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the clansman Vakkali has attained final Nibbāna.” The fifth. 6. Assaji Sutta 88. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in Veḷuvana, at the Kalandaka Nivāpa. Now at that time the venerable Assaji was dwelling in Kassapakārāma, sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then the venerable Assaji addressed his attendants: “Come, friends, go to the Blessed One; having approached, bow down with your head at the feet of the Blessed One in my name: ‘The monk Assaji, venerable sir, is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows down with 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 monk Assaji, out of compassion.’” “Yes, friend,” those monks, having assented to the venerable Assaji, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One: “The monk Assaji, venerable sir, is sick… …it would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the monk Assaji, out of compassion.” The Blessed One consented by His silence. Then the Blessed One, having risen from seclusion in the evening, approached the venerable Assaji. The venerable Assaji saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Seeing Him, he stirred on the couch. Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Assaji: “Enough, Assaji, do not stir on the couch. These seats are prepared, I will sit there. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to Venerable Assaji: "I hope, Assaji, you are getting along, I hope you are keeping well... ...is there a decline, not an increase?" "No, venerable sir, I am not getting along... ...there is an increase, not a decline." "I hope, Assaji, you have no remorse, no regret?" "Indeed, venerable sir, I have no little remorse, no little regret." "But I hope, Assaji, your self does not reproach you regarding your virtue?" "No, venerable sir, my self does not reproach me regarding my virtue." "If, then, Assaji, your self does not reproach you regarding your virtue, then what is your remorse, what is your regret?" "Formerly, venerable sir, when I was sick, I would calm down, calm down the bodily formations, but I did not attain concentration. For me, venerable sir, not attaining that concentration, it occurred to me: 'Am I not declining?'" "Those ascetics and brahmins, Assaji, who are devoted to concentration, who are dedicated to concentration, for them, not attaining that concentration, it occurs to them: 'Are we not declining?'" "What do you think, Assaji, is form permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir."... ...consciousness... ...therefore... ...seeing thus... ...he understands: 'There is no further state of being.'" If he feels a pleasant feeling, he understands: 'It is impermanent.' He understands: 'It is not clung to.' He understands: 'It is not delighted in.' If he feels a painful feeling, he understands: 'It is impermanent.' He understands: 'It is not clung to.' He understands: 'It is not delighted in.' If he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands: 'It is impermanent.'... ...He understands: 'It is not delighted in.' If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it disjoined; if he feels a painful feeling, he feels it disjoined; if he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant If he feels a feeling, he feels it disjoined. If he feels a feeling limited by the body, he understands: 'I feel a feeling limited by the body.' If he feels a feeling limited by life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling limited by life.' He understands: 'With the breaking up of the body, after the exhaustion of life, all feelings, no longer delighted in, will become cool right here.' Just as, Assaji, a lamp burns dependent on oil and wick; with the exhaustion of that oil and wick, without fuel, it is extinguished. Even so, Assaji, a monk feeling a feeling limited by the body, understands: 'I feel a feeling limited by the body.' Feeling a feeling limited by life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling limited by life.' He understands: 'With the breaking up of the body, after the exhaustion of life, all feelings, no longer delighted in, will become cool right here.' The Sixth. 7. The Khemaka Sutta 89. At one time, many elder monks were dwelling in Kosambī, at Ghosita's Park. Now at that time, Venerable Khemaka was dwelling at Badarikārāma, afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. Then the elder monks, having risen from their seclusion in the evening, addressed Venerable Dāsaka: "Come, friend Dāsaka, go to the monk Khemaka; having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka: 'The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: 'Are you, friend, bearing up? Are you getting by? Are your painful feelings receding, not advancing? Is their recession evident, not their advance?'" "Yes, friend," Venerable Dāsaka replied to the elder monks, and went to Venerable Khemaka; having approached, he said this to Venerable Khemaka: "The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: 'Are you, friend, bearing up, are you getting by, are your painful feelings receding, not advancing, is their recession evident, not their advance?'" "For me, friends, it is not bearable, not maintainable... ...an advance is evident, not a retreat." Then Venerable Dāsaka went to where the elder monks were; having approached, he said to the elder monks: "Friend Khemaka, the monk, says this: 'For me, friends, it is not bearable... ...an advance is evident, not a retreat.'" "Come, friend Dāsaka, go to where the monk Khemaka is; having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka: 'The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: "These five clinging-aggregates, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely, the clinging-aggregate of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the clinging-aggregate of perception, the clinging-aggregate of mental formations, the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. Does Venerable Khemaka perceive anything as self or as belonging to self in these five clinging-aggregates?"'" "Yes, friend," Venerable Dāsaka, having assented to the elder monks, went to where Venerable Khemaka was; having approached... "The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: 'These five clinging-aggregates, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely, the clinging-aggregate of form... ...the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. Does Venerable Khemaka perceive anything as self or as belonging to self in these five clinging-aggregates?'" "These five clinging-aggregates, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely, the clinging-aggregate of form... ...the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. In these five clinging-aggregates, friend, I do not perceive anything as self or as belonging to self." Then Venerable Dāsaka went to where the elder monks were; having approached, he said to the elder monks: "Friend Khemaka, the monk, says this: 'These five clinging-aggregates, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely, the clinging-aggregate of form... ...the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. In these five clinging-aggregates, friend, I do not perceive anything as self or as belonging to self.'" or what I perceive." "Come, friend Dāsaka, go to the venerable Khemaka; having gone, say to the venerable Khemaka thus: 'The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely – the aggregate of clinging to form... to feeling... to perception... to volitional formations... to consciousness. If indeed the venerable Khemaka does not perceive any self or what belongs to self in these five aggregates of clinging, then the venerable Khemaka is an Arahant, one whose taints are destroyed."'" "Yes, friend," the venerable Dāsaka replied to the elder monks, and went to the venerable Khemaka... (and delivered the message): "The elders, friend Khemaka, say this to you: 'These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely – the aggregate of clinging to form... to feeling... to perception... to volitional formations... to consciousness. If indeed the venerable Khemaka does not perceive any self or what belongs to self in these five aggregates of clinging, then the venerable Khemaka is an Arahant, one whose taints are destroyed.'" [Khemaka replied:] "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely – the aggregate of clinging to form... to feeling... to perception... to volitional formations... to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friend, I do not perceive any self or what belongs to self, yet I am not an Arahant, one whose taints are destroyed; but still, friend, in these five aggregates of clinging, 'I am' is apprehended by me, but 'this I am' I do not perceive." Then the venerable Dāsaka went to the elder monks... and said this to the elder monks: "The venerable Khemaka, friend, says this: 'These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been declared by the Blessed One, namely – the aggregate of clinging to form... to feeling... to perception... to volitional formations... to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friend, I do not perceive any self or what belongs to self, yet I am not an Arahant, one whose taints are destroyed; but still, friend, in these five aggregates of clinging, 'I am' is apprehended by me, but 'this I am' I do not perceive.'" "Come, you Well, friend Dāsaka, go to the monk Khemaka; having gone, say this to the monk Khemaka – ‘The elders, friend Khemaka, have said this to you – That which, friend Khemaka, you say ‘I am’, what is that you say ‘I am’? Do you say ‘I am form’, or ‘I am’ apart from form? ‘I am feeling’... ‘I am perception’... ‘I am volitional formations’... ‘I am consciousness’, or ‘I am’ apart from consciousness? That which, friend Khemaka, you say ‘I am’. What is that you say ‘I am’?’