Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.75

The Related Suttas Collection 35.75

8. Gilānavagga

8. Sick

Dutiyagilānasutta

Sick (2nd)

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu …pe… bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “amukasmiṁ, bhante, vihāre aññataro bhikkhu navo appaññāto ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti.

Then a bhikkhu went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, in such and such a monastery there’s a bhikkhu who is junior and not well-known. He’s sick, suffering, gravely ill. Please go to him out of compassion.”

Atha kho bhagavā navavādañca sutvā gilānavādañca, “appaññāto bhikkhū”ti iti viditvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna mañcake samadhosi.

When the Buddha heard that the bhikkhu was junior and ill, understanding that he was not well-known, he went to him. That bhikkhu saw the Buddha coming off in the distance and tried to rise on his cot.

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “alaṁ, bhikkhu, mā tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi. Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni, tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti.

Then the Buddha said to that monk, “It’s all right, bhikkhu, don’t get up. There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.”

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, bhikkhu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

He sat on the seat spread out and said to the bhikkhu, “I hope you’re keeping well, bhikkhu; I hope you’re alright. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe…

“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. …

na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti.

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, bhikkhu, 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 exactly do you understand to be the purpose of teaching the Dhamma?”

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

“I understand that the Buddha has taught the Dhamma for the purpose of complete Nibbana by not grasping.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi. Anupādāparinibbānattho hi, bhikkhu, mayā dhammo desito.

“Good, good, bhikkhu! It’s good that you understand that I’ve taught the Dhamma for the purpose of complete Nibbana by not grasping. For that is indeed the purpose.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhikkhu, cakkhu niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

What do you think, bhikkhu? Is the eye permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, sir.” …

“ …pe… Sotaṁ … ghānaṁ … jivhā … kāyo … mano … manoviññāṇaṁ … manosamphasso … yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Is the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … mind consciousness … mind contact … The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact: is that permanent or impermanent?”

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

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.”

“Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati …pe… manasmimpi … manoviññāṇepi … manosamphassepi nibbindati. Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye … ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … mind consciousness … mind contact … They grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi. Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhussa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccīti.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, that bhikkhu was happy with what the Buddha said. And while this discourse was being spoken, the mind of that bhikkhu was freed from defilements by not grasping.

Dutiyaṁ.