[96] On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda (was dwelling at the Tapodārāma near Rājagaha. Then the Venerable Ānanda,) having risen at the time of dawn at the end of the night, went to the Tapodā hot springs to bathe his limbs. Having bathed his limbs in the Tapodā and come out again, he stood in a single robe drying his limbs. The wanderer Kokanuda too, having risen at the time of dawn at the end of the night, went to the Tapodā to bathe his limbs. The wanderer Kokanuda saw the Venerable Ānanda coming from afar; having seen him, he said to the Venerable Ānanda: "Who is here, friend?"
"I am a bhikkhu, friend."
"Of which bhikkhus, friend?"
"Of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyan, friend."
"We would ask the venerable one about a certain point, if the venerable one will grant the opportunity for the answering of a question."
"Ask, friend; having heard, we shall know."
"Is the honorable one of such a view (diṭṭhi): 'The world is eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain'?"
"I am not of such a view, friend: 'The world is eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain.'"
"Then is the honorable one of such a view: 'The world is not eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain'?"
"I am not of such a view, friend: 'The world is not eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain.'"
"Is the honorable one of such a view: '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; this alone is true, anything else is vain'?"
"I am not of such a view, friend: 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death; this alone is true, anything else is vain.'"
"Then the honorable one does not know, does not see!"
"It is not that I do not know, do not see, friend. I know, friend, I see."
"When asked, 'Is the honorable one of such a view: "The world is eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain"?' you say, 'I am not of such a view, friend: "The world is eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain."' When asked, 'Is the honorable one of such a view: "The world is not eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain"?' you say, 'I am not of such a view, friend: "The world is not eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain."' When asked, 'Is the honorable one of such a view: "The world is finite" … "The world is infinite" … "The soul 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; this alone is true, anything else is vain"?' you say, 'I am not of such a view, friend: "The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death; this alone is true, anything else is vain."' When asked, 'Then the honorable one does not know, does not see!' you say, 'It is not that I do not know, do not see, friend. I know, friend, I see.' How then, friend, should the meaning of this statement be seen?"
"'The world is eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain' — that, friend, is a speculative view (diṭṭhigata). 'The world is not eternal; this alone is true, anything else is vain' — that, friend, is a speculative view. 'The world is finite' … 'The world is infinite' … 'The soul 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; this alone is true, anything else is vain' — that, friend, is a speculative view. As far, friend, as there are speculative views, as far as there are standpoints for views (diṭṭhiṭṭhāna), fixation (adhiṭṭhāna), obsession (pariyuṭṭhāna), and their uprooting (samugghāta) — that I know, that I see. Knowing that, I say 'I know'; seeing that, I say 'I see.' Why should I say, 'I do not know, I do not see'? I know, friend, I see."
"What is the venerable one's name, and how do the venerable one's fellows in the holy life know him?"
"'Ānanda' is my name, friend, and my fellows in the holy life know me as 'Ānanda.'"
"Indeed, sir, though conversing with the great teacher, we did not know: 'This is the Venerable Ānanda.' If we had recognized, 'This is the Venerable Ānanda,' we would not have spoken back even this much. May the Venerable Ānanda forgive me."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.