A questioner asks whether a realized one still exists, no longer exists, both, or neither after death; the Buddha has not declared any of these four positions as they do not lead to liberation.

SN 44.11 With Sabhiya Kaccāna

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:

“kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā: ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi. Ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ samaṇena gotamenā”ti?

“Yo ca, vaccha, hetu, yo ca paccayo paññāpanāya rūpīti arūpīti saññīti asaññīti nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā, so ca hetu, so ca paccayo sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjheyya. Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti arūpīti saññīti asaññīti nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā”ti.

“Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā”ti?

“Naciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī”ti.

“Yassapassa, āvuso, etamettakena ettakameva tampassa bahu, ko pana vādo evaṁ abhikkante”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Khemātherī anurādho,
sāriputtoti koṭṭhiko;
Moggallāno ca vaccho ca,
kutūhalasālānando;
Sabhiyo ekādasamanti.

Abyākatasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Saḷāyatanavedanā,
mātugāmo jambukhādako;
Sāmaṇḍako moggallāno,
citto gāmaṇi saṅkhataṁ;
Abyākatanti dasadhāti.

Saḷāyatanavaggo catuttho.

Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

At one time Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.

Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yenāyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sabhiyena kaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to him, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sabhiyaṁ kaccānaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to Sabhiya Kaccāna:

“kiṁ nu kho bho, kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Worthy Kaccāna, does a realized one still exist after death?”

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā:

“Vaccha, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”

‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death?”

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”

‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a realized one both exist and not exist after death?”

“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā:

“This has not been declared by the Buddha.”

‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?

“Well then, does a realized one neither exist nor not exist after death?”

“Etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:

“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”

‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

“Worthy Kaccāna, when asked these questions, you say that this has not been declared by the Buddha.

‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā

hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.

‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā

na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.

‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho kaccāna, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, vaccha, bhagavatā

hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.

‘Kiṁ pana, bho kaccāna, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:

‘etampi kho, vaccha, abyākataṁ bhagavatā

neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vadesi.

Ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu, ko paccayo, yenetaṁ abyākataṁ samaṇena gotamenā”ti?

What’s the cause, what’s the reason why this has not been declared by the Buddha?”

“Yo ca, vaccha, hetu, yo ca paccayo paññāpanāya rūpīti arūpīti saññīti asaññīti nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā, so ca hetu, so ca paccayo sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjheyya.

“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,

Kena naṁ paññāpayamāno paññāpeyya rūpīti arūpīti saññīti asaññīti nevasaññīnāsaññīti vā”ti.

how could you describe him in any such terms?”

“Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, bho kaccānā”ti?

“Worthy Kaccāna, how long has it been since you went forth?”

“Naciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī”ti.

“Not long, reverend: three years.”

“Yassapassa, āvuso, etamettakena ettakameva tampassa bahu, ko pana vādo evaṁ abhikkante”ti.

“One who has learned this much in this time, reverend, has learned a lot, who can say what lies ahead!”

Ekādasamaṁ.

Abyākatavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Khemātherī anurādho,

sāriputtoti koṭṭhiko;

Moggallāno ca vaccho ca,

kutūhalasālānando;

Sabhiyo ekādasamanti.

Abyākatasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

The Linked Discourses on undeclared questions are complete.

Tassuddānaṁ

Saḷāyatanavedanā,

mātugāmo jambukhādako;

Sāmaṇḍako moggallāno,

citto gāmaṇi saṅkhataṁ;

Abyākatanti dasadhāti.

Saḷāyatanavaggo catuttho.

Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.

The Book of the Six Sense Fields is finished.

Qualities:

Formless

Formless

A meditative domain that transcends all perception of material form, progressing through the bases of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither-perception-nor-non-perception. These states represent refined levels of collectedness beyond attachment to physical phenomena.

Also known as: immaterial, surpassing forms
Pāli: arūpa
View all discourses →
Learning

Learning

One who has broad learning and retention of the Dhamma, gained through hearing, reciting, and carefully investigating the teachings. Such learning penetrates their meaning through discernment and serves as a strong support for practice.

Also known as: having knowledge, well studied
Pāli: bahussuta, suta
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026