Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
III. Puggala Vagga

Sutta 22

Gilana Sutta

Sick People

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons

 

---

 

[1][pts][bodh][upal] "There are these three types of sick people to be found existing in the world.

Which three?

"There is the case of the sick person who
— regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable food,
regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable medicine,
regardless of whether he does or does not receive proper nursing —
will not recover from that illness.

There is the case of the sick person who
— regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable food,
regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable medicine,
regardless of whether he does or does not receive proper nursing —
will recover from that illness.

There is the case of the sick person
who will recover from that illness
if he receives amenable food,
amenable medicine,
and proper nursing,
but not if he doesn't.

"Now, it is because of the sick person
who will recover from that illness
if he receives amenable food,
amenable medicine,
and proper nursing
— but not if he doesn't —
that food for the sick has been allowed,
medicine for the sick has been allowed,
nursing for the sick has been allowed.

And it is because there is this sort of sick person
that the other sorts of sick persons
are to be nursed as well
[on the chance that they may actually turn out to need and benefit from such nursing].

"These are the three types of sick people to be found existing in the world.

"In the same way,
these three types of people,
like the three types of sick people,
are to be found existing in the world.

Which three?

"There is the case of the person who
— regardless of whether he does or doesn't get to see the Tathāgata,
regardless of whether he does or doesn't get to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata —
will not alight on the lawfulness,
the rightness
of skillful qualities.

There is the case of the person who
— regardless of whether he does or doesn't get to see the Tathāgata,
regardless of whether he does or doesn't get to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata —
will alight on the lawfulness,
the rightness
of skillful qualities.

There is the case of the person who
will alight on the lawfulness,
the rightness
of skillful qualities
if he gets to see the Tathāgata
and gets to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata,
but not if he doesn't.

"Now, it is because of the person
who will alight on the lawfulness,
the rightness
of skillful qualities
if he gets to see the Tathāgata
and gets to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata
— but not if he doesn't —
that the teaching of the Dhamma has been allowed.

And it is because there is this sort of person
that the other sorts of persons are to be taught the Dhamma as well
[on the chance that they may actually turn out to need and benefit from the teaching].

"These are the three types of people,
like the three types of sick people,
to be found existing in the world."

 

---

 

Of Related Interest:

DN 12;
MN 63;
MN 75;
MN 105;
SN 6:1;
SN 42:7
AN 10:108;
Iti 100