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- Samyutta Nikaya XLI.10
- Gilana Sutta
- Sick (Citta the Householder's Last Hours)
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
On that occasion Citta the householder was diseased, in pain,
severely ill. Then a large number of garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, and
deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants assembled and said to him:
"Make a wish, householder: 'In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning
monarch!'"
When this was said, Citta the householder said to the garden deities, forest deities,
tree deities, and deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants: "Even that
is inconstant; even that is impermanent; one must abandon even that when one passes
on."
When this was said, Citta the householder's friends & companions, relatives and
kinsmen, said to him: "Steady your mindfulness, master. Don't ramble."
"What did I say that you say to me: 'Steady your mindfulness, master. Don't
ramble'?"
"You said: 'Even that is inconstant; even that is impermanent; one must abandon
even that when one passes on.'"
"That was because garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities
inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants have assembled and said to me: 'Make a
wish, householder: "In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning
monarch!"' And I said to them: 'Even that is inconstant; even that is impermanent;
one must abandon even that when one passes on.'"
"But what compelling reason do those garden deities, forest deities, tree deities,
and deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants see, master, that they say to
you, 'Make a wish, householder: "In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning
monarch!"'?"
"It occurs to them: 'This Citta the householder is virtuous, of admirable
character. If he should wish: "In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning
monarch!" -- then, as he is virtuous, this wish of his would succeed because of the
purity of his virtue. A righteous one, he will wield righteous power.'[1] Seeing this compelling reason, they assembled and said: 'Make a wish,
householder: "In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning monarch!"' And
I said to them: 'Even that is inconstant; even that is impermanent; one must abandon even
that when one passes on.'"
"Then, master, instruct us, too."
"Then you should train yourselves: 'We will be endowed with unwavering confidence
in the Buddha: "Indeed, the Blessed One [the Buddha] is worthy & rightly
self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to
the cosmos, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of
divine & human beings, awakened, blessed." "'We will be endowed with
unwavering confidence in the Dhamma: "The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed
One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized
by the wise for themselves."
"'We will be possessed of unwavering confidence in the Sangha: "The Sangha of
the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well...who have practiced
straight-forwardly...who have practiced methodically...who have practiced masterfully --
in other words, the four types of noble disciples when taken as pairs, the eight when
taken as individual types -- they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of
gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable
field of merit for the world."
"'Whatever there may be in our family that can be given away, all that will be
shared unstintingly with virtuous ones who are of admirable character.' That's how you
should train yourselves."
Then, having enjoined his friends & colleagues, his relatives
& kinsmen, to place confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha; having exhorted
them to undertake generosity, Citta the householder passed away.
Note
1. The translation of this sentence follows the reading in the
Royal Thai edition of the Canon: Dhammiko dhammikam balam anuppadassati. [Go back]