Reading guide
A third teacher, the same four questions
Vacchagotta has already asked Moggallāna (SN 44.7), the Buddha directly (SN 44.8–10), and now Sabhiya Kaccāna — confirmed by reading this discourse's own opening directly, not assumed to be his only visit beyond the Buddha's own circle.
No cause left, so no description possible
Kaccāna's own answer is more abstract than any of this run's previous explanations: describing someone as “formed,” “formless,” “percipient,” “non-percipient,” or “neither percipient nor non-percipient” each requires some cause or reason to ground the description — once that cause and reason has totally ceased, none of these five terms, or any other, remains available to use.
Three years in robes, and Vacchagotta's own genuine respect
Told Kaccāna has been ordained only three years, Vacchagotta responds with unmistakable respect — “one who has learned this much in this time…has learned a lot” — a small, human closing note before the discourse's own much larger structural close.
A dual close: this saṃyutta, and Book IV entire
“The Linked Discourses on undeclared questions are complete” closes Abyākatasaṃyutta's own 11 discourses; immediately after it, “The Book of the Six Sense Fields is finished” closes Book IV (Saḷāyatanavagga, SN 35–44) as a whole — both genuinely Sujato-translated, confirmed by direct reading rather than assumed from either line alone, this project's own fourth book completed after Books I–III.
Key terms
The text
The same four questions, put to a third teacher
§1At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna: “Worthy Kaccāna, does a realized one still exist after death?” “Vaccha, this has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death?” “This too has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one both exist and not exist after death?” “This has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Well then, does a realized one neither exist nor not exist after death?” “This too has not been declared by the Buddha.” “Worthy Kaccāna, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha. What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?”
Why: no cause remains by which to describe him
§2“In order to describe him as ‘formed’ or ‘formless’ or ‘percipient’ or ‘non-percipient’ or ‘neither percipient nor non-percipient’, there must be some cause or reason for doing so. But if that cause and reason were to totally and utterly cease without remainder, how could you describe him in any such terms?” “Worthy Kaccāna, how long has it been since you went forth?” “Not long, reverend: three years.” “One who has learned this much in this time, reverend, has learned a lot, who can say what lies ahead!”
This saṃyutta's own genuine close
§3The Linked Discourses on undeclared questions are complete.
Book IV's own genuine close
§4The Book of the Six Sense Fields is finished.
Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.