1.
The First Discourse on the Sick
74.
At Sāvatthī.
Then a certain monk approached the Blessed One, etc.
Seated to one side, that monk said this to the Blessed One -
"In a certain monastery, venerable sir, a certain monk who is new and unknown is sick, afflicted, severely ill.
It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach that monk, out of compassion."
Then the Blessed One, having heard 'new' and having heard 'sick', having understood 'an unknown monk', approached that monk. That monk saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Having seen him, he stirred on his bed. Then the Blessed One said this to that monk - "Enough, monk, do not stir on your bed. There are these seats prepared; I will sit down there." The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said this to that monk - "Is it bearable for you, monk, is it endurable? Are unpleasant feelings receding, not advancing; is their receding evident, not their advancing?"
"It is not bearable for me, venerable sir, not endurable; excessive unpleasant feelings are advancing for me, not receding; their advancing is evident, not their receding."
"Do you have no remorse, monk, no regret?"
"Indeed, venerable sir, I have no small remorse, no small regret."
"But does your self blame you regarding morality, monk?"
"My self does not blame me regarding morality, venerable sir."
"If indeed, monk, your self does not blame you regarding morality, then what is your remorse and what is your regret?"
"I do not understand, venerable sir, the Teaching expounded by the Blessed One to be for the purpose of purification of morality."
"If indeed you, monk, do not understand the Teaching expounded by me to be for the purpose of purification of morality, then for what purpose do you understand the Teaching expounded by me, monk?"
"I understand, venerable sir, the Teaching expounded by the Blessed One to be for the purpose of dispassion towards lust."
"Good, good, monk! Good indeed, monk, you understand the Teaching expounded by me to be for the purpose of dispassion towards lust. For the Teaching expounded by me, monk, is for the purpose of dispassion towards lust. What do you think, monk, is the eye permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"That which... etc. The ear... the nose... The tongue... The body... Is the mind permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"Seeing thus, monk, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with the ear, etc. becomes disenchanted with the mind. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, that monk rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said. And while this explanation was being spoken, the stainless, spotless eye of the Teaching arose in that monk - "Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of cessation." The first.