The Connected Discourses 22.87
Vakkali
At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Now at that time the venerable Vakkali was dwelling in the potter’s shed, sick, suffering, gravely ill.
Then the venerable Vakkali addressed his attendants:
“Come, friends, go to the Bhagavā; having approached, pay homage with your head at the Bhagavā’s feet in my name:
‘Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Bhagavā’s feet.’
And say this:
‘It would be good, bhante, if the Bhagavā would approach the bhikkhu Vakkali, out of compassion.’”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Vakkali, and went to the Bhagavā; having approached, they paid homage to the Bhagavā and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Bhagavā:
“Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Bhagavā’s feet;
and he says this:
‘It would be good, bhante, if the Bhagavā would approach the bhikkhu Vakkali, out of compassion.’”
The Bhagavā consented by silence.
Then the Bhagavā, having dressed and taken his bowl and robe, went to the venerable Vakkali.
The venerable Vakkali saw the Bhagavā coming in the distance. Seeing him, he stirred on the cot.
Then the Bhagavā said this to the venerable Vakkali:
“Enough, Vakkali, do not stir on the cot.
There are seats prepared; I will sit there.”
The Bhagavā sat down on the prepared seat. Sitting down, the Bhagavā said this to the venerable Vakkali:
“I hope, Vakkali, you are bearing up; I hope you are getting by; I hope painful vedanās are subsiding, not increasing; that their subsiding is evident, not their increasing?”
“I am not bearing up, bhante, I am not getting by; severe painful vedanās are increasing for me, not subsiding; their increasing is evident, not their subsiding.”
“I hope, Vakkali, you have no anxiety, no remorse?”
“Indeed, bhante, I have no small anxiety, no small remorse.”
“But, Vakkali, your own self does not reproach you regarding virtue, does it?”
“No, bhante, my own self does not reproach me regarding virtue.”
“If, Vakkali, your own self does not reproach you regarding virtue, then what anxiety do you have, what remorse?”
“For a long time, bhante, I have wanted to approach the Bhagavā to see him, but there is not enough strength in my body for me to approach the Bhagavā to see him.”
“Enough, Vakkali. What is it to you to see this foul body?
One who sees the dhamma sees me;
one who sees me sees the dhamma.
For, Vakkali, seeing the dhamma, one sees me;
seeing me, one sees the dhamma.
What do you think, Vakkali:
is form [rūpaṁ] permanent or impermanent [aniccaṁ]?”
“Impermanent [aniccaṁ], bhante.”
“But what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], is that dukkha or sukha?”
“Dukkha, bhante.”
“But what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, is it fitting to regard it thus:
‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”
“No, bhante.”
“Vedanā …
saññā …
saṅkhāras …
is viññāṇa permanent or impermanent [aniccaṁ]?”
“Impermanent [aniccaṁ], bhante.” …
“This is my self?”
“No, bhante.”
“Therefore, …
seeing thus …
one understands: ‘There is no more for this state of being.’”
Then the Bhagavā, having advised the venerable Vakkali with this advice, rose from his seat and went to Vulture Peak Mountain.
Then, not long after the Bhagavā had departed, the venerable Vakkali addressed his attendants:
“Come, friends, lift me onto the cot and go to the Black Rock on the slope of Isigili.
For how could one such as I think to die inside a house?”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Vakkali, and after lifting the venerable Vakkali onto the cot, they went to the Black Rock on the slope of Isigili.
Then the Bhagavā dwelt that night and the rest of that day on Vulture Peak Mountain.
Then, when the night had advanced, two devatās of surpassing beauty, illuminating the whole of Vulture Peak, approached the Bhagavā … and stood to one side.
Standing to one side, one devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
“Bhante, the bhikkhu Vakkali is setting his mind on liberation.”
Another devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
“Surely, bhante, being well liberated, he will be liberated.”
Those devatās said this.
Having said this, they paid homage to the Bhagavā, circumambulated him keeping him to their right, and disappeared right there.
