Assajisutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.88

Linked Discourses 22.88

9. Theravagga

9. Senior Mendicants

Assajisutta

With Assaji

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā assaji kassapakārāme viharati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

Now at that time Venerable Assaji was staying in a monastery built by a Kassapa, and he was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Atha kho āyasmā assaji upaṭṭhāke āmantesi:

Then he addressed his carers:

“etha tumhe, āvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamatha; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatha:

“Please, reverends, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him:

‘assaji, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

‘Sir, the mendicant Assaji is sick, suffering, gravely ill.

So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti.

He bows with his head to your feet.’

Evañca vadetha:

And then say:

‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena assaji bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti.

‘Sir, please go to the mendicant Assaji out of sympathy.’”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato assajissa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Yes, reverend,” those monks replied. They did as he asked.

“assaji, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko …pe…

sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena assaji bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti.

Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

The Buddha consented with silence.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā assaji tenupasaṅkami.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to Venerable Assaji.

Addasā kho āyasmā assaji bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

Venerable Assaji saw the Buddha coming off in the distance,

Disvāna mañcake samadhosi.

and stirred in his cot.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca:

But the Buddha said to him,

“alaṁ, assaji, mā tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi.

“It’s all right, Assaji, don’t get up.

Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni, tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti.

There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.”

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca:

He sat down on the seat spread out and said,

“kacci te, assaji, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ …pe… paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

“I hope you’re keeping well, Assaji; I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ …pe… abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo”ti.

“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”

“Kacci te, assaji, na kiñci kukkuccaṁ na koci vippaṭisāro”ti?

“I hope you don’t have any remorse or regret?”

“Taggha me, bhante, anappakaṁ kukkuccaṁ anappako vippaṭisāro”ti.

“Indeed, sir, I have no little remorse and regret.”

“Kacci pana taṁ, assaji, attā sīlato na upavadatī”ti?

“I hope you have no reason to blame yourself when it comes to ethical conduct?”

“Na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti.

“No sir, I have no reason to blame myself when it comes to ethical conduct.”

“No ce kira taṁ, assaji, attā sīlato upavadati, atha kiñca te kukkuccaṁ ko ca vippaṭisāro”ti?

“In that case, Assaji, why do you have remorse and regret?”

“Pubbe khvāhaṁ, bhante, gelaññe passambhetvā passambhetvā kāyasaṅkhāre viharāmi, sohaṁ samādhiṁ nappaṭilabhāmi.

“Sir, before my time of illness I meditated having completely stilled the physical process. But now I can’t get immersion.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, taṁ samādhiṁ appaṭilabhato evaṁ hoti:

Since I can’t get immersion, I think:

‘no cassāhaṁ parihāyāmī’”ti.

‘May I not decline!’”

“Ye te, assaji, samaṇabrāhmaṇā samādhisārakā samādhisāmaññā tesaṁ taṁ samādhiṁ appaṭilabhataṁ evaṁ hoti:

“There are, Assaji, ascetics and brahmins for whom samādhi is the essence, equating immersion with the ascetic life. They think:

‘no cassu mayaṁ parihāyāmā’ti.

‘May we not decline!’

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, assaji,

What do you think, Assaji?

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…

“Impermanent, sir.” …

viññāṇaṁ …pe…

“Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?” …

“tasmātiha …pe…

“So you should truly see …

evaṁ passaṁ …pe…

Seeing this …

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātīti.

They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’

So sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, sā ‘aniccā’ti pajānāti. ‘Anajjhositā’ti pajānāti. ‘Anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti.

If they feel a pleasant feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t relish it.

Dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, sā ‘aniccā’ti pajānāti. ‘Anajjhositā’ti pajānāti. ‘Anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti.

If they feel a painful feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t relish it.

Adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, sā ‘aniccā’ti pajānāti …pe… ‘anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti.

If they feel a neutral feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t relish it.

So sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati;

If they feel a pleasant feeling, they feel it detached.

dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati;

If they feel a painful feeling, they feel it detached.

adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati.

If they feel a neutral feeling, they feel it detached.

So kāyapariyantikañce vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. Jīvitapariyantikañce vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti.

Feeling the end of the body draw close, they understand: ‘I feel the end of the body draw close.’ Feeling the end of life draw close, they understand: ‘I feel the end of life draw close.’

‘Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānāti.

They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life is over, everything that’s felt, being no longer relished, will become cool right here.’

Seyyathāpi, assaji, telañca paṭicca, vaṭṭiñca paṭicca, telappadīpo jhāyeyya;

Suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn.

tasseva telassa ca vaṭṭiyā ca pariyādānā anāhāro nibbāyeyya.

As the oil and the wick are used up, it would be extinguished due to not being fed.

Evameva kho, assaji, bhikkhu kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. Jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti.

In the same way, feeling the end of the body draw close, they understand: ‘I feel the end of the body draw close.’ Feeling the end of life draw close, they understand: ‘I feel the end of life draw close.’

‘Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānātī”ti.

They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life is over, everything that’s felt, being no longer relished, will become cool right here.’”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.