Ananda Sutra
Then the wanderer
Vacchagotta went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous
greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings and courtesies, he
sat down to one side. As he was sitting there he asked the Blessed One:
"Now then, Venerable Gotama, is there a self?"
When this was said,
the Blessed One was silent.
"Then is there no
self?"
A second time, the
Blessed One was silent.
Then Vacchagotta the
wanderer got up from his seat and left.
Then, not long after
Vacchagotta the wanderer had left, Ven. Ánanda said to the Blessed One,
"Why, lord, did the Blessed One not answer when asked a question by
Vacchagotta the wanderer?"
"Ánanda, if I --
being asked by Vacchagotta the wanderer if there is a self -- were to answer
that there is a self, that would be conforming with those priests and
contemplatives who are exponents of Eternalism [the view that there is an
eternal, unchanging soul]. If I -- being asked by Vacchagotta the wanderer if
there is no self -- were to answer that there is no self, that would be conforming
with those priests and contemplatives who are exponents of Annihilationism [the
view that death is the annihilation of consciousness]. If I -- being asked by
Vacchagotta the wanderer if there is a self -- were to answer that there is a
self, would that be in keeping with the arising of knowledge that all phenomena
are not-self?"
"No, lord."
"And if I --
being asked by Vacchagotta the wanderer if there is no self -- were to answer
that there is no self, the bewildered Vacchagotta would become even more
bewildered: 'Does the self I used to have now not exist?'"
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