I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying
near Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then, as
Ven. Malunkyaputta was alone in seclusion, this train of thought
arose in his awareness: "These positions that are undeclared, set
aside, discarded by the Blessed One 'The cosmos is eternal,' 'The
cosmos is not eternal,' 'The cosmos is finite,' 'The cosmos is
infinite,' ......
"Lord, if the Blessed One knows that 'The cosmos is eternal,' then
may he declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal.' If he knows that
'The cosmos is not eternal,' then may he declare to me that 'The
cosmos is not eternal.' But if he doesn't know or see whether the
cosmos is eternal or not eternal, then, in one who is unknowing
& unseeing, the straightforward thing is to admit, 'I don't
know. I don't see.'... If he doesn't know or see whether after
death a Tathagata exists... does not exist... both exists &
does not exist... neither exists nor does not exist,' then, in one
who is unknowing & unseeing, the straightforward thing is to
admit, 'I don't know. I don't see.'"
"Malunkyaputta, did I ever say to you, 'Come, Malunkyaputta, live
the holy life under me, and I will declare to you that 'The cosmos
is eternal,' or 'The cosmos is not eternal,' or 'The cosmos is
finite,' or 'The cosmos is infinite,' or 'The soul & the body
are the same,' or 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' or
'After death a Tathagata exists,' or 'After death a Tathagata does
not exist,' or 'After death a Tathagata both exists & does not
exist,' or 'After death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not
exist'?"
"No, lord."
"And did you ever say to me, 'Lord, I will live the holy life under
the Blessed One and [in return] he will declare to me that 'The
cosmos is eternal,' or 'The cosmos is not eternal,' or 'The cosmos
is finite,' or 'The cosmos is infinite,' or 'The soul & the
body are the same,' or 'The soul is one thing and the body
another,' or 'After death a Tathagata exists,' or 'After death a
Tathagata does not exist,' or 'After death a Tathagata both exists
& does not exist,' or 'After death a Tathagata neither exists
nor does not exist'?"
"No, lord."
"Then that being the case, foolish man, who are you to be claiming
grievances/making demands of anyone?
"Malunkyaputta, if anyone were to say, 'I won't live the holy life
under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me that
"The cosmos is eternal,"... or that "After death a Tathagata
neither exists nor does not exist,"' the man would die and those
things would still remain undeclared by the Tathagata.
"It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared
with poison. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives
would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't
have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me
was a noble warrior, a priest, a merchant, or a worker.' He would
say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know the given name
& clan name of the man who wounded me... until I know whether
he was tall, medium, or short... until I know whether he was dark,
ruddy-brown, or golden-colored... until I know his home village,
town, or city... until I know whether the bow with which I was
wounded was a long bow or a crossbow... until I know whether the
bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads,
sinew, hemp, or bark... until I know whether the shaft with which I
was wounded was wild or cultivated... until I know whether the
feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a
vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird... until I
know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the
sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.' He would
say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the
shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved
arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.' The man
would die and those things would still remain unknown to him.
"In the same way, if anyone were to say, 'I won't live the holy
life under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me
that 'The cosmos is eternal,'... or that 'After death a Tathagata
neither exists nor does not exist,' the man would die and those
things would still remain undeclared by the Tathagata.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn-063-tb0.html
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