Paṭhamagilānasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.74

Linked Discourses 35.74

8. Gilānavagga

8. Sick

Paṭhamagilānasutta

Sick (1st)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, and said to him,

“amukasmiṁ, bhante, vihāre aññataro bhikkhu navo appaññāto ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

“Sir, in such-and-such monastery there’s a mendicant who is junior and not well-known. He’s sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti.

Please go to him out of sympathy.”

Atha kho bhagavā navavādañca sutvā gilānavādañca, “appaññāto bhikkhū”ti iti viditvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami.

When the Buddha heard that the mendicant was junior and ill, understanding that he was not well-known, he went to him.

Addasā kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

That mendicant saw the Buddha coming off in the distance

Disvāna mañcake samadhosi.

and stirred in his cot.

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

The Buddha said to that monk,

“alaṁ, bhikkhu, mā tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi.

“It’s all right, mendicant, don’t get up.

Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni, tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti.

There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.”

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane.

He sat down on the seat spread out

Nisajja kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

and said to the mendicant,

“kacci te, bhikkhu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

“I hope you’re keeping well, mendicant, I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ, bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti no paṭikkamanti, abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo”ti.

“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”

“Kacci te, bhikkhu, na kiñci kukkuccaṁ, na koci vippaṭisāro”ti?

“I hope you don’t have any remorse or regret?”

“Taggha me, bhante, anappakaṁ kukkuccaṁ, anappako vippaṭisāro”ti.

“Indeed, sir, I have no little remorse and regret.”

“Kacci pana taṁ, bhikkhu, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti?

“I hope you have no reason to blame yourself when it comes to ethical conduct?”

“Na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti.

“No sir, I have no reason to blame myself when it comes to ethical conduct.”

“No ce kira te, bhikkhu, attā sīlato upavadati, atha kiñca te kukkuccaṁ ko ca vippaṭisāro”ti?

“In that case, mendicant, why do you have remorse and regret?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Because I understand that the Buddha has not taught the Dhamma merely for the sake of ethical purity.”

“No ce kira tvaṁ, bhikkhu, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi, atha kimatthaṁ carahi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsī”ti?

“If that is so, what then do you understand to be the purpose of teaching the Dhamma?”

“Rāgavirāgatthaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“I understand that the Buddha has taught the Dhamma for the purpose of the fading away of greed.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu.

“Good, good, mendicant!

Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, rāgavirāgatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi.

It’s good that you understand that I’ve taught the Dhamma for the purpose of the fading away of greed.

Rāgavirāgattho hi, bhikkhu, mayā dhammo desito.

For that is indeed the purpose.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhikkhu,

What do you think, mendicant?

cakkhu niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Is the eye permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, sir.” …

“ …pe…

Sotaṁ …

“Is the ear …

ghānaṁ …

nose …

jivhā …

tongue …

kāyo …

body …

mano nicco vā anicco vā”ti?

mind permanent or impermanent?”

“Anicco, bhante”.

“Impermanent, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“Suffering, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.”

“Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati, sotasmimpi nibbindati …pe… manasmimpi nibbindati.

“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

‘Khīṇā jāti …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended … there is nothing further for this place.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Attamano so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi.

Satisfied, that mendicant approved what the Buddha said.

Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhuno virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:

And while this discourse was being spoken, the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in that mendicant:

“yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti.

“Everything that is liable to arise is liable to cease.”

Paṭhamaṁ.