Phagguna Sutta

The Buddha's words

Phagguna Sutta from Tipitaka_Pali_Reader

At that time, Venerable Phagguna was afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill. Then Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Venerable Phagguna is afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach Venerable Phagguna, out of compassion.” The Blessed One assented by remaining silent. Then, in the evening, the Blessed One rose from seclusion and approached Venerable Phagguna. Venerable Phagguna saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Seeing him, he stirred on his couch. Then the Blessed One said to Venerable Phagguna: “Enough, Phagguna, do not stir on your couch. There are these seats prepared by others; I will sit there.” The Blessed One sat on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to Venerable Phagguna:

“Are you able to endure, Phagguna? Are you getting by? Are your painful feelings receding, not advancing? Is their recession apparent, not their advance?”

“I am not able to endure, venerable sir, nor am I getting by. My severe painful feelings are advancing, not receding; their advance is apparent, not their recession.

“Just as, venerable sir, a strong man might strike one’s head with a sharp sword; even so, venerable sir, exceedingly strong winds strike my head. I am not able to endure, venerable sir, nor am I getting by. My severe painful feelings are advancing, not receding; their advance is apparent, not their recession.

‘‘Bhante, just as a strong man might bind his head tightly with a strong leather strap; even so, Bhante, I have an excessive headache in my head. Bhante, I am unable to endure, unable to carry on. Severe painful feelings are afflicting me, they are not subsiding; their increase is evident, not their decrease.

‘‘Bhante, just as a skillful butcher or his apprentice might carve up an ox's belly with a sharp butcher's knife; even so, Bhante, extremely strong winds are carving up my belly. Bhante, I am unable to endure, unable to carry on. Severe painful feelings are afflicting me, they are not subsiding; their increase is evident, not their decrease.

‘‘Bhante, just as two strong men might seize a weaker man by both arms and roast and scorch him over a pit of glowing embers; even so, Bhante, I have an excessive burning sensation in my body. Bhante, I am unable to endure, unable to carry on. Severe painful feelings are afflicting me, they are not subsiding; their increase is evident, not their decrease.’’ Then the Blessed One, having instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened Venerable Phagguna with a Dhamma talk, rose from his seat and departed.

Then, not long after the Blessed One had departed, Venerable Phagguna passed away. And at the time of his death, his faculties were exceptionally clear. Then Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side.

Seated to one side, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Bhante, Venerable Phagguna passed away not long after the Blessed One had departed. And at the time of his death, his faculties were exceptionally clear.’’

‘‘Why, Ānanda, would the bhikkhu Phagguna’s faculties not be exceptionally clear? Ānanda, the bhikkhu Phagguna’s mind was not yet liberated from the five lower fetters (orambhāgiya saṃyojana). Having heard that Dhamma discourse, his mind was liberated from the five lower fetters.

‘‘Ānanda, there are these six benefits of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time and examining its meaning at the proper time. Which six?

Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu’s mind is not yet liberated from the five lower fetters. At the time of his death, he gets to see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, proclaiming the perfectly complete and purified holy life. Having heard that Dhamma discourse, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the first benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.

‘‘Furthermore, Ānanda, a bhikkhu’s mind is not yet liberated from the five lower fetters. At the time of his death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathāgata. That disciple of the Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, proclaiming the perfectly complete and purified holy life. Having heard that Dhamma discourse, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the second benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.

‘‘Furthermore, Ānanda, a bhikkhu’s mind is not yet liberated from the five lower fetters. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, nor does he get to see a disciple of the Tathāgata; but he ponders, reflects upon, and contemplates with his mind the Dhamma as he has heard and learned it.

As he ponders, reflects upon, and contemplates with his mind the Dhamma as he has heard and learned it, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the third benefit of timely contemplation of the meaning.

Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind is not yet liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. At that time, at the time of death, he gets to see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, proclaiming the perfectly complete and purified holy life. Having heard that Dhamma teaching, his mind is liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. This, Ānanda, is the fourth benefit of timely listening to the Dhamma.

Furthermore, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind is not yet liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathāgata. That disciple of the Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, proclaiming the perfectly complete and purified holy life. Having heard that Dhamma teaching, his mind is liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. This, Ānanda, is the fifth benefit of timely listening to the Dhamma.

Furthermore, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind is not yet liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, nor does he get to see a disciple of the Tathāgata; but he ponders, reflects upon, and contemplates with his mind the Dhamma as he has heard and learned it. As he ponders, reflects upon, and contemplates with his mind the Dhamma as he has heard and learned it, his mind is liberated from the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments.

This, Ānanda, is the sixth benefit of timely contemplation of the meaning. These, Ānanda, are the six benefits of timely listening to the Dhamma and timely contemplation of the meaning.”