Aṇguttara Nikāya
4. Catukka Nipāta
XVI: Indriya Vagga

Sutta 158

Roga Suttaṃ

Illness

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Sourced from the edition at dhammatalks.org

For free distribution only.

 

---

 

[1][pts] "Monks, there are these two kinds of illness.

Which two?

Bodily illness and mental illness.

"Beings are seen who can claim to be free of bodily illness for a year.

Beings are seen who can claim to be free of bodily illness for two years... three years... four years... five... ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty years... a hundred years or more.

But it's hard to find beings in the world who can claim to be free of mental illness for even a moment, aside from those whose effluents are ended.

"Monks, there are these four illnesses of one gone forth.

Which four?

"There is the case where a monk has large desires, is frustrated, and is not content with any old robes, alms food, lodgings, or medical requisites for curing the sick.

"Having large desires, being frustrated and discontented with any old robes, alms food, lodgings, or medical requisites for curing the sick, he is set on evil desires for recognition, for gains, offerings, and praise.

"He has initiative, busies himself, and endeavors for recognition, for gains, offerings, and praise.

"Calculatedly he goes to families, calculatedly he sits down, calculatedly he speaks Dhamma, calculatedly he holds in his urine and excrement.

"These are the four illnesses of one gone forth.

"Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves:

'We will not have large desires, be frustrated in mind^[1] or discontented with any old robes, alms food, lodgings, or medical requisites for curing the sick.

We will not be set on evil desires for recognition, for gains, offerings, and praise.

We will endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; ill-spoken, unwelcome words.

We will tolerate bodily feelings that, when they arise, are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, and menacing to life.'

That's how you should train yourselves."

 

---

^[1] Reading vighāta-cittā with the Thai edition of the Canon. The Burmese edition has vighātavanto, "frustrated."

 

---

 

Of Related Interest:

MN 2;
MN 21;
MN 28;
SN 22:1;
SN 22:122;
AN 4:28;
Snp 4:16;
Thag 5:8