Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto magadhesu viharati nālakagāmake ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Cundo ca samaṇuddeso āyasmato sāriputtassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. At that time, the venerable |Sāriputta::foremost disciple of the Buddha in great wisdom [sāriputta]| was dwelling in the village of Nālaka in |Magadha::An ancient kingdom in northeastern India (present day Bihar) and the setting for much of the Buddha’s teachings after his full awakening [magadha]|, and he was sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. |Cunda::::Chunda|, the novice monk, was an attendant of the venerable Sāriputta.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto teneva ābādhena parinibbāyi. Atha kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmato sāriputtassa pattacīvaramādāya yena sāvatthi jetavanaṁ anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāmo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
Then the venerable Sāriputta attained |final Nibbāna::complete cooling, full quenching, total emancipation, dying one’s final death [parinibbāyi]| from that very illness. Then the novice monk |Cunda::::Chunda|, having taken the alms bowl and outer robe of the venerable Sāriputta, went to Sāvatthi, to Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park, to where the venerable Ānanda was. Having approached, he paid respects to the venerable Ānanda and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the novice monk |Cunda::::Chunda| said to the venerable Ānanda:
“āyasmā, bhante, sāriputto parinibbuto. Idamassa pattacīvaran”ti.
“Venerable sir, the venerable Sāriputta has attained final Nibbāna. This is his alms bowl and outer robe.”
“Atthi kho idaṁ, āvuso cunda, kathāpābhataṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya. Āyāmāvuso cunda, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāmā”ti.
“Friend |Cunda::::Chunda|, this topic should be brought up with the Blessed One. Come, friend |Cunda::::Chunda|, let us approach the Blessed One. Having approached, we will report this matter to the Blessed One.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho cundo samaṇuddeso āyasmato ānandassa paccassosi.
“Yes, venerable sir,” the novice monk |Cunda::::Chunda| replied to the venerable Ānanda.
Atha kho āyasmā ca ānando cundo ca samaṇuddeso yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then the venerable Ānanda and the novice monk |Cunda::::Chunda| approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, they paid respects to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:
“ayaṁ, bhante, cundo samaṇuddeso evamāha: ‘āyasmā, bhante, sāriputto parinibbuto; idamassa pattacīvaran’ti. Api ca me, bhante, madhurakajāto viya kāyo, disāpi me na pakkhāyanti, dhammāpi maṁ nappaṭibhanti ‘āyasmā sāriputto parinibbuto’ti sutvā”.
“Venerable sir, this novice monk |Cunda::::Chunda| said: ‘Venerable sir, Sāriputta has attained final Nibbāna; this is his alms bowl and outer robe.’ Moreover, venerable sir, I feel as if my body is intoxicated, the directions seem unclear to me, and the teachings do not spring to mind after hearing that ‘the venerable Sāriputta has attained final Nibbāna.’”
“Kiṁ nu kho te, ānanda, sāriputto sīlakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, samādhikkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, paññākkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, vimuttikkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto”ti?
“Why, Ānanda, when Sāriputta attained final Nibbāna, did he take away your aggregate of |virtue::moral conduct, ethical behavior [sīla]|, your aggregate of |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]|, your aggregate of |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]|, your |aggregate of liberation::the realized fact of freedom within the lived body and mind. It represents the component of freedom or emancipation that completes an adept’s training. [vimuttikkhandha]|, or your aggregate of the |knowledge and vision of liberation::understanding and realization of liberation, total understanding of emancipation [vimuttiñāṇadassana]|?”
“Na ca kho me, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto sīlakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto, samādhikkhandhaṁ vā …pe… paññākkhandhaṁ vā …pe… vimuttikkhandhaṁ vā …pe… vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhaṁ vā ādāya parinibbuto. Api ca me, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto ovādako ahosi otiṇṇo viññāpako sandassako samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako, akilāsu dhammadesanāya, anuggāhako sabrahmacārīnaṁ. Taṁ mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa dhammojaṁ dhammabhogaṁ dhammānuggahaṁ anussarāmā”ti.
“No, venerable sir, he did not take my aggregate of virtue, or my aggregate of collectedness, or my aggregate of wisdom, or my aggregate of liberation, or my aggregate of knowledge and vision of liberation. However, venerable sir, the venerable Sāriputta was an advisor, one who instilled understanding, explained, demonstrated, encouraged, inspired, and uplifted. He was tireless in teaching the Dhamma and supportive to fellow practitioners. We remember the essence of the Dhamma, the wealth of the Dhamma, and the support of the Dhamma given by the venerable Sāriputta.”
“Nanu taṁ, ānanda, mayā paṭikacceva akkhātaṁ: ⧫ ‘sabbehi piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo aññathābhāvo. Taṁ kutettha, ānanda, labbhā. Yaṁ taṁ jātaṁ bhūtaṁ saṅkhataṁ palokadhammaṁ, taṁ vata mā palujjīti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.
“But have I not already declared, Ānanda, that we must be parted, separated, and severed from all who are dear and agreeable to us? How, Ānanda, can it be obtained here: ‘May what is born, come to be, conditioned, and subject to disintegration not disintegrate!’? That is impossible.
Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahato rukkhassa tiṭṭhato sāravato yo mahantataro khandho so palujjeyya; evameva kho ānanda, mahato bhikkhusaṅghassa tiṭṭhato sāravato sāriputto parinibbuto.
Just as, Ānanda, a great tree standing sound and possessing heartwood might have its largest branch break off, so too, Ānanda, in the great |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus standing sound and possessing heartwood, Sāriputta has attained final Nibbāna.
Taṁ kutettha, ānanda, labbhā. Yaṁ taṁ jātaṁ bhūtaṁ saṅkhataṁ palokadhammaṁ, taṁ vata mā palujjī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.
How, Ānanda, can it be obtained here: ‘May what is born, come to be, conditioned, and subject to disintegration not disintegrate!’? That is impossible.
Tasmātihānanda, attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā.
Therefore, Ānanda, dwell |with yourselves as your own island::self-reliant, independent [attadīpa]|, with yourselves as your own refuge, with no other refuge; dwell with the Dhamma as your island, with the Dhamma as your refuge, with no other refuge.
Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? Idhānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu …pe… citte …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.
And how, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu dwell as an island unto himself, with himself as his refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge, with the Dhamma as his island, with the Dhamma as his refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed |craving and distress::greediness and dissatisfaction, wanting and unhappiness, craving and aversion [abhijjhā + domanassa]| with regard to the world. Similarly, he dwells observing the |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| in and of itself, the mind in and of itself, and |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| in and of themselves, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world.
Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo.
This is how, Ānanda, a bhikkhu dwells as an island unto himself, with himself as his refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge, with the Dhamma as his island, with the Dhamma as his refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge.
Ye hi keci, ānanda, etarahi vā mamaccaye vā attadīpā viharissanti attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā; tamatagge mete, ānanda, bhikkhū bhavissanti ye keci sikkhākāmā”ti.
Whoever, Ānanda, now or after my passing, dwells as an island unto themselves, with themselves as their own refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge; with the Dhamma as their island, with the Dhamma as their refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge; they, Ānanda, will be the foremost of those who are keen on the training.”