Disease

Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.

[1] 'Monks, there are these two diseases.

What two?

Disease of body and disease of mind.

Monks, there are to be seen beings who can admit freedom from suffering from bodily disease for one year,
for two years,
for three,
four,
five,
ten,
twenty,
thirty,
forty,
fifty years;
who can admit freedom from bodily disease for even a hundred years.

But, monks, those beings are hard to find in the world
who can admit freedom from mental disease
even for one moment,^[1]
save only those in whom the āsavas are destroyed.

Monks, there are these four diseases
of one who has gone forth (from the worldly life).

What four?

Here, monks, we may have a greedy one,
full of vexation,
discontented with this or that supply
of robe and alms-food,
lodging,
seat,
medicines
and requisites for sickness.

He, being greedy and so forth,
full of vexation,
discontented with this or that supply
of robe and alms-food,
lodging,
seat,
medicines
and requisites for sickness
conceived^[2] an evil longing for consideration,
for gain,
honours
and fame.

He rouses himself,
exerts himself,
makes an effort to get these things.

Of set purpose^[3] he visits families,
of set purpose he takes a seat,
of set purpose he speaks Dhamma,
of set purpose he restrains the calls of nature.

These, monks, are the four diseases
of him who has gone forth.

■

Therefore, monks, thus must ye train yourselves:

We will not become greedy,
full of vexation,
discontented with this or that supply
of robe and alms-food,
lodging,
seat,
medicines
and requisites for sickness.

We will not conceive an evil longing for consideration,
for gain,
honours
and fame.

We will not rouse ourselves,
exert ourselves,
make an effort to get these things.

We will become enduring of cold,
hunger,
thirst,
contact of flies and mosquitoes,
of wind and rain and creeping things.^[4]

We will become bearers of abusive,
pain-causing ways of speech.

We will submit to painful bodily [147] feelings,
grievous,
sharp,
racking,
distracting
and discomforting,
that drain the life away.

Thus, monks, must ye train yourselves,'

^[1] Cf. K.S. iii, 2.

^[2] Paṇidahati.

^[3] Cf. A. i, 133. Sankhāya, gerund. He undergoes privations of routine, etc., with this aim.

^[4] Cf. supra, § 114.

Aṇguttara Nikāya Catukka Nipāta XVI: Indriya Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings The Book of the Fours XVI: Controlling Powers

Sutta 157

Disease

Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XVI: Indriya Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
XVI: Controlling Powers