English
Formerly, Anurādha, and now, I declare only suffering…” and the cessation of suffering.” Fourth. 5. Vakkali Sutta 87. At one time the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in Veḷuvana, the Squirrels’ Feeding Ground. At that time, the Venerable Vakkali was staying in the potter’s workshop, afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. Then the Venerable Vakkali addressed his attendants: “Come, friends, go to the Blessed One; having approached, bow your heads at the feet of the Blessed One in my name, saying: ‘Vakkali, venerable sir, the bhikkhu is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill, and he bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One.’ And say this: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the bhikkhu Vakkali, out of compassion.’” “Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Vakkali, and they went to the Blessed One; having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: “Vakkali, venerable sir, the bhikkhu is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill, and he bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One; and he says this: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the bhikkhu Vakkali, out of compassion.’” The Blessed One assented by his silence. Then the Blessed One, having put on his lower robe and taken his bowl and outer robe, went to the Venerable Vakkali. The Venerable Vakkali saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Seeing him, he stirred on his couch. Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Vakkali: “Enough, Vakkali, do not stir on your couch. These seats are prepared; I will sit there.” The Blessed One sat on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Vakkali: “I hope, Vakkali, you are bearing up, I hope you are getting by, I hope your painful feelings are receding, not advancing, ; it recedes, it does not advance?’’ ‘‘No, venerable sir, it is not bearable for me, it is not endurable; strong painful feelings advance for me, they do not recede; it advances, it does not recede.’’ ‘‘Are you, Vakkali, not troubled by anything, not remorseful about anything?’’ ‘‘Indeed, venerable sir, I have no small trouble, no small remorse.’’ ‘‘But does your self, Vakkali, not reproach you regarding morality?’’ ‘‘No, venerable sir, my self does not reproach me regarding morality.’’ ‘‘If, Vakkali, your self does not reproach you regarding morality; then what is your trouble, what is your remorse?’’ ‘‘For a long time, venerable sir, I have wished to come to see the Blessed One, but I do not have enough strength in my body to come to see the Blessed One.’’ ‘‘Enough, Vakkali, what is there for you to see with this decaying body? Whoever, Vakkali, sees the Dhamma, he sees me; whoever sees me, he sees the Dhamma. For, Vakkali, seeing the Dhamma, one sees me; seeing me, one sees the Dhamma. ‘‘What do you think, Vakkali, is form permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir.’’ ‘‘But that which is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?’’ ‘‘Suffering, venerable sir.’’ ‘‘But that which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it fit to regard it thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’’’? ‘‘No, venerable sir.’’ ‘‘Feeling… perception… volitional formations… consciousness is it permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir.’’ … ‘This is my self’? ‘‘No, venerable sir.’’ ‘‘Therefore… …seeing thus… …he understands: ‘there is no more for this state of being’.’’ Then the Blessed One, having exhorted Venerable Vakkali with this exhortation, rose from his seat and departed for Vulture Peak mountain. Then Venerable Vakkali, not long after the Blessed One had departed, addressed his attendants: ‘‘Come, friends, Oh, having placed me on a cot, go to the Black Rock at Isigili Pass. How could one like me think of dying inside a house?’’ ‘‘Yes, friend,’’ those monks replied to Venerable Vakkali, and having placed Venerable Vakkali on a cot, they went to the Black Rock at Isigili Pass. Then the Blessed One stayed on Vulture Peak that night and the rest of that day. Then two deities, when the night was far advanced, of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Vulture Peak, approached the Blessed One… …and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Vakkali, venerable sir, the monk intends for liberation.’’ The other deity said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Indeed, venerable sir, he will be well-liberated.’’ These words the deities spoke. Having spoken this, and having saluted the Blessed One, and circumambulated him, they vanished right there. Then the Blessed One, when that night had passed, addressed the monks: ‘‘Come, monks, go to the monk Vakkali; having approached, say this to the monk Vakkali: ‘‘‘Listen, friend Vakkali, to the words of the Blessed One and of the two deities. This night, friend, two deities, when the night was far advanced, of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Vulture Peak, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, friend, one deity said to the Blessed One: Vakkali, venerable sir, the monk intends for liberation. The other deity said to the Blessed One: Indeed, venerable sir, he will be well-liberated. And the Blessed One, friend Vakkali, says this to you: Do not fear, Vakkali; do not fear, Vakkali! Your death will not be evil, your passing away will not be evil.’’