Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ II: Paññāsaka Dutiya
3. Gilāna Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ II: The 'Second Fifty' Suttas
3. The Chapter on the Sick Man
Sutta 74
Paṭhama Gilāna Suttaṃ
Sick (i)[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1][than][bodh] At Sāvatthī was the occasion (for this discourse)
Then a certain brother came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As he sat at one side he said to the Exalted One: -
"Lord, in such and such a lodging
there is a brother,
a novice,
of no reputation.[2]
He is sick,
afflicted,
stricken with a sore disease.
Well were it, lord,
if the Exalted One should visit that brother,
out of compassion for him."
■
Then the Exalted One,
on hearing the words 'novice'
and 'sick,'
and finding that he was of no reputation,
went to where that brother was.
Now that brother saw the Exalted One coming,
while yet he was far off,
and seeing him he stirred upon his bed.
Then the Exalted One (on coming to him) said:
"Enough, brother!
Stir not on your bed.
There are these seats made ready.
I will sit there."
And he sat on a seat made ready.
So the Exalted One sat down
and said to that brother: -
"Well, brother!
I hope you are bearing up.
I hope you are enduring.
Do your pains abate and not increase?
Are there signs of their abating
and not increasing?"[3]
"No, lord.
I am not bearing up.
I am not enduring.
[24] Strong pains come upon me.
They do not abate.
There is no sign of their abating,
but of their increasing."
"I hope, brother, you have no doubt,
no remorse."
"Indeed, lord, I have no little doubt.
I have no little remorse."
"But I hope that as to morals
you yourself make no reproach."
"No indeed, lord."
"Then, brother, if that is so,
you must have some doubt,
you must have some regret."
"Lord, I do not understand
the meaning of the purity of life
in the Norm taught by the Exalted One."
"Well, brother, if you do not understand the meaning
of the purity of life
in the Norm taught by me,
in what sense do you understand it?"
"Passion and the destruction of passion, lord, -
that is what I understand
to be the Norm taught by the Exalted One."
"Well said, brother!
Well said!
Well indeed do you understand
the meaning of the Norm taught by me.
Indeed it means passion
and the destruction of passion.
Now what think ye, brother?
Is the eye permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are objects permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is eye-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is eye-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from eye-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Now what think ye, brethren?
"Is the ear permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are sounds permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is ear-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is ear-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from ear-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Now what think ye, brethren?
Is the nose permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are scents permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is nose-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is nose-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from nose-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Now what think ye, brethren?
Is the tongue permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are savours permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is tongue-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is tongue-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from tongue-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Now what think ye, brethren?
Is the body permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are things tactile permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is body-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is body-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from body-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Now what think ye, brethren?
Is the mind permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are mind-states permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is mind-consciousness permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is mind-contact permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"That weal or woe or neutral state experienced, that arises from mind-contact, -
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"What is impermanent,
is that weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Now what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
is it fitting to regard that as:
'This is mine.
This am I.
This is my self?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
[14] "So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the eye,
is repelled by objects,
is repelled by eye-consciousness,
is repelled by eye-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to eye-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the ear,
is repelled by sounds,
is repelled by ear-consciousness,
is repelled by ear-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to ear-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the nose,
is repelled by scents,
is repelled by nose-consciousness,
is repelled by nose-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to nose-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the tongue,
is repelled by savours,
is repelled by tongue-consciousness,
is repelled by tongue-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to tongue-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the body,
is repelled by things tactile,
is repelled by body-consciousness,
is repelled by body-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to body-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the mind,
is repelled by mind-states,
is repelled by mind-consciousness,
is repelled by mind-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to mind-contact.
■
Being repelled by these,
he lusts not for them.
Not lusting he is set free.
In this freedom
comes insight
that it is a being free.
Thus he realizes:
'Rebirth is destroyed,
lived is the righteous life,
done is the task.
For life in these conditions
there is no hereafter.'
Thus spake the Exalted One.
And that brother was delighted and welcomed the words of the Exalted One.
More- [25] over,
when this discourse was uttered,
in that brother arose the pure and flawless eye of the Norm,
(so that he saw):
"Whatsoever is of a nature to arise,
all that is of a nature to cease."
[1] The substance of this section occurs at S. iii, 119 (K.S. iii, 101), where see n. and Brethren, pp. 197-200.
[2] Appaññata. 'Not well known like Rāhula or Sumaṇa, for instance.' Comy.
ipsissima verba his own words. OED: the precise words. I believe this idea is mistaken and that in fact the practice was, throughout the culture and throughout the (more or less civilized world) at the time, to use formula expressions in numerous circumstances. The idea that these formulas aid memory is correct, but it is unreasonable to think that what was useful to the memory would not be used and quickly be understood as the correct way to respond to questions from the master. Further as a review of the expressions used even today [Tuesday, April 07, 2015 6:38 AM] in the forums would show, the tendency is to express one's self in the terms used in the translations which reflects at least the tendency of the convert to imitate the master in every way. The fact is that when the Buddha spoke he expressed himself in the most clear and precise way possible. Those who had heard him speak would tend to express the master's ideas ipsissima verba. Why would one want to use less clear language?
— p.p.
[3] Cf. K.S. iii, 102, 106. The usual formula of greeting to a sick man. But we are not to suppose the Master always used these same words, or got the same reply. It is a good example of the basis on which the whole Scriptures are composed, for the purpose of learning by heart. But here and there we may get ipsissima verba.
