{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn55.54/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn55.54","id":"suttacentral_sn55.54","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn55.54/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. At that time several mendicants were making a robe for the Buddha, thinking that when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering. Mah\u0101n\u0101ma the Sakyan heard about this. Then he went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him that he had heard that the Buddha was leaving. He added, \u201cSir, I haven\u2019t heard and learned it in the presence of the Buddha how a wise lay follower should advise another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill.\u201d \u201cMah\u0101n\u0101ma, a wise lay follower should put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with four consolations. \u2018Be at ease, sir. You have experiential confidence in the Buddha \u2026 the teaching \u2026 the Sa\u1e45gha \u2026 And you have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones \u2026 leading to immersion.\u2019 When a wise lay follower has put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with these four consolations, they should say: \u2018Are you concerned for your mother and father?\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I am,\u2019 they should say: \u2018But sir, it\u2019s your nature to die. Whether or not you are concerned for your mother and father, you will die anyway. It would be good to give up concern for your mother and father.\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I have given up concern for my mother and father,\u2019 they should say: \u2018But are you concerned for your partners and children?\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I am,\u2019 they should say: \u2018But sir, it\u2019s your nature to die. Whether or not you are concerned for your partners and children, you will die anyway. It would be good to give up concern for your partners and children.\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I have given up concern for my partners and children,\u2019 they should say: \u2018But are you concerned for the five kinds of human sensual stimulation?\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I am,\u2019 they should say: \u2018Respectable sir, heavenly sensual pleasures are better than human sensual pleasures. It would be good to turn your mind away from human sensual pleasures and focus it on the gods of the four great kings.\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I have done so,\u2019 they should say: \u2018Respectable sir, the gods of the thirty-three are better than the gods of the four great kings \u2026 Respectable sir, the gods of Yama \u2026 the joyful gods \u2026 the gods who love to create \u2026 the gods who control what is created by others \u2026 the gods of the realm of divinity are better than the gods who control what is created by others. It would be good to turn your mind away from the gods who control what is created by others and focus it on the gods of the realm of divinity.\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I have done so,\u2019 they should say: \u2018Respectable sir, the realm of divinity is impermanent, not lasting, and included within substantial reality. It would be good to turn your mind away from the realm of divinity and apply it to the cessation of substantial reality.\u2019 If they reply, \u2018I have done so,\u2019 then there is no difference between a lay follower whose mind is freed in this way and a mendicant whose mind is freed from defilements; that is, between the freedom of one and the other.\u201d","title":"Sick","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":584}