The wanderers might say, ‘Then is this your view: “A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile”?’ You should say to them, ‘This too has not been declared by the Buddha.’ The wanderers might say, ‘Then is this your view: “A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile”?’ You should say to them, ‘This too has not been declared by the Buddha.’

The wanderers might say, ‘But why has this not been declared by the ascetic Gotama?’ You should say to them, ‘Because it’s not beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why it hasn’t been declared by the Buddha.’

14. The Declared Points