Sattakanipāta 54

Numbered Discourses 7.54

6. The Undeclared Points

The Undeclared Points

1 Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points?”

2 “Mendicant, it’s due to the cessation of views that a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points. ‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’: this is a misconception. An unlearned ordinary person doesn’t understand views, their origin, their cessation, or the practice that leads to their cessation. 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.

3 A learned noble disciple does understand views, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. 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. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not answer: ‘A realized one still exists after death’, ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’, ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’, ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not declare the undeclared points. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t shake, tremble, quake, or get nervous regarding the undeclared points.

4 ‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is just about craving. … it’s just about perception … it’s a conceiving … it’s a proliferation … it’s just about grasping … ‘A realized one still exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘A realized one no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’: this is a regret. An unlearned ordinary person doesn’t understand regrets, their origin, their cessation, or the practice that leads to their cessation. 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.

5 A learned noble disciple does understand regrets, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. 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. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not answer: ‘A realized one still exists after death’ … ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’ Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple does not declare the undeclared points. Knowing and seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t shake, tremble, quake, or get nervous regarding the undeclared points. This is the cause, this is the reason why a learned noble disciple has no doubts regarding the undeclared points.”