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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

XIII. Sick — AN 5.121: Sick

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the infirmary, where he saw a certain mendicant who was weak and sick. He sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants:

2“Mendicants, if a weak and sick mendicant does not neglect five things, it can be expected that they will soon realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

3What five? It’s when a mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. If a weak and sick mendicant does not neglect these five things, it can be expected that they will soon realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena gilānasālā tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ dubbalaṁ gilānakaṁ; disvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 

2"Yaṁ kiñci, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ dubbalaṁ gilānakaṁ pañca dhammā na vijahanti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ:  ‘nacirasseva āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti.

3Katame pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī, maraṇasaññā kho panassa ajjhattaṁ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti. Yaṁ kiñci, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ dubbalaṁ gilānakaṁ ime pañca dhammā na vijahanti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ:  ‘nacirasseva āsavānaṁ khayā … pe … sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.