Then, when that night had passed, the Bhagavā addressed the bhikkhus:
“Come, bhikkhus, go to the bhikkhu Vakkali; having approached, say this to the bhikkhu Vakkali:
‘Listen, friend Vakkali, to the word of the Bhagavā and of two devatās.
This night, friend, when the night had advanced, two devatās of surpassing beauty, illuminating the whole of Vulture Peak, approached the Bhagavā; having approached, they paid homage to the Bhagavā and stood to one side.
Standing to one side, friend, one devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
“Bhante, the bhikkhu Vakkali is setting his mind on liberation.”
Another devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
“Surely, bhante, being well liberated, he will be liberated.”
And the Bhagavā says this to you, friend Vakkali:
Do not fear, Vakkali;
do not fear, Vakkali.
Your death will not be bad, your passing away will not be bad.’”
“Yes, bhante,” those bhikkhus replied to the Bhagavā, and went to the venerable Vakkali; having approached, they said this to the venerable Vakkali:
“Listen, friend Vakkali, to the word of the Bhagavā and of two devatās.”
Then the venerable Vakkali addressed his attendants:
“Come, friends, lower me from the cot.
For how could one such as I think to listen to the message of that Bhagavā while sitting on a high seat?”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Vakkali, and lowered the venerable Vakkali from the cot.
“This night, friend, when the night had advanced … they stood to one side.
Standing to one side, friend, one devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
‘Bhante, the bhikkhu Vakkali is setting his mind on liberation.’
Another devatā said this to the Bhagavā:
‘Surely, bhante, being well liberated, he will be liberated.’
And the Bhagavā says this to you, friend Vakkali:
‘Do not fear, Vakkali;
do not fear, Vakkali.
Your death will not be bad, your passing away will not be bad.’”
“Then, friends, pay homage with your heads at the Bhagavā’s feet in my name:
‘Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill.
He pays homage with his head at the Bhagavā’s feet.’
And say this:
‘Form [rūpaṁ] is impermanent [aniccaṁ].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.
Vedanā is impermanent [aniccā].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.
Saññā …
saṅkhāras are impermanent [aniccā].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.
Viññāṇa is impermanent [aniccaṁ].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.’”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Vakkali, and departed.
Then, not long after those bhikkhus had departed, the venerable Vakkali took the knife to himself.
Then those bhikkhus went to the Bhagavā; having approached, they sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Bhagavā:
“Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill;
he pays homage with his head at the Bhagavā’s feet;
and he says this:
‘Form [rūpaṁ] is impermanent [aniccaṁ].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.
Vedanā …
saññā …
saṅkhāras …
viññāṇa is impermanent [aniccaṁ].
I do not doubt that, bhante.
I do not have uncertainty that what is impermanent [aniccaṁ] is dukkha.
I do not have uncertainty that in what is impermanent [aniccaṁ], dukkha, and subject to change, there is no desire, passion, or affection in me.’”
Then the Bhagavā addressed the bhikkhus:
“Come, bhikkhus, let us go to the Black Rock on the slope of Isigili,
where Vakkali the clansman took the knife to himself.”
“Yes, bhante,” those bhikkhus replied to the Bhagavā.
Then the Bhagavā, together with several bhikkhus, went to the Black Rock on the slope of Isigili.
The Bhagavā saw the venerable Vakkali in the distance, lying on the cot with his shoulder turned.
Now at that time a smokiness, a darkness, was moving to the eastern direction, moving to the western direction, moving to the northern direction, moving to the southern direction, moving upward, moving downward, moving to the intermediate directions.
Then the Bhagavā addressed the bhikkhus:
“Do you see, bhikkhus, that smokiness, that darkness, moving to the eastern direction … moving to the intermediate directions?”
“Yes, bhante.”
“That, bhikkhus, is Māra the Evil One searching for the viññāṇa of Vakkali the clansman:
‘Where is the viññāṇa of Vakkali the clansman established?’
But, bhikkhus, with viññāṇa unestablished, Vakkali the clansman has attained final nibbāna.”
The fifth.