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#### Saṁyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
36. Vedanā Saṁyutta
1. Sagāthā Vagga

#### Sutta 7

#### Paṭhama Gelañña Suttaṁ

# In the Sick Ward

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1][pts][than][nypo][bodh] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time, the Lucky Man,
Vesali-land revisiting,
Great Woods,
Peak'd Roof Hall.

There then towards evening,
the Lucky Man,
emerging from his solitary residence,
approached the sick-ward and drew near.

Having drawn near,
he took a prepared seat.

Then, seated there,
he addressed the beggars:

"Mindful, beggars — a beggar reaching his end,
should be self-aware.

This is ever our instruction to you.

§

And how, beggars,
is a beggar mindful?

Here beggars,
a beggar living in body,
oversees the body,
ardent,
self-aware,
recollected,
removing the miseries of worldly coveting;

living in sense-experience,
oversees the sensations,
ardent,
self-aware,
recollected,
removing the miseries of worldly coveting;

living in the heart,
oversees the heart,
ardent,
self-aware,
recollected,
removing the miseries of worldly coveting;

living in the Dhamma,
oversees the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-aware,
recollected,
removing the miseries of worldly coveting.

Such then, beggars,
is a beggar's mindfulness.

■

And how, beggars,
is a beggar self-aware?

Here, beggars, a beggar
coming or going,
makes himself aware;
looking ahead or looking back,
makes himself aware;
putting forth or retracting,
makes himself aware;
bearing cloak, bowl and robes,
makes himself aware;
eating, drinking, chewing, or tasting,
makes himself aware;
passing matter or passing water,
makes himself aware;
on the go,
standing,
sitting,
asleep or
awake,
speaking or becoming silent,
makes himself aware.

Thus, beggars,
is a beggar self-aware.

"Mindful, beggars —
a beggar reaching his end,
should be self-aware.

This is ever our instruction to you.

§

And, beggars,
as a beggar so lives,
mindful,
self-aware,
careful,
ardent,
intent
up comes experience of the pleasant.

So he considers:

'There has come upon me
experience of the pleasant.

But such is dependent,
not without dependency.

On what dependent?

On this very body dependent.

And furthermore,
this body is changeable,
own-made,
itself arising dependent.

Arising dependent
on the changeable,
own-made body,
it follows
that this experience of the pleasant
also arises dependent —

How could it become unchangeable?'

And he lives overseeing change
in body and
experience of the pleasant;

lives overseeing the passing,
lives overseeing dispassion for,
lives overseeing the ending of,
lives overseeing the abandoning of
body
and experience of the pleasant.

Living overseeing change in sense-experience,
living overseeing dispassion for,
living overseeing the ending of,
living overseeing the abandoning of,
body
and experience of the pleasant,
residual lust for sense-experience is let go.

■

And, beggars,
as a beggar so lives,
mindful,
self-aware,
careful,
ardent,
intent
up comes experience of the unpleasant.

So he considers:

'There has come upon me
experience of the unpleasant.

But such is dependent,
not without dependency.

On what dependent?

On this very body dependent.

And furthermore,
this body is changeable,
own-made,
itself arising dependent.

Arising dependent
on the changeable,
own-made body,
it follows
that this experience of the unpleasant
also arises dependent —

How could it become unchangeable?'

And he lives overseeing change
in body
and experience of the unpleasant;

lives overseeing the passing,
lives overseeing dispassion for,
lives overseeing the ending of,
lives overseeing the abandoning of
body
and experience of the unpleasant.

Living overseeing change in sense-experience,
living overseeing dispassion for,
living overseeing the ending of,
living overseeing the abandoning of,
body and experience of the unpleasant,
residual repugnance for sense-experience is let go.

■

And, beggars,
as a beggar so lives,
mindful,
self-aware,
careful,
ardent,
intent
up comes experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant.

So he considers:

'There has come upon me
experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant.

But such is dependent,
not without dependency.

On what dependent?

On this very body dependent.

And furthermore,
this body is changeable,
own-made,
itself arising dependent.

Arising dependent
on the changeable,
own-made body,
it follows
that this experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant
also arises dependent —

How could it become unchangeable?'

And he lives overseeing change
in body
and experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant.

Lives overseeing the passing,
lives overseeing dispassion for,
lives overseeing the ending of,
lives overseeing the abandoning of
body
and experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant.

Living overseeing change in sense-experience,
living overseeing dispassion for,
living overseeing the ending of,
living overseeing the abandoning of,
body and experience of the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant,
residual ignorance of sense-experience is let go.

§

If experiencing pleasant experience
he knows:
'It changes';
he knows:
'Therein I have no intentions';
he knows:
'Therein is no taking delight for me'.

■

If experiencing unpleasant experience
he knows:
'It changes';
he knows:
'Therein I have no intentions';
he knows:
'Therein is no taking delight for me'.

■

If experiencing the not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant
he knows:
'It changes';
he knows:
'Therein I have no intentions';
he knows:
'Therein is no taking delight for me'.

§

If experiencing pleasant experience,
disconnected he experiences it.

If experiencing unpleasant experience,
disconnected he experiences it.

If experiencing not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant experience,
disconnected he experiences it.

§

If he experiences the experience
of the approach of body's end,
he knows:
'I am experiencing the experience
of the approach of body's end.'

If he experiences the experience
of the approach of life's end,
he knows:
'I am experiencing the experience
of the approach of life's end.'

Upon the break-up of the body
at the termination of life
he knows:
'At this point,
there being no taking delight,
all sense-experience becomes cool.'

§

Just as an oil-lamp, beggars,
in order to burn,
depends on oil,
depends on a wick,
and the oil,
and wick coming to an end,
is extinguished for want of food,
even so, beggars, a beggar
experiencing the experience of the approach of life's end,
knows:
'I am experiencing the experience
of the approach of life's end.'

Upon the break-up of the body
at the termination of life
knows:
'At this point,
there being no taking delight,
all sense-experience becomes cool.'"

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