1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Upasena were dwelling at Rājagaha in the Cool Grove, in the Snake's Hood Grotto. [n.31] Upasena was Sāriputta's younger brother. His verses are at Th 577–86. Spk explains that the grotto was called "Snake's Hood Grotto" (sappasonḍikapabbhara) because of its shape. Now on that occasion a viper had fallen on the Venerable Upasena's body. Then the Venerable Upasena addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Come, friends, lift this body of mine on to the bed and carry it outside before it is scattered right here like a handful of chaff." [n.32] Spk: After his meal the elder had taken his large robe and was sitting in the shade of the cave doing some sewing. At that moment two young vipers were playing in the thatch over the cave; one fell and landed on the elder's shoulder. Its mere touch was poisonous, and the poison spread over the elder's body. He addressed the bhikkhus thus so that his body would not perish inside the cave.

2When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Upasena: "We do not see any alteration in the Venerable Upasena's body nor any change in his faculties; yet the Venerable Upasena says: ‘Come, friends, lift this body of mine on to the bed and carry it outside before it is scattered right here like a handful of chaff.’"

"Friend Sāriputta, for one who thinks, ‘I am the eye’ or ‘The eye is mine’; ‘I am the ear’ or ‘The ear is mine’ … ‘I am the mind’ or ‘The mind is mine,’ there might be alteration of the body or a change of the faculties. But, friend Sāriputta, sn.iv.41 it does not occur to me, ‘I am the eye’ or ‘The eye is mine’; ‘I am the ear’ or ‘The ear is mine’ … ‘I am the mind’ or ‘The mind is mine,’ so why should there be any alteration in my body or any change in my faculties?" [n.33] There is a word play in the exchange between Sāriputta and Upasena. The expression indriyanaṁ aññathatta, "alteration of the faculties," is sometimes used as a euphemism meaning "profoundly distressed," "not in one's right mind" see MN87 (MN II 106,12). Here the text reads kayassa va aññathattaṁ indriyanaṁ va vipariṇamaṁ, but I think the implications are very similar. Sāriputta, then, is speaking literally while Upasena intends his words to be taken figuratively, as meaning that for one free from the notions of "I" and "mine" there is no distress even in the face of death. On being free from "I-making," etc., see SN21.2 (II 275,1–5).

3"It must be because I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit have been thoroughly uprooted in the Venerable Upasena for a long time that it does not occur to him, ‘I am the eye’ or ‘The eye is mine’; ‘I am the ear’ or ‘The ear is mine’ … ‘I am the mind’ or ‘The mind is mine.’"

Then those bhikkhus lifted the Venerable Upasena's body on to the bed and carried it outside. Then the Venerable Upasena's body was scattered right there just like a handful of chaff.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca upaseno rājagahe vihāranti sītavane sappasoṇḍikapabbhāre. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato upasenassa kāye āsīviso patito hoti. Atha kho āyasmā upaseno bhikkhū āmantesi: "etha me, āvuso, imaṁ kāyaṁ mañcakaṁ āropetvā bahiddhā nīharatha. Purāyaṁ kāyo idheva vikirati; seyyathāpi bhusamuṭṭhī"ti.

2Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ upasenaṁ etadavoca: "na kho pana mayaṁ passāma āyasmato upasenassa kāyassa vā aññathattaṁ indriyānaṁ vā vipariṇāmaṁ. Atha ca panāyasmā upaseno evamāha: ‘etha me, āvuso, imaṁ kāyaṁ mañcakaṁ āropetvā bahiddhā nīharatha. Purāyaṁ kāyo idheva vikirati; seyyathāpi bhusamuṭṭhī’"ti.

"Yassa nūna, āvuso sāriputta, evamassa: ‘Ahaṁ cakkhūti vā mama cakkhūti vā … pe … ahaṁ jivhāti vā mama jivhāti vā … ahaṁ manoti vā mama mano’ti vā. Tassa, āvuso sāriputta, siyā kāyassa vā aññathattaṁ indriyānaṁ vā vipariṇāmo. Mayhañca kho, āvuso sāriputta, na evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ cakkhūti vā mama cakkhūti vā … pe … ahaṁ jivhāti vā mama jivhāti vā … pe … ahaṁ manoti vā mama manoti vā’. Tassa mayhañca kho, āvuso sāriputta, kiṁ kāyassa vā aññathattaṁ bhavissati, indriyānaṁ vā vipariṇāmo"ti.

3Tathā hi panāyasmato upasenassa dīgharattaṁ ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayo susamūhato. Tasmā āyasmato upasenassa na evaṁ hoti: "‘Ahaṁ cakkhūti vā mama cakkhūti vā … pe … ahaṁ jivhāti vā mama jivhāti vā … pe … ahaṁ manoti vā mama mano’ti vā"ti.

Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmato upasenassa kāyaṁ mañcakaṁ āropetvā bahiddhā nīhariṁsu. Atha kho āyasmato upasenassa kāyo tattheva vikiri; seyyathāpi bhusamuṭṭhīti.

Sattamaṁ.