[173] Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita approached the Venerable Sāriputta; having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta, and when they had concluded their cordial and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita said this to the Venerable Sāriputta:
"Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact (phassāyatana), is there anything else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there nothing else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there both something else and nothing else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there neither something else nor nothing else?"
"Do not say so, friend."
"Friend, when asked, 'With the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there anything else?' you say, 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there nothing else?' you say, 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there both something else and nothing else?' you say, 'Do not say so, friend.' When asked, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, is there neither something else nor nothing else?' you say, 'Do not say so, friend.' In what way, then, friend, should the meaning of this statement be seen?"
"Friend, one who says, 'With the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, there is something else,' proliferates that which is without proliferation (papañca). One who says, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, there is nothing else,' proliferates that which is without proliferation. One who says, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, there is both something else and nothing else,' proliferates that which is without proliferation. One who says, 'Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, there is neither something else nor nothing else,' proliferates that which is without proliferation. Friend, as far as the range of the six bases of contact extends, so far extends the range of proliferation; as far as the range of proliferation extends, so far extends the range of the six bases of contact. Friend, with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases of contact, there is the cessation of proliferation, the stilling of proliferation."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.