With CundaCundasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At that time Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the Magadhan lands near the little village of Nālaka, and he was sick, suffering, gravely ill.Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto magadhesu viharati nālakagāmake ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. And the novice Cunda was his carer.Cundo ca samaṇuddeso āyasmato sāriputtassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.

Then Venerable Sāriputta was fully extinguished from that sickness.Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto teneva ābādhena parinibbāyi. Then Cunda took Sāriputta’s bowl and robes and set out for Sāvatthī. He went to see Venerable Ānanda at Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:Atha kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmato sāriputtassa pattacīvaramādāya yena sāvatthi jetavanaṁ anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāmo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, Venerable Sāriputta has become fully quenched.“āyasmā, bhante, sāriputto parinibbuto. This is his bowl and robe.”Idamassa pattacīvaran”ti.

“Reverend Cunda, we should see the Buddha about this matter.“Atthi kho idaṁ, āvuso cunda, kathāpābhataṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya. Come, let’s go to the Buddha and inform him about this.”Āyāmāvuso cunda, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāmā”ti.

“Yes, sir,” replied Cunda.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmato ānandassa paccassosi.

Then Ānanda and Cunda went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:Atha kho āyasmā ca ānando cundo ca samaṇuddeso yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, this novice Cunda says that“ayaṁ, bhante, cundo samaṇuddeso evamāha: Venerable Sāriputta has become fully quenched.‘āyasmā, bhante, sāriputto parinibbuto; This is his bowl and robe.idamassa pattacīvaran’ti. Since I heard this, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, and the teachings don’t spring to mind.”Api ca me, bhante, madhurakajāto viya kāyo, disāpi me na pakkhāyanti, dhammāpi maṁ nappaṭibhanti ‘āyasmā sāriputto parinibbuto’ti sutvā”.

“Well, Ānanda, when Sāriputta was fully quenched, did he take away your entire spectrum of ethical conduct, of immersion, of wisdom, of freedom, or of the knowledge and vision of freedom?”“Kiṁ nu kho te, ānanda, sāriputto sīlakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, samādhikkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, paññākkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, vimuttikkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto”ti?

“No, sir, he did not.“Na ca kho me, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto sīlakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, samādhikkhandhaṁ vā …pe… But Venerable Sāriputta was my adviser and counselor. He educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired me. He never tired of teaching the Dhamma, and he supported his spiritual companions.Api ca me, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto ovādako ahosi otiṇṇo viññāpako sandassako samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako, akilāsu dhammadesanāya, anuggāhako sabrahmacārīnaṁ. I remember the nectar of the teaching, the riches of the teaching, the support of the teaching given by Venerable Sāriputta.”Taṁ mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa dhammojaṁ dhammabhogaṁ dhammānuggahaṁ anussarāmā”ti.

“Ānanda, did I not prepare for this when I explained that“Nanu taṁ, ānanda, mayā paṭikacceva akkhātaṁ: we must be parted and separated from all we hold dear and beloved?‘sabbehi piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo aññathābhāvo. How could it possibly be so that what is born, created, conditioned, and liable to wear out should not wear out?Taṁ kutettha, ānanda, labbhā. Yaṁ taṁ jātaṁ bhūtaṁ saṅkhataṁ palokadhammaṁ, taṁ vata mā palujjīti— That is not possible.netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Suppose there was a large tree standing with heartwood, and the largest branch broke off.Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahato rukkhassa tiṭṭhato sāravato yo mahantataro khandho so palujjeyya; In the same way, in the great Saṅgha that stands with heartwood, Sāriputta has become fully quenched.evameva kho ānanda, mahato bhikkhusaṅghassa tiṭṭhato sāravato sāriputto parinibbuto.

How could it possibly be so that what is born, created, conditioned, and liable to wear out should not wear out?Taṁ kutettha, ānanda, labbhā. Yaṁ taṁ jātaṁ bhūtaṁ saṅkhataṁ palokadhammaṁ, taṁ vata mā palujjī’ti— That is not possible.netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

So Ānanda, live as your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge.Tasmātihānanda, attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā.

And how does a mendicant do this?Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Idhānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …vedanāsu …pe… mind …citte …pe… principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

That’s how a mendicant lives with themselves as island and refuge, without other refuge; with the teachings as island and refuge, without other refuge.Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo.

Whether now or after I have passed, any who shall live as their own island, their own refuge, with no other refuge; with the teaching as their island and their refuge, with no other refuge—those mendicants of mine who want to train shall be among the best of the best.”Ye hi keci, ānanda, etarahi vā mamaccaye vā attadīpā viharissanti attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā; tamatagge mete, ānanda, bhikkhū bhavissanti ye keci sikkhākāmā”ti.