Veludvāra

Dīghāvu upāsaka

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Rājagaha, in Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding-ground.

Now on that occasion Dīghāvu the lay-disciple was sick afflicted, suffering from a sore disease.

Then Dīghāvu the lay-disciple called to his father Jotika the housefather, saying:

“Come, housefather!

Do you go to the Exalted One, and on coming to him, with your head worship at the feet of the Exalted One, and say in my name:

‘Lord, Dīghāvu the lay-disciple is sick, afflicted, suffering from a sore disease.

He worships with his head at the Exalted One's feet.’

Then say:

‘It were a good thing, lord, if the Exalted One would come to the house of Dīghāvu the lay-disciple, out of compassion for him.'”

“Very good, my lad," said Jotika the housefather in reply to Dīghāvu the lay-disciple, and went to the Exalted One, and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side.

So seated, Jotika the housefather said this to the Exalted One:

“Lord, Dīghāvu the lay-disciple is sick, afflicted, suffering from a sore disease.

He worships with his head at the feet of the Exalted One and says thus:

‘It were a good thing, lord, if the Exalted One would come to the house of Dīghāvu the lay-disciple, out of compassion for him.'”

And the Exalted One consented by his silence.

Thereupon the Exalted One robed himself, and taking bowl and outer robe set off for the house of Dīghāvu the lay-disciple, and on arriving there sat down on a seat made ready.

Having sat down the Exalted One said this to Dīghāvu the lay-disciple:

“Well, Dīghāvu, I hope you are bearing up, I hope you are enduring.

Do your pains abate and not increase?

Are there signs of their abating and not increasing?”

“No, lord!

I am not bearing up.

I am not enduring.

Strong pains come upon me.

They do not abate.

There is no sign of their abating but of their increasing.”

“Then, Dīghāvu, thus must you train yourself:

‘I will be blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Buddha, thus:

He it is the Exalted One, Arahant, a fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and practice, a Happy One, world-knower, unsurpassed charioteer of men to be tamed, teacher of devas and mankind, a Buddha, an Exalted One.

I will be blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Norm, thus:

Well proclaimed by the Exalted One is the Norm, seen in this very life, a thing not involving time, inviting one to come and see, leading onward, to be known for themselves by the wise.

I will be blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Order, thus:

Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order, walking uprightly, walking in the right way, walking dutifully is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples: namely, the four pairs of men, the eight sorts of men.

That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.

Worthy of honour are they, worthy of reverence, worthy of offerings, worthy of salutations with clasped hands,—a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.

Also I will be blessed with the virtues dear to the Ariyans, virtues unbroken, whole, unspotted, untarnished, giving freedom, praised by the wise: virtues untainted (by craving or delusion), which lead to concentration of the mind.’

That, Dīghāvu, is how you must train yourself.”

“As to these four limbs of stream-winning, lord, which have been taught by the Exalted One, all of those conditions are to be found in me, and I do live in accordance with them.

Lord, I am indeed blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Buddha, thus:

I am indeed blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Norm, thus:

Well proclaimed by the Exalted One is the Norm, seen in this very life, a thing not involving time, inviting one to come and see, leading onward, to be known for themselves by the wise.

I am indeed blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Order, thus:

That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.

Worthy of honour are they, worthy of reverence, worthy of offerings, worthy of salutations with clasped hands,—a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.

I am indeed blessed with the virtues dear to the Ariyans, virtues unbroken, whole, unspotted, untarnished, giving freedom, praised by the wise: virtues untainted (by craving or delusion), which lead to concentration of the mind.”

“Therefore, Dīghāvu, resting on these four limbs of stream-winning, you should further practise the six conditions which are constituent parts of knowledge.

Herein, Dīghāvu, do you dwell contemplating impermanence in all the activities, conscious of ill in impermanence, conscious of there being no self in what is ill, conscious of abandoning, of dispassion, of cessation.

That, Dīghāvu, is how you must train yourself.”

Lord, as to these same six conditions, which are constituent parts of knowledge, all of them are to be found in me.

I do live contemplating impermanence in all the activities, conscious of ill in impermanence, conscious of there being no self in what is ill, conscious of abandoning, of dispassion, of cessation.

Then, lord, I have this thought:

‘I would not have the housefather Jotika here fall into dejection at my death.'”

“Don't you trouble about that, Dīghāvu, my lad! (said his father).

Look you, Dīghāvu, my lad!

Attend closely to what the Exalted One is saying to you.”

So the Exalted One, having thus admonished Dīghāvu the lay-disciple, rose from his seat and went away.

And not long after the Exalted One had gone Dīghāvu the lay-disciple made an end.

Thereupon a number of monks went to see the Exalted One, and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side.

So seated those monks said this to the Exalted One:

“Lord, that lay-disciple named Dīghāvu, who was admonished in brief by the Exalted One, has made an end.

What is his lot?

What is his destiny in the life to come?”

“A sage, monks, was Dīghāvu the lay-disciple.

He lived according to the Norm.

He did not harm me by disputings about the Norm.

Dīghāvu, the lay-disciple, monks, by wearing out the five fetters of the lower sort, is reborn by spontaneous birth.

His destiny is not to return from that world.”

- Translator: Frank Lee Woodward

- Editor: Norman Joseph Smith

With Dīghāvu

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Now at that time the lay follower Dhīgāvu was sick, suffering, gravely ill.
Then he addressed his father, the householder Jotika,
“Please, householder, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him:
‘Sir, the lay follower Dhīgāvu is sick, suffering, gravely ill.
He bows with his head to your feet.’
And then say:
‘Sir, please visit him at his home out of compassion.’”
“Yes, dear,” replied Jotika. He did as Dīghāvu asked.

The Buddha consented in silence.
Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the lay follower Dīghāvu, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to him,
“I hope you’re keeping well, Dīghāvu; I hope you’re alright. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.”
“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”
“So, Dīghāvu, you should train like this:
‘I will have experiential confidence in the Buddha …
the teaching …
the Saṅgha …
And I will have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’
That’s how you should train.”
“Sir, these four factors of stream-entry that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I am seen in them.
For I have experiential confidence in the Buddha …
the teaching …
the Saṅgha …
And I have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.”
“In that case, Dīghāvu, grounded on these four factors of stream-entry you should further develop these six things that play a part in realization.
You should meditate observing the impermanence of all conditions, perceiving suffering in impermanence, perceiving not-self in suffering, perceiving giving up, perceiving fading away, and perceiving cessation.
That’s how you should train.”
“These six things that play a part in realization that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I embody them.
For I meditate observing the impermanence of all conditions, perceiving suffering in impermanence, perceiving not-self in suffering, perceiving giving up, perceiving fading away, and perceiving cessation.
But still, sir, I think,
‘I hope Jotika doesn’t suffer anguish when I’ve gone.’”
Jotika said, “Dear Dīghāvu, don’t focus on that.
Come on, dear Dīghāvu, you should closely focus on what the Buddha is saying.”
When the Buddha had given this advice he got up from his seat and left.
Not long after the Buddha left, Dīghāvu passed away.
Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Sir, the lay follower named Dīghāvu, who was advised in brief by the Buddha, has passed away.
Where has he been reborn in his next life?”
“Mendicants, the lay follower Dīghāvu was astute. He practiced in line with the teachings, and did not trouble me about the teachings.
With the ending of the five lower fetters, he’s been reborn spontaneously, and will become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.”

sn.55.3 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Veludvāra

Dīghāvu upāsaka

With Dīghāvu