Sick

At that time several mendicants were making a robe for the Buddha, thinking thatwhen his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: “niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.

At that time several mendicants were making a robe for the Buddha, thinking thatTena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering.“niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.

Mahānāma the Sakyan heard about this.Then he went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him that he had heard that the Buddha was leaving. He added,“Sir, I haven’t heard and learned it in the presence of the Buddhahow a wise lay follower should advise another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill.”

Assosi kho mahānāmo sakko: “sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: ‘niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’”ti. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutametaṁ, bhante: ‘sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti—niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’ti. Na kho netaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ *Na kho netaṁ → na kho te etaṁ (bj, pts1ed)sappaññena upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno ovaditabbo”ti.

Mahānāma the Sakyan heard about this.Assosi kho mahānāmo sakko: “sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: ‘niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’”ti. Then he went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him that he had heard that the Buddha was leaving. He added,Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutametaṁ, bhante: ‘sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti—niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’ti. “Sir, I haven’t heard and learned it in the presence of the BuddhaNa kho netaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ *Na kho netaṁ → na kho te etaṁ (bj, pts1ed)how a wise lay follower should advise another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill.”sappaññena upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno ovaditabbo”ti.

“Mahānāma, a wise lay follower should put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with four consolations.‘Be at ease, sir.*“Sir” here is āyasmā.You have experiential confidence in the Buddha …the teaching …the SaṅghaSaṅghaEste término denota tanto: la «comunidad monástica» (comunidades de monjes y monjas budistas) en quienes los seguidores laicos toman refugio; como aquellos seguidores del Buddha, laicos u ordenados, que han alcanzado al menos la entrada en la corriente (ver sotāpanna), el primero de los senderos transcendentes (ver magga) que culmina en nibbāna. Recientemente en EE.UU., el término «sangha» se ha transformado para significar el sentido más amplio de «comunidad de seguidores en el sendero budista», aunque este uso no tiene base en el canon pali. El término parisā se usa en este sentido más amplio en los textos tempranos.Ver en el glosario …And you have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’

“Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetabbo: ‘assāsatāyasmā—atthāyasmato buddhe aveccappasādo itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Assāsatāyasmā—atthāyasmato dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantāni sīlāni akhaṇḍāni …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikānī’ti.

“Mahānāma, a wise lay follower should put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with four consolations.“Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetabbo: ‘Be at ease, sir.*“Sir” here is āyasmā.‘assāsatāyasmā—You have experiential confidence in the Buddha …atthāyasmato buddhe aveccappasādo itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Assāsatāyasmā—the teaching …atthāyasmato dhamme …pe… the Saṅgha …saṅghe …pe… And you have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’ariyakantāni sīlāni akhaṇḍāni …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikānī’ti.

When a wise lay follower has put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with these four consolations, they should say:‘Are you concerned for your mother and father?’If they reply,‘I am,’ they should say:‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.Whether or not you are concerned for your mother and father,you will die anyway.It would be good to give up concern for your mother and father.’

Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno imehi catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetvā evamassa vacanīyo: ‘atthāyasmato mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti? So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘atthi me mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo. Sacepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva; no cepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva. Sādhāyasmā, yā te mātāpitūsu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.

When a wise lay follower has put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with these four consolations, they should say:Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno imehi catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetvā evamassa vacanīyo: ‘Are you concerned for your mother and father?’‘atthāyasmato mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti? If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I am,’ they should say:‘atthi me mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo. Whether or not you are concerned for your mother and father,Sacepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva; you will die anyway.no cepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva. It would be good to give up concern for your mother and father.’Sādhāyasmā, yā te mātāpitūsu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.

If they reply,‘I have given up concern for my mother and father,’ they should say:‘But are you concerned for your partners and children?’If they reply,‘I am,’ they should say:‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.Whether or not you are concerned for your partners and children,you will die anyway.It would be good to give up concern for your partners and children.’

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yā me mātāpitūsu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘atthi panāyasmato puttadāresu apekkhā’ti? So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘atthi me puttadāresu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo. Sacepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva; no cepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva. Sādhāyasmā, yā te puttadāresu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.

If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I have given up concern for my mother and father,’ they should say:‘yā me mātāpitūsu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘But are you concerned for your partners and children?’‘atthi panāyasmato puttadāresu apekkhā’ti? If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I am,’ they should say:‘atthi me puttadāresu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo. Whether or not you are concerned for your partners and children,Sacepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva; you will die anyway.no cepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva. It would be good to give up concern for your partners and children.’Sādhāyasmā, yā te puttadāresu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.

If they reply,‘I have given up concern for my partners and children,’ they should say:‘But are you concerned for the five kinds of human sensual stimulation?’If they reply,‘I am,’ they should say:‘Respectable sir, heavenly sensual pleasures are better than human sensual pleasures.It would be good to turn your mind away from human sensual pleasures and focus it on the gods of the four great kings.’*Compare Sāriputta’s teaching to Dhanañjāni at MN 97:30.1.

