sutta » sn » sn36 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 36.8

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 36.8

1. Sagāthāvagga
1. With Verses

Dutiyagelaññasutta

The Infirmary (2nd)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena gilānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the infirmary, where he sat down on the seat spread out,

Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
and addressed the mendicants:

“Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno kālaṁ āgameyya.
“Mendicants, a mendicant should await their time mindful and aware.

Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī.
This is my instruction to you.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti?
And how is a mendicant mindful?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;
It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …
They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …

citte cittānupassī viharati …
They meditate observing an aspect of the mind …

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.
They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti.
That’s how a mendicant is mindful.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti?
And how is a mendicant aware?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī hoti …pe… bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī hoti.
It’s when a mendicant acts with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti.
That’s how a mendicant is aware.

Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno kālaṁ āgameyya.
A mendicant should await their time mindful and aware.

Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī.
This is my instruction to you.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati sukhā vedanā.
While a mendicant is meditating like this—mindful, aware, diligent, keen, and resolute—if pleasant feelings arise, they understand:

So evaṁ pajānāti:

‘uppannā kho myāyaṁ sukhā vedanā;
‘A pleasant feeling has arisen in me.

sā ca kho paṭicca, no appaṭicca.
That’s dependent, not independent.

Kiṁ paṭicca?
Dependent on what?

Imameva phassaṁ paṭicca.
Dependent on this very contact.

Ayaṁ kho pana phasso anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno.
But this contact is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated.

Aniccaṁ kho pana saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhā vedanā kuto niccā bhavissatī’ti.
So how could a pleasant feeling be permanent, since it has arisen dependent on contact that is impermanent, conditioned, and dependently originated?’

So phasse ca sukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassī viharati, vayānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati.
They meditate observing impermanence, vanishing, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in contact and pleasant feeling.

Tassa phasse ca sukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassino viharato, vayānupassino viharato, virāgānupassino viharato, nirodhānupassino viharato, paṭinissaggānupassino viharato yo phasse ca sukhāya ca vedanāya rāgānusayo, so pahīyati.
As they do so, they give up the underlying tendency for greed for contact and pleasant feeling.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ satassa …pe…
While a mendicant is meditating like this—mindful, aware, diligent, keen, and resolute—if painful feelings arise …

viharato uppajjati dukkhā vedanā …pe…

uppajjati adukkhamasukhā vedanā.
if neutral feelings arise, they understand:

So evaṁ pajānāti:

‘uppannā kho myāyaṁ adukkhamasukhā vedanā;
‘A neutral feeling has arisen in me.

sā ca kho paṭicca, no appaṭicca.
That’s dependent, not independent.

Kiṁ paṭicca?
Dependent on what?

Imameva phassaṁ paṭicca.
Dependent on this very contact.

(Yathā purimasutte, tathā vitthāretabbo.)
(Tell in full as in the previous discourse.)

Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānāti.
They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life is over, everything that’s felt, since I no longer take pleasure in it, will become cool right here.’

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, telañca paṭicca vaṭṭiñca paṭicca telappadīpo jhāyeyya,
Suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn.

tasseva telassa ca vaṭṭiyā ca pariyādānā anāhāro nibbāyeyya;
As the oil and the wick are used up, it would be extinguished due to lack of fuel.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. Jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti.
In the same way, feeling the end of the body approaching, a mendicant understands: ‘I feel the end of the body approaching.’ Feeling the end of life approaching, they understand: ‘I feel the end of life approaching.’

‘Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānātī”ti.
They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life is over, everything that’s felt, since I no longer take pleasure in it, will become cool right here.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.