[95] Then Uttiya the wanderer approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the courteous and memorable talk was concluded, he sat down at one side. Sitting at one side, Uttiya the wanderer said to the Blessed One: "How is it, Master Gotama — is the world eternal; is this alone true, and anything else vain?"
"That, Uttiya, has not been declared (abyākata) by me: 'The world is eternal; this alone is true, and anything else is vain.'"
"Then how is it, Master Gotama — is the world not eternal; is this alone true, and anything else vain?"
"That too, Uttiya, has not been declared by me: 'The world is not eternal; this alone is true, and anything else is vain.'"
"How is it, Master Gotama — is the world finite … is the world infinite … is the soul the same as the body … is the soul one thing and the body another … does the Tathāgata exist after death … does the Tathāgata not exist after death … does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death … does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death; is this alone true, and anything else vain?"
"That too, Uttiya, has not been declared by me: 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death; this alone is true, and anything else is vain.'"
"When asked, 'How is it, Master Gotama — is the world eternal; is this alone true, and anything else vain?' you say, 'That, Uttiya, has not been declared by me: "The world is eternal; this alone is true, and anything else is vain."' And when asked, 'Then how is it, Master Gotama — is the world not eternal; is this alone true, and anything else vain?' you say, 'That too, Uttiya, has not been declared by me: "The world is not eternal; this alone is true, and anything else is vain."' When asked, 'How is it, Master Gotama — is the world finite … is the world infinite … is the soul the same as the body … is the soul one thing and the body another … does the Tathāgata exist after death … does the Tathāgata not exist after death … does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death … does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death; is this alone true, and anything else vain?' you say, 'That too, Uttiya, has not been declared by me: "The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death; this alone is true, and anything else is vain."' Then what, indeed, has been declared by Master Gotama?"
"Having directly known (abhiññā), Uttiya, I teach the Dhamma to disciples — for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation (soka, parideva), for the passing away of pain and grief (dukkha, domanassa), for the attainment of the true way (ñāya), for the realization of Nibbāna."
"But as to this Dhamma that Master Gotama, having directly known, teaches to disciples — for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realization of Nibbāna — will the whole world thereby be emancipated, or half of it, or a third?" When this was said, the Blessed One remained silent.
Then it occurred to the Venerable Ānanda: "Let not Uttiya the wanderer acquire the evil view: 'When I asked the ascetic Gotama the most comprehensive question of all, he foundered and did not answer; surely he is not able' — for that would be for Uttiya the wanderer's harm and suffering for a long time." Then the Venerable Ānanda said to Uttiya the wanderer: "Well then, friend Uttiya, I shall make a simile for you; for by means of a simile some intelligent men here understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose, friend Uttiya, there were a king's frontier city, with strong ramparts, with strong walls and arches, and with a single gate; and there a gatekeeper — wise, competent, and intelligent — keeps out those unknown and admits those known. Walking along the path that encircles that city all around, he would not see a breach in the wall or an opening in the wall even so much as would let a cat slip through. He would not have the knowledge (ñāṇa): 'So many living beings enter or leave this city.' Rather, this occurs to him: 'Whatever sizeable living beings enter or leave this city, all of them enter or leave by this gate.' Even so, friend Uttiya, the Tathāgata has no such concern: 'Will the whole world thereby be emancipated, or half of it, or a third?' Rather, this occurs to the Tathāgata: 'Whoever have been emancipated from the world, or are being emancipated, or will be emancipated, all of them, having abandoned the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa) — corruptions of the mind (citta) that weaken wisdom — with their minds well established in the four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), having developed the seven factors of awakening (bojjhaṅga) as they really are — it is thus that they have been emancipated from the world, or are being emancipated, or will be emancipated.' Friend Uttiya, the very question that you asked the Blessed One, you asked the Blessed One again in another way; therefore the Blessed One did not declare it to you."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.