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Anguttara Nikaya

# AN 6.56 Phagguṇa Sutta (With the Venerable Phagguṇa) AN 6.56

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    [page 1]
    AN 6.56
    Phagguṇa Sutta
    “With the Ven. Phagguṇa”

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022

    At one time, the venerable Phagguṇa was gravely ill and the Venerable Ānanda by
    approaching The Blessed One, paid homage to Him and then sat to one side and said:
    “Bhante, the Venerable Phagguṇa is gravely ill. It would be helpful if The Blessed One would go
    to him out of compassion.” The Blessed One accepted the suggestion, in silence.
    Then, when it was evening, The Blessed One having come out of his seclusion, went to see the
    Venerable Phagguṇa. On seeing the Blessed One approaching from the distance, the Venerable
    Phagguṇa quickly tried to get out of bed to show pay his respects to the Lord, but The Blessed
    One urged him:
    “Phagguṇa, it is not necessary. Do not move out from your bed. There are seats prepared here in
    front, I will sit there.”
    And The Blessed One sat on the prepared seat and said to the Venerable Phagguṇa:
    “Phagguṇa, I hope your situation is bearable. I hope you are doing well. Is your pain decreasing
    and not intensifying? Can you tell if the pain is nearing its end or is it still strong and persisting?”
    “Bhante, my situation is unbearable, and I am not doing well at all. My pain is increasing and
    intensifying. The pain is not nearing its end, as it is still strong and persisting. Bhante, the pain I
    am experiencing is so severe that it feels just as if a strong man was cleaving the top of my head
    with the edge of a sharp sword. In the same way, Bhante, my head feels like it is being sliced by
    the dry and violent internal winds. Bhante, I can’t bear the pain.
    “Bhante, my situation is unbearable, and I am not doing well at all. My pain is increasing and
    intensifying. The pain is not nearing its end, as it is still strong and persisting. Bhante, the pain I
    am experiencing is so severe that it feels just as if a strong man was continuously tightening a
    leather strap that’s wrapped around my head. In the same way, Bhante, my head feels like it is
    about to explode by the dry and violent internal winds. Bhante, I can’t bear the pain.
    “Bhante, my situation is unbearable, and I am not doing well at all. My pain is increasing and
    intensifying. The pain is not nearing its end, as it is still strong and persisting. Bhante, the pain I
    am experiencing is so severe that it feels just as if a skilled butcher or his apprentice were to cut
    open my gut with his meat cleaver. In the same way, Bhante, my gut feels like it is being cut
    open by the dry and violent internal winds. Bhante, I can’t bear the pain.

    [page 2]
    “Bhante, my situation is unbearable, and I am not doing well at all. My pain is increasing and
    intensifying. The pain is not nearing its end, as it is still strong and persisting. Bhante, the pain I
    am experiencing is so severe that it feels just as if two strong men had grabbed hold of a weaker
    person by his limbs and start roasting and grilling him over a pit of burning charcoal. In the same
    way, Bhante, my body is burning with hot fever. Bhante, I can’t bear the pain.
    “Bhante, my situation is unbearable, and I am not doing well at all. My pain is increasing and
    intensifying. The pain is not nearing its end, as it is still strong and persisting.”
    Then The Blessed One encouragingly spoke, as he inspired, roused, and lightened Venerable
    Phagguṇa’s heart with an enlivening Talk on the Dhamma, and then, He rose from His seat and
    left.
    Soon after The Blessed One had left, the Venerable Phagguṇa died. But, as he was dying, his
    faculties suddenly became bright and clear.
    Then, the Venerable Ānanda approached The Blessed One, and after paying homage to Him, sat
    to one side, and said:
    “Bhante, soon after The Blessed One had left, the Venerable Phagguṇa died. But, as he was
    dying, his faculties suddenly became bright and clear.”
    Ānanda, why shouldn't Phagguṇa Bhikkhu’s faculties not become bright and clear? For even
    though, Phagguṇa Bhikkhu’s mind was not yet released from the five lower fetter that bound him
    to the sensual world, on listening to the Dhamma, right at that moment, his mind was released
    from the lower fetters that bound him to the sensual world.
    “Ānanda, there are these six benefits of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time, while
    investigating its meaning, at the correct time. What are these six?
    “Here, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is not yet released from the five lower fetters binding him to
    the sensual world. At the time of his death, he gets the opportunity to see the Tathāgata. The
    Tathāgata then teaches him the Dhamma that is beautiful in its beginning, beautiful at its middle,
    and beautiful in its end; full of meaning and balanced in its expression and phrasing, while
    declaring and revealing to him the completeness and purity of the Holy Life. Now, on hearing
    and listening to the Dhamma his mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the
    sensual world. Ānanda, this is the first benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time.
    “Again, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is not yet released from the five lower fetters binding him
    to the sensual world. At the time of his death, he does not get the opportunity to see the
    Tathāgata. But, prior to his death, he does see a Disciple of The Tathāgata, who teaches him the
    Dhamma that is beautiful in its beginning, beautiful at its middle, and beautiful in its end; full of
    meaning and balanced in its expression and phrasing, while declaring and revealing to him the
    completeness and purity of the Holy Life. Now, on hearing and listening to the Dhamma his
    mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the sensual world. Ānanda, this is the
    second benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time.

    [page 3]
    “Again, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is not yet released from the five lower fetters binding him
    to the sensual world. At the time of his death, he does not get the opportunity to see the
    Tathāgata, nor does he see a Disciple of The Tathāgata. But he carefully examines, scrutinizes,
    ponders, and investigates whatever he has already heard and learned of the Dhamma. Now, as he
    continues doing so, his mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the sensual
    world. Ānanda, this is the third benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time.
    “Further, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the
    sensual world, but not yet released from the underlying defilements in the heart, through the
    unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. But at the time of his death, he gets the opportunity to
    see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata then teaches him the Dhamma that is beautiful in its beginning,
    beautiful at its middle, and beautiful in its end; full of meaning and balanced in its expression
    and phrasing, while declaring and revealing to him the completeness and purity of the Holy Life.
    Now, on hearing and listening to the Dhamma his mind is released from the underlying
    defilements in the heart, through the destruction of attachments. Ānanda, this is the fourth benefit
    of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time.

    “Again, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the
    sensual world, but not yet released from the underlying defilements in the heart, through the
    unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. At the time of his death, he does not get the
    opportunity to see the Tathāgata. But, prior to his death, he does see a Disciple of The Tathāgata,
    who teaches him the Dhamma that is beautiful in its beginning, beautiful at its middle, and
    beautiful in its end; full of meaning and balanced in its expression and phrasing, while declaring
    and revealing to him the completeness and purity of the Holy Life. Now, on hearing and listening
    to the Dhamma his mind is released from the underlying defilements in the heart, through the
    destruction of attachments. Ānanda, this is the fifth benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the
    correct time.

    “Again, Ānanda the Bhikkhu’s mind is released from the five lower fetters binding him to the
    sensual world, but not yet released from the underlying defilements in the heart, through the
    unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. At the time of his death, he does not get the
    opportunity to see the Tathāgata, nor does he see a Disciple of The Tathāgata. But he carefully
    examines, scrutinizes, ponders, and investigates whatever he has already heard and learned of the
    Dhamma. Now, as he continues doing so, his mind is released from the underlying defilements in
    the heart, through the destruction of attachments. Ānanda, this is the sixth benefit of listening to
    the Dhamma at the correct time.

    “Ānanda, these are the six benefits of listening to the Dhamma at the correct time, while
    investigating its meaning, at the correct time.”

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

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