[148] Then, in the evening, the venerable Māluṅkyaputta, having emerged from seclusion, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Māluṅkyaputta said this to the Blessed One:
"Venerable sir, here, while I was alone in seclusion, this reflection arose in my mind: 'These speculative views (diṭṭhigata) have been left undeclared (avyākata) by the Blessed One, set aside and rejected: "the world is eternal," "the world is not eternal," "the world is finite," "the world is infinite," "the soul (jīva) and the body are the same," "the soul is one thing, the body another," "the Tathāgata exists after death," "the Tathāgata does not exist after death," "the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death," "the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death." These the Blessed One does not declare to me. That the Blessed One does not declare these to me does not please me; I do not accept it. I shall approach the Blessed One and question him about this matter. If the Blessed One will declare to me either "the world is eternal," or "the world is not eternal," or "the world is finite," or "the world is infinite," or "the soul and the body are the same," or "the soul is one thing, the body another," or "the Tathāgata exists after death," or "the Tathāgata does not exist after death," or "the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death," or "the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death," then I shall live the holy life (brahmacariya) under the Blessed One. But if the Blessed One will not declare to me either "the world is eternal," or "the world is not eternal," … or "the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death," then I shall renounce the training and return to the lower life.'
"If the Blessed One knows 'the world is eternal,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the world is eternal.' If the Blessed One knows 'the world is not eternal,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the world is not eternal.' But if the Blessed One does not know either 'the world is eternal' or 'the world is not eternal,' then for one who does not know and does not see, this alone is the straightforward course: to say, 'I do not know, I do not see.'
"If the Blessed One knows 'the world is finite,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the world is finite.' If the Blessed One knows 'the world is infinite,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the world is infinite.' But if the Blessed One does not know either 'the world is finite' or 'the world is infinite,' then for one who does not know and does not see, this alone is the straightforward course: to say, 'I do not know, I do not see.'
"If the Blessed One knows 'the soul and the body are the same,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the soul and the body are the same.' If the Blessed One knows 'the soul is one thing, the body another,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the soul is one thing, the body another.' But if the Blessed One does not know either 'the soul and the body are the same' or 'the soul is one thing, the body another,' then for one who does not know and does not see, this alone is the straightforward course: to say, 'I do not know, I do not see.'
"If the Blessed One knows 'the Tathāgata exists after death,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the Tathāgata exists after death.' If the Blessed One knows 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death.' But if the Blessed One does not know either 'the Tathāgata exists after death' or 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death,' then for one who does not know and does not see, this alone is the straightforward course: to say, 'I do not know, I do not see.'
"If the Blessed One knows 'the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death.' If the Blessed One knows 'the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death,' let the Blessed One declare to me, 'the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.' But if the Blessed One does not know either 'the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death' or 'the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death,' then for one who does not know and does not see, this alone is the straightforward course: to say, 'I do not know, I do not see.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.