With SirivaḍḍhaSirivaḍḍhasutta

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Now at that time the householder Sirivaḍḍha was sick, suffering, gravely ill.Tena kho pana samayena sirivaḍḍho gahapati ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Then he addressed a man:Atha kho sirivaḍḍho gahapati aññataraṁ purisaṁ āmantesi:

“Please, my man, go to Venerable Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him:“ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vanda: ‘Sir, the householder Sirivaḍḍha is sick, suffering, gravely ill.‘sirivaḍḍho, bhante, gahapati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. He bows with his head to your feet.’So āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. And then say:Evañca vadehi: ‘Sir, please visit him at his home out of sympathy.’”‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti.

“Yes, sir,” that man replied. He did as Sirivaḍḍha asked.“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: Ānanda consented with silence.Adhivāsesi kho āyasmā ānando tuṇhībhāvena.

Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the householder Sirivaḍḍha, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to him:Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho āyasmā ānando sirivaḍḍhaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:

“I hope you’re keeping well, householder, I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.”“kacci te, gahapati, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”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.”“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo”ti.

“So you should train like this:“Tasmātiha te, gahapati, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘I’ll meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.‘kāye kāyānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; I’ll meditate on an aspect of feelings …vedanāsu …pe… mind …citte …pe… principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.’dhammesu dhammānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassan’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi te, gahapati, sikkhitabban”ti.

“These four kinds of mindfulness meditation that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I exhibit them.“Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cattāro satipaṭṭhānā desitā saṁvijjanti, te dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. For I meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Ahañhi, bhante, kāye kāyānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; I 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 viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. And of the five lower fetters taught by the Buddha, I don’t see any that I haven’t given up.”Yāni cimāni, bhante, bhagavatā pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni desitāni, nāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ kiñci attani appahīnaṁ samanupassāmī”ti.

“You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate!“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati. You have declared the fruit of non-return.”Anāgāmiphalaṁ tayā, gahapati, byākatan”ti.