The King Who Denied the Afterlife (大正句王經) — Reason, Pride & the Turning of the View in 6 Minutes

About this text

The Sutra of King Mahā-Nyāya (大正句王經) is one of the longest and most dramatic debates in the Middle Āgama, presenting a sustained confrontation between nihilistic denial and karmic realism. Set in the city of Śirīṣa, the discourse records an extended exchange between King Great Right-Speech (大正句王) and the arahant Kumāra Kāśyapa (童子迦葉), whose calm precision gradually dismantles the king’s fixed view that there is no afterlife, no moral continuity, and no rebirth.

The sutra opens by describing the king’s entrenched stance. He openly proclaims that there is no future life, no agent who continues, and no karmic consequence. When he hears that the revered Kāśyapa has arrived nearby, he resolves to confront him — not to learn, but to protect his public reputation as a ruler known for rejecting causality.

What follows is a masterclass in Buddhist debate. The king repeatedly presents arguments drawn from everyday observation: the dead do not return to report; criminals show no trace of a soul when dissected; heavenly beings never send messengers; and consciousness seems to vanish at death. Each time, Kāśyapa responds with precise analogies — criminals bound by law who cannot return home, beings in heaven who have no reason to return to filth, blind people denying color, fools searching for fire in cold ashes, merchants misled by demons, and traders who refuse to exchange low-value goods for gold.

Again and again, the king resists — not because the arguments fail, but because changing his view would cost him face. He admits openly that the people of his kingdom know him as a denier of afterlife, and that reversing his position would bring ridicule. In this way, the sutra exposes one of the deepest obstacles to wisdom: attachment to identity and reputation.

The turning point comes at the end. Kāśyapa offers a final parable — of a filthy pig challenging a lion to combat. The lion refuses, not out of fear, but because fighting the pig would soil him. Hearing this, the king finally drops his defenses. He confesses that he had already been convinced earlier, but continued arguing only to test Kāśyapa’s wisdom and rhetoric.

With pride released, transformation is immediate. The king publicly abandons his nihilistic view, takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and vows to uphold the five lay precepts for the rest of his life. The assembly rejoices, and the sutra ends with the clear affirmation that right view, once seen, cuts through even the most entrenched delusion.

The 大正句王經 stands as a penetrating psychological teaching. It shows that false views are often sustained not by logic, but by fear of loss — loss of status, certainty, or self-image. Liberation begins not merely by being shown the truth, but by having the courage to admit it.

Support the Living Dharma Project

Help us bring all 2,457 texts of the Taishō Tripiṭaka to life through videos, podcasts, and AI-guided learning tools.
Learn more or support the project at dharmaxtech.org.
Your support keeps the Dharma living and accessible to all.

Credits

Dedication:
With gratitude to Bibek Shakyaputra,
towards your path to clarity, compassion, and liberation.

Narration, Script & Research: Created entirely through NotebookLM and supporting AI tools
Source: CBETA Taishō Canon T0045 — 大正句王經
Produced by: The Dharma × Tech Foundation