1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.

1.2Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti:At that time several mendicants were making a robe for the Buddha, thinking that1.3“niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering.

1.4Assosi kho mahānāmo sakko:Mahānāma the Sakyan heard about this.1.5“sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti:1.6‘niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’”ti.1.7Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: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,1.8“sutametaṁ, bhante:1.9‘sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti—1.10niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’ti.1.11Na kho netaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ“Sir, I haven’t heard and learned it in the presence of the Buddha1.12sappaññena upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno ovaditabbo”ti.how a wise lay follower should advise another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill.”

2.1“Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetabbo:“Mahānāma, a wise lay follower should put at ease another wise lay follower who is sick, suffering, gravely ill with four consolations.2.2‘assāsatāyasmā—‘Be at ease, sir.¹2.3atthāyasmato buddhe aveccappasādo itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.You have experiential confidence in the Buddha …2.4Assāsatāyasmā—2.5atthāyasmato dhamme …pe…the teaching …2.6saṅghe …pe…the Saṅgha …2.7ariyakantāni sīlāni akhaṇḍāni …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikānī’ti.And you have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’

3.1PTS 5.409Sappaññena, mahānāma, upāsakena sappañño upāsako ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno imehi catūhi assāsanīyehi dhammehi assāsetvā evamassa vacanīyo: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:3.2‘atthāyasmato mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti?‘Are you concerned for your mother and father?’3.3So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,3.4‘atthi me mātāpitūsu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I am,’ they should say:3.5‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo.‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.3.6Sacepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva;Whether or not you are concerned for your mother and father,3.7no cepāyasmā mātāpitūsu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva.you will die anyway.3.8Sādhāyasmā, yā te mātāpitūsu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.It would be good to give up concern for your mother and father.’

4.1So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,4.2‘yā me mātāpitūsu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I have given up concern for my mother and father,’ they should say:4.3‘atthi panāyasmato puttadāresu apekkhā’ti?‘But are you concerned for your partners and children?’4.4So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,4.5‘atthi me puttadāresu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I am,’ they should say:4.6‘āyasmā kho māriso maraṇadhammo.‘But sir, it’s your nature to die.4.7Sacepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva;Whether or not you are concerned for your partners and children,4.8no cepāyasmā puttadāresu apekkhaṁ karissati, marissateva.you will die anyway.4.9Sādhāyasmā, yā te puttadāresu apekkhā taṁ pajahā’ti.It would be good to give up concern for your partners and children.’

5.1So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,5.2‘yā me puttadāresu apekkhā sā pahīnā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I have given up concern for my partners and children,’ they should say:5.3‘atthi panāyasmato mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti?‘But are you concerned for the five kinds of human sensual stimulation?’5.4So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,5.5‘atthi me mānusakesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu apekkhā’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I am,’ they should say:5.6‘mānusakehi kho, āvuso, kāmehi dibbā kāmā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca.‘Respectable sir, heavenly sensual pleasures are better than human sensual pleasures.5.7Sādhāyasmā, mānusakehi kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti.It would be good to turn your mind away from human sensual pleasures and focus it on the gods of the four great kings.’²

6.1PTS 5.410So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,6.2‘mānusakehi me kāmehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, cātumahārājikesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I have done so,’ they should say:6.3‘cātumahārājikehi kho, āvuso, devehi tāvatiṁsā devā abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca.‘Respectable sir, the gods of the thirty-three are better than the gods of the four great kings …6.4Sādhāyasmā, cātumahārājikehi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti.

7.1So ce evaṁ vadeyya:7.2‘cātumahārājikehi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, tāvatiṁsesu devesu cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:7.3‘tāvatiṁsehi kho, āvuso, devehi yāmā devā …pe…Respectable sir, the gods of Yama …7.4tusitā devā …pe…the joyful gods …7.5nimmānaratī devā …pe…the gods who love to create …7.6paranimmitavasavattī devā …pe…the gods who control what is created by others …7.7paranimmitavasavattīhi kho, āvuso, devehi brahmaloko abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.the gods of the realm of divinity are better than the gods who control what is created by others.7.8Sādhāyasmā, paranimmitavasavattīhi devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocehī’ti.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.’7.9So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,7.10‘paranimmitavasavattīhi me devehi cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, brahmaloke cittaṁ adhimocitan’ti, so evamassa vacanīyo:‘I have done so,’ they should say:7.11‘brahmalokopi kho, āvuso, anicco addhuvo sakkāyapariyāpanno.‘Respectable sir, the realm of divinity is impermanent, not lasting, and included within substantial reality.7.12Sādhāyasmā, brahmalokā cittaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāhī’ti.It would be good to turn your mind away from the realm of divinity and apply it to the cessation of substantial reality.’³

8.1So ce evaṁ vadeyya:If they reply,8.2‘brahmalokā me cittaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ, sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ upasaṁharāmī’ti;‘I have done so,’8.3evaṁ vimuttacittassa kho, mahānāma, upāsakassa āsavā vimuttacittena bhikkhunā na kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ—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,⁴8.4vimuttiyā vimuttan”ti.between the freedom of one and the other.”

8.5Catutthaṁ.