SN22.88 — The Discourse to Assaji
At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now at that time, the venerable Assaji was staying in the potters workshop, sick, afflicted, and gravely ill. Then the venerable Assaji addressed his attendants: Come, friends, go to the Blessed One, pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, and say: Venerable sir, the disciple Assaji is sick, afflicted, and gravely ill. He pays homage with his head at the Blessed Ones feet. And say: It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would visit the disciple Assaji out of compassion.
Yes, friend, those disciples replied to the venerable Assaji, and they went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, they sat down to one side and delivered the message. The Blessed One consented in silence.
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the venerable Assaji. The venerable Assaji saw the Blessed One coming from afar and prepared his bed. The Blessed One said to him: Enough, Assaji, do not prepare your bed. There are seats ready; I will sit there. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat and addressed the venerable Assaji: I hope you are bearing up, Assaji, I hope you are getting better. Are your pains lessening and not increasing? Are there signs of your recovery and not of your worsening?
Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting better. My pains are increasing and not lessening. There are no signs of my recovery, only of my worsening.
Do you have any remorse or regret, Assaji?
Indeed, venerable sir, I have much remorse and regret.
Is there anything, Assaji, that you blame yourself for regarding your moral conduct?
No, venerable sir, there is nothing I blame myself for regarding my moral conduct.
If there is nothing you blame yourself for regarding your moral conduct, Assaji, why do you have remorse and regret?
Formerly, venerable sir, when I was sick, I would calm my bodily formations by relaxing them, but I could not attain concentration. Because I could not attain concentration, I thought: I am not progressing.
Assaji, those ascetics and brahmins who are devoted to concentration, if they cannot attain concentration, they think: We are not progressing. What do you think, Assaji, is form permanent or impermanent?
Impermanent, venerable sir. ...
Therefore, Assaji, seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with formations, disenchanted with consciousness. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, his mind is liberated. When it is liberated, there comes the knowing: It is liberated. He understands: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.
If he feels a pleasant feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not to be clung to; he understands: It is not to be delighted in. If he feels a painful feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not to be clung to; he understands: It is not to be delighted in. If he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not to be clung to; he understands: It is not to be delighted in.
If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it detached. If he feels a painful feeling, he feels it detached. If he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it detached. If he feels a feeling limited to the body, he understands: I feel a feeling limited to the body. If he feels a feeling limited to life, he understands: I feel a feeling limited to life. He understands: With the breakup of the body, after life has ended, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool.
Just as, Assaji, an oil lamp burns in dependence on oil and a wick, and with the exhaustion of the oil and the wick, it is extinguished through lack of fuel; so too, Assaji, when a disciple feels a feeling limited to the body, he understands: I feel a feeling limited to the body. When he feels a feeling limited to life, he understands: I feel a feeling limited to life. He understands: With the breakup of the body, after life has ended, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool.