Gaṇḍasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.15

Numbered Discourses 9.15

2. Sīhanādavagga

2. The Lion’s Roar

Gaṇḍasutta

The Simile of the Boil

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṇḍo anekavassagaṇiko.

“Mendicants, suppose there was a boil that was many years old.

Tassassu gaṇḍassa nava vaṇamukhāni nava abhedanamukhāni.

And that boil had nine orifices that were continually open wounds.

Tato yaṁ kiñci pagghareyya—

Whatever oozed out of them

asuciyeva pagghareyya, duggandhaṁyeva pagghareyya, jegucchiyaṁyeva pagghareyya;

would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting.

yaṁ kiñci pasaveyya—

Whatever exuded from them

asuciyeva pasaveyya, duggandhaṁyeva pasaveyya, jegucchiyaṁyeva pasaveyya.

would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting.

Gaṇḍoti kho, bhikkhave, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa.

‘Boil’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

Tassassu gaṇḍassa nava vaṇamukhāni nava abhedanamukhāni.

And that boil has nine orifices that are continually open wounds.

Tato yaṁ kiñci paggharati—

Whatever oozes out of them

asuciyeva paggharati, duggandhaṁyeva paggharati, jegucchiyaṁyeva paggharati;

is filthy, stinking, and disgusting.

yaṁ kiñci pasavati—

Whatever exudes from them

asuciyeva pasavati, duggandhaṁyeva pasavati, jegucchiyaṁyeva pasavati.

is filthy, stinking, and disgusting.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ kāye nibbindathā”ti.

So, mendicants, have no illusion about this body.”

Pañcamaṁ.