The Buddha teaches on the six sense bases regarding sick (2nd), guiding disciples toward discernment of sense experience and release from clinging.

SN 35.75 Sick (2nd)

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu …pe… bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “amukasmiṁ, bhante, vihāre aññataro bhikkhu navo appaññāto ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā navavādañca sutvā gilānavādañca, “appaññāto bhikkhū”ti iti viditvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna mañcake samadhosi.

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “alaṁ, bhikkhu, tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi. Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni, tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti.

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, bhikkhu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe…

na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti.

“No ce kira te, bhikkhu, attā sīlato upavadati, atha kiñca te kukkuccaṁ ko ca vippaṭisāro”ti?

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“No ce kira tvaṁ, bhikkhu, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi, atha kimatthaṁ carahi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsī”ti?

“Anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi. Anupādāparinibbānattho hi, bhikkhu, mayā dhammo desito.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhikkhu, cakkhu niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

…pe… Sotaṁghānaṁjivhākāyomanomanoviññāṇaṁmanosamphassoyampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tampi niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati …pe… manasmimpimanoviññāṇepimanosamphassepi nibbindati. Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi. Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhussa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccīti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu …pe… bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him,

“amukasmiṁ, bhante, vihāre aññataro bhikkhu navo appaññāto ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

“Sir, in such and such a monastery there’s a mendicant who is junior and not well-known. He’s sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti.

Please go to him out of sympathy.”

Atha kho bhagavā navavādañca sutvā gilānavādañca, “appaññāto bhikkhū”ti iti viditvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami.

When the Buddha heard that the mendicant was junior and ill, understanding that he was not well-known, he went to him.

Addasā kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

That mendicant saw the Buddha coming off in the distance

Disvāna mañcake samadhosi.

and stirred in his cot.

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

Then the Buddha said to that monk,

“alaṁ, bhikkhu, tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi.

“It’s all right, mendicant, don’t get up.

Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni, tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti.

There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.”

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

He sat on the seat spread out and said to the mendicant,

“kacci te, bhikkhu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

“I hope you’re keeping well, mendicant; I hope you’re all right. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe…

“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. …

na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti.

I have no reason to blame myself when it comes to ethical conduct.”

“No ce kira te, bhikkhu, attā sīlato upavadati, atha kiñca te kukkuccaṁ ko ca vippaṭisāro”ti?

“In that case, mendicant, why do you have remorse and regret?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Because I understand that the Buddha has not taught the Dhamma merely for the sake of ethical purity.”

“No ce kira tvaṁ, bhikkhu, sīlavisuddhatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi, atha kimatthaṁ carahi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsī”ti?

“If that is so, what then do you understand to be the goal of teaching the Dhamma?”

“Anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“I understand that the Buddha has taught the Dhamma for the goal of complete extinguishment without grasping fuel.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu.

“Good, good, mendicant!

Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ mayā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi.

It’s good that you understand that I’ve taught the Dhamma for the goal of complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping.

Anupādāparinibbānattho hi, bhikkhu, mayā dhammo desito.

For that is indeed the goal.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhikkhu,

What do you think, mendicant?

cakkhu niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Is the eye permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, sir.” …

…pe…

Sotaṁ

“Is the ear …

ghānaṁ

nose …

jivhā

tongue …

kāyo

body …

mano

mind …

manoviññāṇaṁ

mind consciousness …

manosamphasso

mind contact …

yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tampi niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact: is that permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“Suffering, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.”

“Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhu, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati …pe…

“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye … ear … nose … tongue … body …

manasmimpi

mind …

manoviññāṇepi

mind consciousness …

manosamphassepi nibbindati.

mind contact …

Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tasmimpi nibbindati.

They grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact.

Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Attamano so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi.

Satisfied, that mendicant approved what the Buddha said.

Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhussa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccīti.

And while this discourse was being spoken, the mind of that mendicant was freed from defilements by not grasping.

Dutiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
View all discourses →
Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026