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir,’’ those monks replied to the Blessed One. Having heard, they approached where Venerable Vakkali was. Having approached, they said this to Venerable Vakkali: "Listen, friend Vakkali, to the word of the Blessed One and of two deities." Then Venerable Vakkali addressed his attendants: "Come, friends, lower me from the couch. How indeed could one like me, sitting on a high seat, think it proper to hear the teaching of that Blessed One?" "Yes, friend," those monks, having assented to Venerable Vakkali, lowered Venerable Vakkali from the couch. "This night, friends, two deities, when the night was far advanced, stood to one side. Standing to one side, friends, one deity said this to the Blessed One: 'Venerable sir, the monk Vakkali intends for liberation.' The other deity said this to the Blessed One: 'Surely, Venerable sir, he will be well-liberated.' And the Blessed One, friend Vakkali, said this: 'Do not fear, Vakkali; do not fear, Vakkali! Your death will be auspicious, your passing away will be auspicious.'" "Therefore, friends, with my words, bow your heads at the feet of the Blessed One: 'Venerable sir, the monk Vakkali is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. He bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One.' And also say this: 'Form is impermanent. Of that, Venerable sir, I have no doubt. That which is impermanent is suffering - of that I have no doubt. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, there is no desire, or lust, or affection for it in me - of that I have no doubt. Feeling is impermanent. Of that, Venerable sir, I have no doubt. That which is impermanent is suffering - of that I have no doubt. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, there is no desire, or lust, or affection for it in me - of that I have no doubt. Perception... formations are impermanent. Of that, Venerable sir, I have no doubt. That which is impermanent is suffering - of that I have no doubt. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, there is no desire, or lust, or affection for it in me - of that I have no doubt. Consciousness is impermanent. Of that..." Sir, I have no doubt. That which is impermanent is suffering, I have no perplexity about that. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, I have no perplexity that there is no desire, no passion, no affection for it.’ ‘So it is, friend,’ those monks, having assented to Venerable Vakkali, departed. Then, Venerable Vakkali, not long after those monks had departed, took up the knife. Then those monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One – ‘Venerable sir, the monk Vakkali is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill; he bows his head at the Blessed One’s feet; and says this – ‘Form is impermanent. Sir, I have no doubt about that. That which is impermanent is suffering, I have no perplexity about that. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, I have no perplexity that there is no desire, no passion, no affection for it. Feeling… perception… formations… consciousness is impermanent. Sir, I have no doubt about that. That which is impermanent is suffering, I have no perplexity about that. That which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, I have no perplexity that there is no desire, no passion, no affection for it.’ Then the Blessed One addressed the monks – ‘Come, monks, let us go to Isigili’s side, to Black Rock; where the clansman Vakkali has taken up the knife.’ ‘Yes, venerable sir,’ those monks replied to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, together with a number of monks, approached Isigili’s side, Black Rock. The Blessed One saw Venerable Vakkali from afar, lying on a couch with his body turned. Now at that time, a smoky, gloomy darkness was going towards the eastern direction, going towards the western direction, going towards the northern direction, going towards the southern direction, going towards the upward direction, going towards the downward direction, going towards the intermediate directions. Then the Blessed One the monks addressed: “Do you not see, monks, that smoky, that murky appearance going to the eastern direction… …going to the intermediate direction?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “That, monks, is Māra, the Evil One, searching for the consciousness of the clansman Vakkali: ‘Where is the consciousness of the clansman Vakkali established?’ And with unestablished consciousness, monks,