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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

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SN45-56

47. Satipaṭṭhānasaṁyutta: On Mindfulness Meditation

I. In Ambapālī’s Wood — SN47.9: Sick

1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the little village of Beluva. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“Mendicants, please enter the rainy season residence with whatever friends or acquaintances you have around Vesālī. I’ll commence the rainy season residence right here in the little village of Beluva.”

“Yes, sir,” those mendicants replied. They did as the Buddha said, while the Buddha commenced the rainy season residence right there in the little village of Beluva.

2After the Buddha had commenced the rainy season residence, he fell severely ill, struck by dreadful pains, close to death. But he endured with mindfulness and situational awareness, without worrying. Then it occurred to the Buddha:

“It would not be appropriate for me to become fully extinguished before informing my attendants and taking leave of the mendicant Saṅgha. Why don’t I forcefully suppress this illness, stabilize the life force, and live on?” So that is what he did. Then the Buddha’s illness died down.

3Soon after the Buddha had recovered from that sickness, he left his dwelling and sat in the shade of the porch on the seat spread out. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sir, it’s fantastic that the Buddha is comfortable, that he’s well, and that he’s alright. Because when the Buddha was sick, my body felt like it was drugged. I was disorientated, and the teachings didn’t spring to mind. Still, at least I was consoled by the thought that the Buddha won’t become fully extinguished without making some statement regarding the Saṅgha of mendicants.”


4“But what could the mendicant Saṅgha expect from me now, Ānanda? I’ve taught the Dhamma without making any distinction between secret and public teachings. The Realized One doesn’t have the closed fist of a teacher when it comes to the teachings.

If there’s anyone who thinks: ‘I’ll take charge of the Saṅgha of mendicants,’ or ‘the Saṅgha of mendicants is meant for me,’ let them make a statement regarding the Saṅgha. But the Realized One doesn’t think like this, so why should he make some statement regarding the Saṅgha?

I’m now old, elderly and senior. I’m advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life. I’m currently eighty years old. Just as a decrepit cart keeps going by relying on straps, in the same way, the Realized One’s body keeps going by relying on straps, or so you’d think.

5Sometimes the Realized One, not focusing on any signs, and with the cessation of certain feelings, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart. Only then does the Realized One’s body become more comfortable.

So Ānanda, be your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge.


6And how does a mendicant do this? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body — keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles — keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

That’s how a mendicant is their own island, their own refuge, with no other refuge. That’s how the teaching is their island and their refuge, with no other refuge.

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.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati veḷuvagāmake. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"etha tumhe, bhikkhave, samantā vesāliyā yathāmittaṁ yathāsandiṭṭhaṁ yathāsambhattaṁ vassaṁ upetha. Idhevāhaṁ veḷuvagāmake vassaṁ upagacchāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā samantā vesāliyā yathāmittaṁ yathāsandiṭṭhaṁ yathāsambhattaṁ vassaṁ upagacchuṁ. Bhagavā pana tattheva veḷuvagāmake vassaṁ upagacchi.

2Atha kho bhagavato vassūpagatassa kharo ābādho uppajji, bāḷhā vedanā vattanti māraṇantikā. Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā sato sampajāno adhivāsesi avihaññamāno. Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:

"na kho me taṁ patirūpaṁ, yohaṁ anāmantetvā upaṭṭhāke anapaloketvā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ parinibbāyeyyaṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ ābādhaṁ vīriyena paṭipaṇāmetvā jīvitasaṅkhāraṁ adhiṭṭhāya vihareyyan"ti. Atha kho bhagavā taṁ ābādhaṁ vīriyena paṭipaṇāmetvā jīvitasaṅkhāraṁ adhiṭṭhāya vihāsi. Atha kho bhagavato so ābādho paṭippassambhi.

3Atha kho bhagavā gilānā vuṭṭhito aciravuṭṭhito gelaññā vihārā nikkhamitvā vihārapacchāyāyaṁ paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"diṭṭho me, bhante, bhagavato phāsu; diṭṭhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato khamanīyaṁ; diṭṭhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato yāpanīyaṁ. Api ca me, bhante, madhurakajāto viya kāyo, disāpi me na pakkhāyanti, dhammāpi maṁ nappaṭibhanti bhagavato gelaññena. Api ca me, bhante, ahosi kācideva assāsamattā: ‘Na tāva bhagavā parinibbāyissati, na yāva bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāharatī’"ti.


4"Kiṁ pana dāni, Ānanda, bhikkhusaṅgho mayi paccāsīsati? Desito, Ānanda, mayā dhammo anantaraṁ abāhiraṁ karitvā. NatthĀnanda, tathāgatassa dhammesu acariyamuṭṭhi.

Yassa nūna, Ānanda, evamassa: ‘Ahaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pariharissāmī’ti vā, ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā, so nūna, Ānanda, bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāhareyya. Tathāgatassa kho, Ānanda, na evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pariharissāmī’ti vā, ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā. Sa kiṁ, Ānanda, tathāgato bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāharissati.

Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, Ānanda, jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako addhagato vayoanuppatto. Āsītiko me vayo vattati. Seyyathāpi, Ānanda, jajjarasakaṭaṁ veḷamissakena yāpeti; evameva kho, Ānanda, veḷamissakena maññe tathāgatassa kāyo yāpeti.

5Yasmiṁ, Ānanda, samaye tathāgato sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā ekaccānaṁ vedanānaṁ nirodhā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja vihārati, phāsutaro, Ānanda, tasmiṁ samaye tathāgatassa kāyo hoti.

TasmātihĀnanda, attadīpā vihāratha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā.


6KathañcĀnanda, bhikkhu attadīpo vihārati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? IdhĀnanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Evaṁ kho, Ānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo vihārati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo.

Ye hi keci, Ānanda, etarahi vā mamaccaye vā attadīpā viharissanti attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā; tamatagge mete, Ānanda, bhikkhū bhavissanti ye keci sikkhākāmā"ti.

Navamaṁ.