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’’ ‘‘No, venerable Ananda, I am not sinking, nor am I collapsing; but for a long time I have attended the Teacher and the bhikkhus dear to my heart; and I have never before heard such a Dhamma talk.’’ ‘‘Indeed, householder, such a Dhamma talk does not occur to laypeople in white clothes; but to renunciants, householder, such a Dhamma talk occurs.’’ ‘‘Then, venerable Sariputta, let such a Dhamma talk occur to laypeople in white clothes too. For there are, venerable sir, young men of good family with little dust in their eyes, who decline from not hearing the Dhamma; there will be those who understand the Dhamma.’’ Then indeed, the venerable Sariputta and the venerable Ananda, having advised the householder Anathapindika with this instruction, rose from their seats and departed. Then indeed, the householder Anathapindika, not long after the venerable Sariputta and the venerable Ananda had departed, passed away and was reborn in the Tusita realm. Then indeed, the divine being Anathapindika, when the night was far advanced, with a surpassing radiance illuminating the entire Jeta Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the divine being Anathapindika addressed the Blessed One with verses – ‘‘This indeed is that Jeta Grove, frequented by the assembly of sages; Inhabited by Dhamma-... by the king, bringing joy to me. Action and knowledge and Dhamma, virtue is the best life; By these mortals are purified, not by lineage or by wealth. Therefore, a wise person, seeing their own welfare; should wisely investigate the Dhamma, thus they are purified therein. Like Sāriputta in wisdom, in virtue and in peace; Even a bhikkhu who has gone to the far shore, would be unsurpassed by this. This Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son spoke. The Teacher was pleased. Then Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son – “My Teacher is pleased!” – having saluted the Blessed One, and circumambulated him clockwise, vanished right there. 388. Then, when that night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “This night, bhikkhus, a certain deva-son, when the night was far advanced, of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta Grove, came to where I was; having come, he saluted me, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deva-son addressed me with verses – “Indeed, this Jeta Grove, frequented by the assembly of seers; Inhabited by the King of Dhamma, brings joy to me. Action and knowledge and Dhamma, virtue is the best life; By these mortals are purified, not by lineage or by wealth. Therefore, a wise person, seeing their own welfare; should wisely investigate the Dhamma, thus they are purified therein. Like Sāriputta in wisdom, in virtue and in peace; Even a bhikkhu who has gone to the far shore, would be unsurpassed by this.” “This, bhikkhus, that deva-son spoke. ‘My Teacher is pleased!’ – having saluted me, and circumambulated me clockwise, vanished right there.” When this was said, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Surely, Venerable Sir, that must have been Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son. Anāthapiṇḍika, Venerable Sir, the householder, was deeply devoted to Venerable Sāriputta.” “Good, good, Ānanda! As far as reasoning can reach, Ānanda, you have reached it. That was Anāthapiṇḍika, Ānanda.” an egg, a deva-son.” This the Blessed One said. Delighted, Venerable Ānanda rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Discourse on the Instruction to Anāthapiṇḍika is finished, the first. 2. The Discourse on the Instruction to Channa 389. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha, in Veḷuvana, the Kalandaka Nivāpa. At that time, Venerable Sāriputta, Venerable Mahācunda, and Venerable Channa were staying on Gijjhakūṭa mountain. At that time, Venerable Channa was afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. Then Venerable Sāriputta, in the evening, having risen from his seclusion, approached Venerable Mahācunda; having approached, he said to Venerable Mahācunda: “Come, friend Cunda, let us approach Venerable Channa to inquire about his illness.” “Yes, friend,” Venerable Mahācunda replied to Venerable Sāriputta. Then Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahācunda approached Venerable Channa; having approached, they exchanged greetings with Venerable Channa. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Venerable Sāriputta said to Venerable Channa: “I hope, friend Channa, you are coping, I hope you are getting by? I hope your painful feelings are receding, not advancing; I hope their recession is evident, not their advance?” “I am not coping, friend Sāriputta, I am not getting by. My painful feelings are strongly advancing, not receding; their advance is evident, not their recession. Just as, friend Sāriputta, a strong man might strike one’s head with a sharp sword; even so, friend Sāriputta, excessive winds are surging in my head. I am not coping, friend Sāriputta, I am not getting by. My painful feelings are strongly advancing, not receding; their advance is evident, not their recession. Just as, friend Friend Sāriputta, a strong man with a strong leather strap might bind his head with a head-band; Just so, friend Sāriputta, is there excessive head-pain in my head. For me, friend Sāriputta, it is not bearable, not endurable. Strong painful feelings advance upon me, they do not retreat; Their advance is evident, not their retreat. Just as, friend Sāriputta, a skillful butcher or a butcher's apprentice might carve up a cow's belly with a sharp butcher's knife; Just so, friend Sāriputta, do excessive winds carve up my belly. For me, friend Sāriputta, it is not bearable, not endurable. Strong painful feelings advance upon me, they do not retreat; Their advance is evident, not their retreat. Just as, friend Sāriputta, two strong men might seize a weaker man by both arms and roast him, scorch him over a pit of coals; Just so, friend Sāriputta, is there excessive burning in my body. For me, friend Sāriputta, it is not bearable, not endurable. Strong painful feelings advance upon me, they do not retreat; Their advance is evident, not their retreat. I will take the knife, friend Sāriputta, I do not wish to live. Venerable Channa, do not take the knife. Venerable Channa, live on. We wish for Venerable Channa to live on. If Venerable Channa has no suitable foods, I will search for suitable foods for Venerable Channa. If Venerable Channa has no suitable medicines, I will search for suitable medicines for Venerable Channa. If Venerable Channa has no suitable attendants, I will attend to Venerable Channa. Venerable Channa, do not take the knife. Venerable Channa, live on. We wish for Venerable Channa to live on. It is not that, friend Sāriputta, I have no suitable foods; nor that I have no suitable Medicines (I have); but I have no suitable attendants; But, friend Sāriputta, I have long attended the Teacher with pleasure, not with displeasure. For this, friend Sāriputta, is proper for a disciple: that he attend the Teacher with pleasure, not with displeasure. 'The monk Channa will bring the Teacher without reproach'— thus, friend Sāriputta, you should bear this in mind." "We would question Venerable Channa on some point, if Venerable Channa grants us the opportunity for an answer to a question." "Ask, friend Sāriputta, I will know after hearing." 391. "Do you, friend Channa, regard the eye, eye-consciousness, and things cognizable by eye-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "Do you, friend Channa, regard the ear, ear-consciousness, and things cognizable by ear-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "Do you, friend Channa, regard the nose, nose-consciousness, and things cognizable by nose-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "Do you, friend Channa, regard the tongue, tongue-consciousness, and things cognizable by tongue-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "Do you, friend Channa, regard the body, body-consciousness, and things cognizable by body-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "Do you, friend Channa, regard the mind, mind-consciousness, and things cognizable by mind-consciousness as 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "The eye, friend Sāriputta, eye-consciousness, and things cognizable by eye-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." "The ear, friend Sāriputta, ear-consciousness, and things cognizable by ear-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." "The nose, friend Sāriputta, nose-consciousness, and things cognizable by nose-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." "The tongue, friend Sāriputta, tongue-consciousness, and things cognizable by tongue-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." "The body, friend Sāriputta, body-consciousness, and things cognizable by body-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." "The mind, friend Sāriputta, mind-consciousness, and things cognizable by mind-consciousness, I regard as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'." 392. "Seeing what, friend Channa, knowing what, do you regard the eye, eye-consciousness, and things cognizable by eye-consciousness as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'?" "Seeing what, friend Channa, knowing what, do you regard the ear, ear-consciousness, and things cognizable by ear-consciousness as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'?" "Seeing what, friend Channa, knowing what, do you regard the nose, nose-consciousness, and things cognizable by nose-consciousness as 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'?" "Seeing what, friend Channa, knowing what, do you regard the tongue, tongue-consciousness,