With Pāyāsi 8.1-21

8.1

“Kiñcāpi bhavaṃ kassapo evamāha, atha kho evaṃ me ettha hoti:

“Even though the worthy Kassapa says this, still I think that

8.2

‘itipi natthi paro loko, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti.

there is no afterlife.”

8.3

“Atthi pana, rājañña, pariyāyo yena te pariyāyena evaṃ hoti:

“Is there a method by which you can prove what you say?”

8.4

‘itipi natthi paro loko, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti?

8.5

“Atthi, bho kassapa, pariyāyo, yena me pariyāyena evaṃ hoti:

“There is, worthy Kassapa.”

8.6

‘itipi natthi paro loko, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti.

8.7

“Yathā kathaṃ viya, rājaññā”ti?

“How, exactly, chieftain?”

8.8

“Idha me, bho kassapa, mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā adinnādānā paṭiviratā kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā musāvādā paṭiviratā pisuṇāya vācāya paṭiviratā pharusāya vācāya paṭiviratā samphappalāpā paṭiviratā anabhijjhālū abyāpannacittā sammādiṭṭhī.

“Well, I have friends and colleagues, relatives and kin who refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct. They refrain from speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re content, kind-hearted, with right view.

8.9

Te aparena samayena ābādhikā honti dukkhitā bāḷhagilānā.

Some time later they become sick, suffering, gravely ill.

8.10

Yadāhaṃ jānāmi:

When I know that

8.11

‘na dānime imamhā ābādhā vuṭṭhahissantī’ti tyāhaṃ upasaṅkamitvā evaṃ vadāmi:

they will not recover from their illness, I go to them and say,

8.12

‘santi kho, bho, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃvādino evaṃdiṭṭhino:

‘Worthy sir, there are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:

8.13

“ye te pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā adinnādānā paṭiviratā kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā musāvādā paṭiviratā pisuṇāya vācāya paṭiviratā pharusāya vācāya paṭiviratā samphappalāpā paṭiviratā anabhijjhālū abyāpannacittā sammādiṭṭhī te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapajjantī”ti.

“Those who refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct; who refrain from speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical; and are content, kind-hearted, with right view—when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”

8.14

Bhavanto kho pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā adinnādānā paṭiviratā kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā musāvādā paṭiviratā pisuṇāya vācāya paṭiviratā pharusāya vācāya paṭiviratā samphappalāpā paṭiviratā anabhijjhālū abyāpannacittā sammādiṭṭhī.

You do all these things.

8.15

Sace tesaṃ bhavataṃ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṃ saccaṃ vacanaṃ, bhavanto kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapajjissanti.

If what those ascetics and brahmins say is true, when your body breaks up, after death, you’ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

8.16

Sace, bho, kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapajjeyyātha, yena me āgantvā āroceyyātha:

If that happens, worthy sir, come and tell me that

8.17

“itipi atthi paro loko, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko”ti.

there is an afterlife.

8.18

Bhavanto kho pana me saddhāyikā paccayikā, yaṃ bhavantehi diṭṭhaṃ, yathā sāmaṃ diṭṭhaṃ evametaṃ bhavissatī’ti.

I trust you and believe you. Anything you see will be just as if I’ve seen it for myself.’

8.19

Te me ‘sādhū’ti paṭissutvā neva āgantvā ārocenti, na pana dūtaṃ pahiṇanti.

They agree to this. But they don’t come back to tell me, nor do they send a messenger.

8.20

Ayampi kho, bho kassapa, pariyāyo, yena me pariyāyena evaṃ hoti:

This is the method by which I prove that

8.21

‘itipi natthi paro loko, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti.

there is no afterlife.”