6.5 Of the attaining to Cessation (KV6.5)

Controverted Point: That the attainment of Cessation is unconditioned.

Theravādin: Does this mean that this state is Nibbāna, the Shelter, etc.? You deny. Then are both similarly described as unconditioned? You affirm? Then are there two unconditioneds … two Nibbānas? … .

Are there any who attain to Cessation, acquire it, cause it to rise, to keep rising, set up, induce, produce, bring to pass, make to be born, to happen? If so, can you so speak of the unconditioned? Of course not … .

Is there apparent such a thing as a purging through, emerging from, Cessation? If so, is there the same from the unconditioned? Of course not … .

In attaining Cessation, first speech, then action, then consciousness ceases. Can you so speak of attaining the unconditioned?

In emerging from Cessation, first consciousness, then action, then speech occurs. Can you so speak of emerging from the unconditioned?

After emerging from Cessation, one is in touch with three contacts: that of the void, of the signless, of the unhankered-after. Can you so speak of emerging from the unconditioned? Or that, when one emerges from Cessation, consciousness is inclined for, tends to, takes shelter in solitude?

Andhaka, Uttarāpathaka: If we are wrong, we would just ask you, is Cessation conditioned? No, you say; then it must be unconditioned.

The Points of Controversy, an English translation of the Pali Abhidhamma Kathāvatthu. Translated by Shwe Zan Aung and C.A.F. Rhys Davids. First published by Pali Text Society, 1915.

This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Manfred Wierich and Ven. Vimala and proofread by Josephine Tobin. Some changes were introduced:

Abbreviations, i.e., those of cited works and the participants in the controversies, were expanded.

Cross-references were linked.

Some typographic changes were introduced, among others, i.e.: the phonetic symbol “ŋ” was changed to the Pāli diacritical letter “ṃ”, “ô” to “o”, single quotes to double quotes, and “:—” to “:”.

Letter-spacing with fixed spaces was replaced with bold font.

The corrigenda were merged into the text. Some could not be resolved, though.

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