{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn22.87/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn22.87","id":"suttacentral_sn22.87","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn22.87/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying near R\u0101jagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels\u2019 feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Vakkali was staying in a potter\u2019s shed, and he was sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then he addressed his carers, \u201cPlease, reverends, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him: \u2018Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.\u2019 And then say: \u2018Sir, please go to the mendicant Vakkali out of sympathy.\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d those monks replied. They did as he asked. The Buddha consented with silence. Then the Buddha robed up and, taking his bowl and robes, went to Venerable Vakkali. Venerable Vakkali saw the Buddha coming off in the distance and stirred in his cot. But the Buddha said to him, \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Vakkali, don\u2019t get up. There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.\u201d He sat down on the seat spread out and said to Vakkali, \u201cI hope you\u2019re keeping well, Vakkali; I hope you\u2019re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.\u201d \u201cSir, I\u2019m not keeping well, I\u2019m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.\u201d \u201cI hope you don\u2019t have any remorse or regret?\u201d \u201cIndeed, sir, I have no little remorse and regret.\u201d \u201cI hope you have no reason to blame yourself when it comes to ethical conduct?\u201d \u201cNo sir, I have no reason to blame myself when it comes to ethical conduct.\u201d \u201cIn that case, Vakkali, why do you have remorse and regret?\u201d \u201cFor a long time I\u2019ve wanted to go and see the Buddha, but I was physically too weak.\u201d \u201cEnough, Vakkali! Why would you want to see this rotting body? One who sees the teaching sees me. One who sees me sees the teaching. Seeing the teaching, you see me. Seeing me, you see the teaching. What do you think, Vakkali? Is form permanent or impermanent?\u201d \u201cImpermanent, sir.\u201d \u201cBut if it\u2019s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?\u201d \u201cSuffering, sir.\u201d \u201cBut if it\u2019s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: \u2018This is mine, I am this, this is my self\u2019?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIs feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choices \u2026 consciousness permanent or impermanent?\u201d \u201cImpermanent, sir.\u201d \u2026 \u201cSo you should truly see \u2026 Seeing this \u2026 They understand: \u2018\u2026 there is nothing further for this place.\u2019\u201d And then, after giving Venerable Vakkali this advice, the Buddha rose from his seat and went to the Vulture\u2019s Peak Mountain. Then Venerable Vakkali addressed his carers, \u201cCome on, reverends, lift my cot and take me to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili. For how on earth could one such as I imagine dying in an inhabited area!\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d replied those mendicants, and did as he asked. Meanwhile, the Buddha spent the rest of that night and day on Vulture\u2019s Peak Mountain. Then, late at night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture\u2019s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him, \u201cSir, the mendicant Vakkali is intent on liberation!\u201d And another deity said to him, \u201cHe\u2019ll definitely be well freed!\u201d This is what those deities said. Then they bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right side, before vanishing right there. Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: \u201cCome, mendicants, go to the mendicant Vakkali and tell him: \u2018Vakkali, hear the word of the Buddha and two deities. Late last night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture\u2019s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him, \u201cSir, the mendicant Vakkali is intent on liberation!\u201d The other deity said to him, \u201cHe\u2019ll definitely be well freed!\u201d And the Buddha said, \u201cDo not fear, Vakkali, do not fear! Your death will not be a bad one; your passing will not be a bad one.\u201d\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d those monks replied. They went to Vakkali and said to him: \u201cVakkali, hear the word of the Buddha and two deities.\u201d Then Vakkali addressed his carers, \u201cPlease, reverends, help me off my cot. For how on earth could one such as I presume to listen to the Buddha\u2019s instructions sitting on a high seat?\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d replied those mendicants, and helped him off his cot. They repeated what the Buddha had said. Vakkali said, \u201cWell then, reverends, in my name bow with your head to the Buddha\u2019s feet. Say to him: \u2018Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.\u2019 And then say: \u2018Form is impermanent. I have no doubt of that. I\u2019m certain that what is impermanent is suffering. And I\u2019m certain that I have no desire or greed or fondness for what is impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Feeling is impermanent \u2026 Perception is impermanent \u2026 Choices are impermanent \u2026 Consciousness is impermanent. I have no doubt of that. I\u2019m certain that what is impermanent is suffering. And I\u2019m certain that I have no desire or greed or fondness for what is impermanent, suffering, and perishable.\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d those monks replied, and left. And then, not long after those mendicants had left, Venerable Vakkali committed suicide. Then those mendicants went up to the Buddha and told him Vakkali\u2019s message. Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, \u201cCome, mendicants, let\u2019s go to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili, where Vakkali, the gentleman, committed suicide.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili. The Buddha saw Vakkali off in the distance on his cot, lying with aggregates cast off. Now at that time a cloud of black smoke was moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between. The Buddha said to the mendicants, \u201cMendicants, do you see that cloud of black smoke moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s M\u0101ra the Wicked searching for Vakkali\u2019s consciousness, wondering: \u2018Where is Vakkali\u2019s consciousness established?\u2019 But since his consciousness is not established, Vakkali is quenched.\u201d","title":"With Vakkali","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1042}