What are the views that some rely on regarding the final end? There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘The self is healthy after death, and formed … or formless … or both formed and formless … or neither formed nor formless … or percipient … or non-percipient … or neither percipient nor non-percipient … or the self is annihilated and destroyed when the body breaks up, and doesn’t exist after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile.’

Regarding this, I go up to the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that, ‘The self is formed and healthy after death,’ and say, ‘Reverends, is this what you say, “The self is formed and healthy after death”?’ But when they say, ‘Yes! This is the only truth, anything else is futile,’ I don’t grant that. Why is that? Because there are beings who have different opinions on this topic. I don’t see any such expositions that are equal to my own, still less superior. Rather, I am the one who is superior when it comes to the higher exposition.