56(2)Phagguna
Now on a certain occasion the Venerable Phagguna was sick,afflicted,gravely ill.
Then the Venerable Ananda approached the Blessed One,
paid homage to him,sat down to one side,
and said:
"Bhante,the Venerable Phagguna is sick,afflicted,gravely
ill.
Please let the Blessed One visit him out of compassion."
The Blessed One consented by silence.
Then,in the evening,the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the Venerable Phagguna.
The Venerable Phagguna saw the Blessed One coming in the distance
and stirred on his
bed.
The Blessed One said to him:
"Enough,Phagguna,do not stir on your bed.
There are these seats that have been prepared.I will sit down there."
The Blessed One sat down
and said to the Venerable Phagguna:
"I hope you are bearing up,Phagguna.I hope you are getting better.
I hope that your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing,
and that their subsiding,not their increase,is to be seen."
"Bhante,I am not bearing up,I am not getting better.
Strong painful feelings are increasing in me,not subsiding,
and theirincrease,not their subsiding,is to be seen.
The similes that follow are found among other places also at MN 97.29,I193,1-19,and SN 35:87,IV56,17-57,5.Just as if a strong man were to grind my head with the tip of a sharp sword,
so too;violent winds [380]cut through my head.I am not bearing up.…
...
...
...
Just as if a strong man were to tighten a tough leather strap around my head as a headband,
so too,there are violent headpains in my head.
I am not bearing up....
...
...
Just as if a skillful butcher or his apprentice were to carve up [an ox's]belly with a sharp butcher's knife,
so too,violent winds are carving up my belly.
I am not bearing up....
....
....
Just as if two strong men were to seize a weaker man by both arms and roast and grill him over a pit of hot coals,
so too,there is a violent burning in my body.
I am not bearing up,Bhante,I am not getting better.
Strong painful feelings are increasing in me,not subsiding,
and their increase,not their subsiding,is to be seen."
Then the Blessed One instructed,encouraged,inspired,and gladdened the Venerable Phagguna with a Dhamma talk,after which he got up from his seat and left.
Not long after the Blessed One left,the Venerable Phagguna died.
At the time of his death,his faculties were serene.
Then the Venerable Ananda[381]approached the Blessed One,
paid homage to him,sat down to one side,
and said:
"Bhante,not long after the Blessed One left,the Venerable Phagguna died.
At the time of his death,his faculties were serene."
"Why,Ananda,shouldn't the bhikkhu Phagguna's faculties have been serene?
Though his mind had not yet been liberated from the five lower fetters,
when he heard that discourse on the Dhamma,his mind was liberated from them.
This means that he passed away as a non-returner.
"There are,Ananda,these six benefits of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time and of examining the meaning at the proper time.
I follow .Be and Ee,in which the first,second,fourth,and fifth benefits come from listening to the Dhamma at the proper time (kalena dhammassavane),the third and sixth from examining the meaning at the proper time(kalena atth'upaparikkhaya).Ce combines the two for the third and sixth items,which seems less satisfactory,because in these two situations the monk doesn't get to hear the Dhamma.What six?
(1)"Here,Ananda,a bhikkhu's mind is not yet liberated from the five lower fetters,
but at the time of his death he gets to see the Tathāgata.
The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning,good in the middle,and good in the end,with the right meaning and phrasing;he reveals a spiritual life that is perfectly complete and pure.
When the bhikkhu hears that discourse on the Dhamma,his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters.
This is the first benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
(2)"Again,a bhikkhu's mind is not yet liberated from the five
lower fetters.
At the time of his death he does not get to see the
Tathāgata,but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathāgata.The
Tathagata's disciple teaches him the Dhamma.
...reveals a spiritual life that is perfectly complete and pure.
When the bhikkhu
hears that discourse on the Dhamma,his mind is liberated from
the five lower fetters.
This is the second benefit of listening to
the Dhamma at the proper time.
(3)"Again,a bhikkhu's mind is not yet liberated from the five
[382]lower fetters.
At the time of his death he does not get to
see the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata,
but he ponders,
examines,and mentally inspects the Dhamma as he has heard it
and learned it.
As he does so,his mind is liberated from the five
lower fetters.
This is the third benefit of examining the meaning
at the proper time.
(4)"Here,Ananda,a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five
lower fetters but not yet liberated in the unsurpassed extinction
of the acquisitions.
Anuttare upadhisankhaye.Mp identifies this as nibbana.On the acquisitions(upadhi),see p.1621,note 219.At the time of his death he gets to see the
Tathāgata.
The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma...he reveals
a spiritual life that is perfectly complete and pure.
When the
bhikkhu hears that discourse on the Dhamma,his mind is liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of the acquisitions.
This is the
fourth benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
(5)"Again,a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five lower
fetters but not yet liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of the
acquisitions.
At the time of his death he does not get to see the
Tathāgata,but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathagata.
The
Tathāgata's disciple teaches him the Dhamma...reveals a spiritual life that is perfectly complete and pure.
When the bhikkhu hears that discourse on the Dhamma,his mind is liberated inthe unsurpassed extinction of the acquisitions.
This is the fifth benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
(6)"Again,a bhikkhu's mind is liberated from the five lower fetters [383]but not yet liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of the acquisitions.
At the time of his death he does not get tosee the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata,
but he ponders,examines,and mentally inspects the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it.
As he does so,his mind isliberated in the unsur-passed extinction of the acquisitions.
This is the sixth benefit of examining the meaning at the proper time.
"These,Ananda,are the six benefits of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time and of examining the meaning at
the proper time."