sutta » sn » sn35 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.75

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 35.75

8. Gilānavagga
8. Sick

Dutiyagilānasutta

Sick (2nd)

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu …pe… bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him,

“amukasmiṁ, bhante, vihāre aññataro bhikkhu navo appaññāto ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.
“Sir, in such and such a 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 compassion.”

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 tried to rise on his cot.

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
Then 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. Nisajja kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
He sat on the seat spread out 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 getting by. 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 getting by. …

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, 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 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 extinguishment by not grasping.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu.
“Good, good, mendicant!

Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi.
It’s good that you understand that I’ve taught the Dhamma for the purpose of complete extinguishment by not grasping.

Anupādāparinibbānattho 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 …
mind …

manoviññāṇaṁ …
mind consciousness …

manosamphasso …
mind contact …

yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
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:
“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 …pe…
“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye … ear … nose … tongue … body …

manasmimpi …
mind …

manoviññāṇepi …
mind consciousness …

manosamphassepi nibbindati.
mind contact …

Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.
They grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact.

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, 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.
That is what the Buddha said.

Attamano so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi.
Satisfied, that mendicant was happy with what the Buddha said.

Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhussa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccīti.
And while this discourse was being spoken, the mind of that mendicant was freed from defilements by not grasping.

Dutiyaṁ.