To me, MN 117 and SN 1.61 do not sound related. SN 1.61 is from Linked Discourses With Deities and such suttas generally seem to be about Vedic principles the Buddha instructs to non-Buddhists. For example, about SN 1.2, Sujato and I seemed to agree about this Vedic principle, here: Is saññāviññāṇasaṅkhaya a synonymous of saññāvedayitanirodha? - #2 by CurlyCarl 
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