death.โ€™โ€

โ€œDoes a Tathฤgata both remain and not remain after death, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œVaccha, this has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜a Tathฤgata both remains and not remain after death.โ€™โ€

โ€œBut does a Tathฤgata neither remain nor not remain after death, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna?โ€

โ€œThis too, Vaccha, has not been declared by the Bhagavฤ โ€” โ€˜a Tathฤgata neither remains nor not remain after death.โ€™โ€

1801. โ€œWhat, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna, is the reason, what is the cause, why other wanderers, when asked such questions, give such an explanation:

  • โ€˜the world is eternal,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜the world is not eternal,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜the world is finite,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜the world is infinite,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜the soul is the same as the body,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜the soul is different from the body,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜a Tathฤgata remains after death,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜a Tathฤgata does not remain after death,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜a Tathฤgata both remains and does not remain after death,โ€™ or
  • โ€˜a Tathฤgata neither remains nor does not remain after deathโ€™?

And what, ฤyasmฤ Moggallฤna, is the reason, what is the cause, why the recluse Gotama, when asked such questions, does not give such an explanation โ€ฆ

1802. โ€œVaccha, other wanderers perceive

  • the eye as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self,โ€™โ€ฆ
  • the ear as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self,โ€™โ€ฆ
  • the nose as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self,โ€™โ€ฆ
  • the tongue as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self,โ€™โ€ฆ
  • the body as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self,โ€™โ€ฆ
  • the mind as โ€˜this is mine, this I am, this is my self.โ€™

Therefore, when other wanderers are asked such questions, they give such an explanation โ€ฆ