1On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now on that occasion the householder Sirivaḍḍha was sick, afflicted, gravely ill. Then the householder Sirivaḍḍha addressed a man thus:

"Come, good man, approach the Venerable Ānanda, pay homage to him in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable sir, the householder Sirivaḍḍha is sick, afflicted, gravely ill; he pays homage to the Venerable Ānanda with his head at his feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Venerable Ānanda would come to the residence of the householder Sirivaḍḍha out of compassion.’"

"Yes, master," that man replied, and he approached the Venerable Ānanda, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and delivered his message. sn.v.177 The Venerable Ānanda consented by silence.

2Then, in the morning, the Venerable Ānanda dressed and, taking bowl and robe, went to the residence of the householder Sirivaḍḍha. He then sat down in the appointed seat and said to the householder Sirivaḍḍha: "I hope you are bearing up, householder, I hope you are getting better. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is to be discerned."

"I am not bearing up, venerable sir, I am not getting better. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding, and their increase, not their subsiding, is to be discerned."

3"Well then, householder, you should train thus: ‘I will dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. I will dwell contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world.’ It is in such a way that you should train."

4"Venerable sir, as to these four establishments of mindfulness taught by the Blessed One—these things exist in me, and I live in conformity with those things. I dwell, venerable sir, contemplating the body in the body … feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. And as to these five lower fetters taught by the Blessed One, I do not see any of these unabandoned in myself."

"It is a gain for you, householder! It is well gained by you, householder! You have declared, householder, the fruit of nonreturning." sn.v.178

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena sirivaḍḍho gahapati ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho sirivaḍḍho gahapati aññataraṁ purisaṁ āmantesi:

"Ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vanda: ‘sirivaḍḍho, bhante, gahapati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho so puriso sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa paṭissutvā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "sirivaḍḍho, bhante, gahapati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno, so āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandati. Evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti. Adhivāsesi kho āyasmā ānando tuṇhībhāvena.

2Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho āyasmā ānando sirivaḍḍhaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca: "Kacci te, gahapati, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo"ti?

"Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo"ti.

3"Tasmātiha te, gahapati, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kāye kāyānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassan’ti. Evañhi te, gahapati, sikkhitabban"ti.

4"Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cattāro satipaṭṭhānā desitā saṁvijjanti, te dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, kāye kāyānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Yāni cimāni, bhante, bhagavatā pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni desitāni, nāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ kiñci attani appahīnaṁ samanupassāmī"ti.

"Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati. Anāgāmiphalaṁ tayā, gahapati, byākatan"ti.

Navamaṁ.