sn.22.1 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Nakulapita

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Bhaggas at Suṁsumaragira in the Bhesakaḷa Grove, the Deer Park. Then the householder Nakulapita approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“I am old, venerable sir, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage, afflicted in body, often ill. I rarely get to see the Blessed One and the bhikkhus worthy of esteem. Let the Blessed One exhort me, venerable sir, let him instruct me, since that would lead to my welfare and happiness for a long time.”

“So it is, householder, so it is! This body of yours is afflicted, weighed down, encumbered. If anyone carrying around this body were to claim to be healthy even for a moment, what is that due to other than foolishness? Therefore, householder, you should train yourself thus: ‘Even though I am afflicted in body, my mind will be unafflicted.’ Thus should you train yourself.”

Then the householder Nakulapita, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s statement, rose from his seat and, having paid homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he approached the Venerable Sāriputta. Having paid homage to the Venerable Sāriputta, he sat down to one side, and the Venerable Sāriputta then said to him:

“Householder, your faculties are serene, your facial complexion is pure and bright. Did you get to hear a Dhamma talk today in the presence of the Blessed One?”

“Why not, venerable sir? Just now I was anointed by the Blessed One with the ambrosia of a Dhamma talk.”

“With what kind of ambrosia of a Dhamma talk did the Blessed One anoint you, householder?”

“Here, venerable sir, I approached the Blessed One….

The householder Nakulapita repeats his entire conversation with the Buddha.

“It was with the ambrosia of such a Dhamma talk, venerable sir, that the Blessed One anointed me.”

“Didn’t it occur to you, householder, to question the Blessed One further as to how one is afflicted in body and afflicted in mind, and how one is afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind?”

“We would come from far away, venerable sir, to learn the meaning of this statement from the Venerable Sāriputta. It would be good indeed if the Venerable Sāriputta would clear up the meaning of this statement.”

“Then listen and attend closely, householder, I will speak.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” the householder Nakulapita replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:

“How, householder, is one afflicted in body and afflicted in mind? Here, householder, the uninstructed worldling, who is not a seer of the noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who is not a seer of superior persons and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. He lives obsessed by the notions: ‘I am form, form is mine.’ As he lives obsessed by these notions, that form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He regards feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling. He lives obsessed by the notions: ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine.’ As he lives obsessed by these notions, that feeling of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of feeling, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He regards perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception. He lives obsessed by the notions: ‘I am perception, perception is mine.’ As he lives obsessed by these notions, that perception of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of perception, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He regards volitional formations as self, or self as possessing volitional formations, or volitional formations as in self, or self as in volitional formations. He lives obsessed by the notions: ‘I am volitional formations, volitional formations are mine.’ As he lives obsessed by these notions, those volitional formations of his change and alter. With the change and alteration of volitional formations, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. He lives obsessed by the notions: ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine.’ As he lives obsessed by these notions, that consciousness of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“It is in such a way, householder, that one is afflicted in body and afflicted in mind.

“And how, householder, is one afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind? Here, householder, the instructed noble disciple, who is a seer of the noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who is a seer of superior persons and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. He does not live obsessed by the notions: ‘I am form, form is mine.’ As he lives unobsessed by these notions, that form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He does not regard feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling. He does not live obsessed by the notions: ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine.’ As he lives unobsessed by these notions, that feeling of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of feeling, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He does not regard perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception. He does not live obsessed by the notions: ‘I am perception, perception is mine.’ As he lives unobsessed by these notions, that perception of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of perception, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He does not regard volitional formations as self, or self as possessing volitional formations, or volitional formations as in self, or self as in volitional formations. He does not live obsessed by the notions: ‘I am volitional formations, volitional formations are mine.’ As he lives unobsessed by these notions, those volitional formations of his change and alter. With the change and alteration of volitional formations, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He does not regard consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. He does not live obsessed by the notions: ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine.’ As he lives unobsessed by these notions, that consciousness of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“It is in such a way, householder, that one is afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind.”

This is what the Venerable Sāriputta said. Elated, the householder Nakulapita delighted in the Venerable Sāriputta’s statement.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

Nakula’s Father

So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Bhaggas on Crocodile Hill, in the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood.
Then the householder Nakula’s father went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:
“Sir, I’m an old man, elderly and senior. I’m advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life. My body is ailing and I’m constantly unwell.
I hardly ever get to see the esteemed mendicants.
May the Buddha please advise me
and instruct me.
It will be for my lasting welfare and happiness.”
“That’s so true, householder! That’s so true, householder!
For this body is ailing, trapped in its shell.
If anyone dragging around this body claimed to be healthy even for a minute, what is that but foolishness?
So you should train like this:
‘Though my body is ailing, my mind will be healthy.’
That’s how you should train.”
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
That’s how a person is ailing in body and healthy in mind.”
And then the householder Nakula’s father approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right. Then he went up to Venerable Sāriputta, bowed, and sat down to one side. Sāriputta said to him:
“Householder, your faculties are so very clear,
and your complexion is pure and bright.
Did you get to hear a Dhamma talk in the Buddha’s presence today?”
“What else, sir, could it possibly be?
Just now the Buddha anointed me with the deathless ambrosia of a Dhamma talk.”
“But what kind of ambrosial Dhamma talk has the Buddha anointed you with?”
So Nakula’s father told Sāriputta all that had happened, and said,

“That’s the ambrosial Dhamma talk that the Buddha anointed me with.”
“But didn’t you feel the need to ask the Buddha the further question:
‘Sir, how do you define someone ailing in body and ailing in mind, and someone ailing in body and healthy in mind’?”
“Sir, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sāriputta.
May Venerable Sāriputta himself please clarify the meaning of this.”
“Well then, householder, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Nakula’s father.
Sāriputta said this:
“And how is a person ailing in body and ailing in mind?
It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the qualities of a noble one. They’ve not seen good persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the qualities of a good person.
They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
They’re obsessed with the thought: ‘I am form, form is mine!’
But that form of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard feeling as self, self as having feeling, feeling in self, or self in feeling.
They’re obsessed with the thought: ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine!’
But that feeling of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard perception as self, self as having perception, perception in self, or self in perception.
They’re obsessed with the thought: ‘I am perception, perception is mine!’
But that perception of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard choices as self, self as having choices, choices in self, or self in choices.
They’re obsessed with the thought: ‘I am choices, choices are mine!’
But those choices of theirs decay and perish,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.
They’re obsessed with the thought: ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine!’
But that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
That’s how a person is ailing in body and ailing in mind.
And how is a person ailing in body and healthy in mind?
It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen good persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the good persons.
They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
They’re not obsessed with the thought: ‘I am form, form is mine!’
So when that form of theirs decays and perishes,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They don’t regard feeling as self, self as having feeling, feeling in self, or self in feeling.
They’re not obsessed with the thought: ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine!’
So when that feeling of theirs decays and perishes,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They don’t regard perception as self, self as having perception, perception in self, or self in perception.
They’re not obsessed with the thought: ‘I am perception, perception is mine!’
So when that perception of theirs decays and perishes,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They don’t regard choices as self, self as having choices, choices in self, or self in choices.
They’re not obsessed with the thought: ‘I am choices, choices are mine!’
So when those choices of theirs decay and perish,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They don’t regard consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.
They’re not obsessed with the thought: ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine!’
So when that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
That’s what Venerable Sāriputta said.
Satisfied, Nakula’s father was happy with what Sāriputta said.