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yā me puttadāresu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘atthi panāyasmato mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti? So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘atthi me mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘mānusakehi kho, āvuso, kāmehi dibbā kāmā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. Sādhāyasmā, mānusakehi kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti. *cātumahārājikesu → cātummahārājikesu (bj, sya-all, km, pts1ed)

If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I have given up concern for my partners and children,’ they should say:‘yā me puttadāresu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘But are you concerned for the five kinds of human sensual stimulation?’‘atthi panāyasmato mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti? If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I am,’ they should say:‘atthi me mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘Respectable sir, heavenly sensual pleasures are better than human sensual pleasures.‘mānusakehi kho, āvuso, kāmehi dibbā kāmā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. It would be good to turn your mind away from human sensual pleasures and focus it on the gods of the four great kings.’*Compare Sāriputta’s teaching to Dhanañjāni at MN 97:30.1.Sādhāyasmā, mānusakehi kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti. *cātumahārājikesu → cātummahārājikesu (bj, sya-all, km, pts1ed)

If they reply,‘I have done so,’ they should say:‘Respectable sir, the gods of the thirty-three are better than the gods of the four great kings …

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘mānusakehi me kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘cātumahārājikehi kho, āvuso, devehi tāvatiṁsā devā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. Sādhāyasmā, cātumahārājikehi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti.

If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I have done so,’ they should say:‘mānusakehi me kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘Respectable sir, the gods of the thirty-three are better than the gods of the four great kings …‘cātumahārājikehi kho, āvuso, devehi tāvatiṁsā devā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. Sādhāyasmā, cātumahārājikehi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti.

Respectable sir, the gods of Yama …the joyful gods …the gods who love to create …the gods who control what is created by others …the gods of the realm of divinity are better than the gods who control what is created by others.It would be good to turn your mind away from the gods who control what is created by others and focus it on the gods of the realm of divinity.’If they reply,‘I have done so,’ they should say:‘Respectable sir, the realm of divinity is impermanent, not lasting, and included within substantial reality.It would be good to turn your mind away from the realm of divinity and apply it to the cessation of substantial reality.’*In the Dhanañjānisutta, Sāriputta only taught as far as the Brahmā realm, for which the Buddha chastised him.

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘cātumahārājikehi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘tāvatiṁsehi kho, āvuso, devehi yāmā devā …pe… tusitā devā …pe… nimmānaratī devā …pe… paranimmitavasavattī devā …pe… paranimmitavasavattīhi kho, āvuso, devehi brahmaloko abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Sādhāyasmā, paranimmitavasavattīhi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti. So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘paranimmitavasavattīhi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘brahmalokopi kho, āvuso, anicco addhuvo sakkāyapariyāpanno. Sādhāyasmā, brahmalokā cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāhī’ti.

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘cātumahārājikehi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: Respectable sir, the gods of Yama …‘tāvatiṁsehi kho, āvuso, devehi yāmā devā …pe… the joyful gods …tusitā devā …pe… the gods who love to create …nimmānaratī devā …pe… the gods who control what is created by others …paranimmitavasavattī devā …pe… the gods of the realm of divinity are better than the gods who control what is created by others.paranimmitavasavattīhi kho, āvuso, devehi brahmaloko abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. It would be good to turn your mind away from the gods who control what is created by others and focus it on the gods of the realm of divinity.’Sādhāyasmā, paranimmitavasavattīhi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti. If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I have done so,’ they should say:‘paranimmitavasavattīhi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo: ‘Respectable sir, the realm of divinity is impermanent, not lasting, and included within substantial reality.‘brahmalokopi kho, āvuso, anicco addhuvo sakkāyapariyāpanno. It would be good to turn your mind away from the realm of divinity and apply it to the cessation of substantial reality.’*In the Dhanañjānisutta, Sāriputta only taught as far as the Brahmā realm, for which the Buddha chastised him.Sādhāyasmā, brahmalokā cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāhī’ti.

If they reply,‘I have done so,’then there is no difference between a lay follower whose mind is freed in this way and a mendicant whose mind is freed from defilements; that is,*This passage shows that a lay person can attain arahantship, at least on their deathbed. At Kd 1:7.11.1, the layman Yasa attains arahantship and immediately ordains. From these cases, the later tradition asserted that if a lay person becomes an arahant, they must either ordain or die that very day (Mil 6.2.2). But this oversteps the Suttas. While an arahant must live a celibate life of detachment, which ordination is supposed to support, nothing in the Suttas precludes other means of achieving the same end. | See note on deathbed conversions at SN 55.21:1.13.between the freedom of one and the other.”

So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘brahmalokā me cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāmī’ti; *upasaṁharāmī’ti → upasaṁhatanti (bj, sya-all)evaṁ vimuttacittassa kho, mahānāma, upāsakassa āsavā vimuttacittena bhikkhunā na kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ—*āsavā → vassasata (bj, cck, sya1ed); vassasataṁ (sya2ed)vimuttiyā vimuttan”ti.

If they reply,So ce evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I have done so,’‘brahmalokā me cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāmī’ti; *upasaṁharāmī’ti → upasaṁhatanti (bj, sya-all)then there is no difference between a lay follower whose mind is freed in this way and a mendicant whose mind is freed from defilements; that is,*This passage shows that a lay person can attain arahantship, at least on their deathbed. At Kd 1:7.11.1, the layman Yasa attains arahantship and immediately ordains. From these cases, the later tradition asserted that if a lay person becomes an arahant, they must either ordain or die that very day (Mil 6.2.2). But this oversteps the Suttas. While an arahant must live a celibate life of detachment, which ordination is supposed to support, nothing in the Suttas precludes other means of achieving the same end. | See note on deathbed conversions at SN 55.21:1.13.evaṁ vimuttacittassa kho, mahānāma, upāsakassa āsavā vimuttacittena bhikkhunā na kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ—*āsavā → vassasata (bj, cck, sya1ed); vassasataṁ (sya2ed)between the freedom of one and the other.”vimuttiyā vimuttan”ti.