Lightly edited transcript Filler words and caption errors removed by machine; the meaning is unchanged.
Delson reads through MN 143, the Anathapindikovada Sutta, in which Sariputta visits the gravely ill householder Anathapindika and instructs him not to cling to or depend on the senses, contact, feeling, the elements, the aggregates, the formless attainments, or any world. Anathapindika is moved to tears, and after his death a god praises Sariputta, which the Buddha confirms was Anathapindika. The talk is a straight reading of the sutta with no further commentary recorded in the transcript.
Key points
- Sariputta visits the dying householder Anathapindika and teaches him not to cling to body, mind or consciousness, and not to let his consciousness depend on them.
- The same training is repeated across the six senses, their contacts, and the feelings born of contact.
- The teaching extends to the four elements, the five aggregates, the formless attainments, and both this world and the world beyond.
- Anathapindika weeps and says he has never heard such a talk on the Dhamma given to lay people in white.
- After his death Anathapindika returns as a god and praises Sariputta's virtue, peace and wisdom, and the Buddha confirms that the god was Anathapindika.
Suttas in this talk
Each opens the sutta on SuttaCentral.
Themes
Transcript
Anathapindika Falls Gravely Ill
So here we are in Anathapindika's Park, Jeta's Grove. Anathapindikovada Sutta, the advice to Anathapindika. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. Now on that occasion the householder Anathapindika was afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. And thus, come, good man, go to the Blessed One, pay homage in my name with your head at his feet and say, Venerable Sir, the householder Anathapindika is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. He pays homage with his head at the Blessed One's feet.
Then go to the Venerable Sariputta, pay homage in my name and with your head at his feet and say, Venerable Sir, the householder Anathapindika is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. He pays homage with his head at the Venerable Sariputta's feet. Then say, it would be good, Venerable Sir, if the Venerable Sariputta would come to the residence of the householder Anathapindika out of compassion. Yes, sir, the man replied. And he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side and delivered his message. Then he went to the Venerable Sariputta, and after paying homage to the Venerable Sariputta, he delivered his message saying, It would be good, Venerable Sir, if the Venerable Sariputta would come to the residence of the householder Anathapindika out of compassion.
Sariputta Visits the Sick Householder
The Venerable Sariputta consented in silence. Then the Venerable Sariputta, dressed and taking his bowl and outer robe, went to the residence of the householder Anathapindika with the Venerable Ananda as his attendant. Having gone there, he sat down on a seat made ready and said to the householder Anathapindika, I hope you are getting well, householder. I hope you are comfortable. Your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that they're subsiding, not their increase, is apparent. Venerable Sariputta, I am not getting well. I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding. Their increase and not their subsiding is apparent. Just as if a strong man were splitting my head open with a sharp sword, so too violent winds cut through my head.
man, so too there are violent pains in my head. Just as if a skilled 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. Just as if two strong men were to seize a weaker man by both arms and roast him over a pit of hot coals, so too there is violent burning in my body. I am not getting well. I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding. Their increase and not their subsiding is apparent. I will not cling to the body, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the body. I will not cling to the mind, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the mind.
Thus you should train. I will not cling to tangibles, and my consciousness will not be dependent on tangibles. I will not cling to mind objects, and my consciousness will not be dependent on mind objects. Householder, you should train thus. I will not cling to I-consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on I-consciousness. I will not cling to ear-consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on ear-consciousness. I will not cling to nose consciousness and my consciousness will not be dependent on nose consciousness. I will not cling to eye contact and my consciousness will not be dependent upon eye contact. I will not cling to ear contact and my consciousness will not be dependent upon ear contact.
I will not cling to nose contact and my consciousness will not be dependent on nose contact. I will not cling to tongue contact and my consciousness will not be dependent upon tongue contact. I will not cling to body contact and my consciousness will not be dependent on body contact. I will not cling to mind contact and my consciousness will not be dependent on mind contact. I will not cling to feeling born of eye contact and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of eye contact. I will not cling to feeling born of ear contact and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of ear contact. I will not cling to feeling born of nose contact and my consciousness will not be dependent upon feeling born of nose contact.
I will not cling to feeling born of tongue contact, and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of tongue contact. I will not cling to feeling born of body contact, and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of body contact. I will not cling to feeling born of mind contact, and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of mind contact.
I will not cling to the earth element, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the earth element. I will not cling to the consciousness element, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the consciousness element. I will not cling to material form, and my consciousness will not be dependent on material form. I will not cling to feeling, and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling. I will not cling to perceptions, and my consciousness will not be dependent on perception. on formations.
I will not cling to consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on consciousness. I will not cling to the base of infinite space, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the base of infinite space. I will not cling to the base of infinite consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the base of infinite consciousness. I will not cling to the base of nothingness, and my consciousness will not depend upon the base of nothingness. I will not cling to the base of neither perception nor non-perception, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the base of neither perception nor non-perception.
I will not cling to this world, and my consciousness will not be dependent on this world. I will not cling to the world beyond, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the world beyond. I will not cling to what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, encountered, sought after, examined by the mind. When this was said, the householder Anathapindika wept and shed tears. Then the Venerable Ananda asked him, Are you foundering, householder? Are you sinking? I am not foundering, Venerable Ananda. I am not sinking. But although I have long waited upon the teacher and bhikkhus worthy of esteem, never before have I heard such a talk on the Dhamma. Such a talk on the Dhamma, householder, is not given to lay people clothed in white.
The Young God Anathapindika
Then after giving the householder Anathapindika his advice, the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Ananda rose from their seats and departed. The householder Anathapindika died and reappeared in the Tusita heaven. Then, when the night was well advanced, Anathapindika, now a young god of beautiful appearance, went to the Blessed One, illuminating the whole of Jeta's Grove. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he stood at one side and addressed the Blessed One in stanzas: O blessed is this Jeta's Grove, dwelt in by the sagely Sangha, wherein resides the King of Dhamma, the fount of all my happiness. By action, knowledge and Dhamma, by virtue and noble way of life, by these are mortals purified, not by lineage or wealth.
Therefore, a wise person who sees what truly leads to his own good should investigate the Dhamma and purify himself with it. Sariputta has reached the peak in virtue, peace and wisdom. Any bhikkhu who has gone beyond at best can only equal him. That is what the young god Anathapindika said, and the teacher approved. Then the young god Anathapindika, thinking the teacher has approved of me, paid homage to the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right, he vanished at once. When the night had ended, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: When the night was well advanced, there came to me a certain god of beautiful appearance who illuminated the whole of Jeta's Grove. After paying homage to me, he stood at one side and addressed me in stanzas thus.
O blessed is this Jeta's Grove, dwelt in by the sagely Sangha, wherein resides the King of Dhamma, the fount of all my happiness. By action, knowledge and Dhamma, by virtue and noble way of life, by these are mortals purified, not by lineage or wealth. Therefore, a wise person who sees what truly leads to his own good should investigate the Dhamma and purify himself with it. Sariputta has reached the peak in virtue, peace, and wisdom's ways. Any bhikkhu who has gone beyond at best can only equal him. That is what the young god said. Then the young god, thinking the teacher has approved of me, paid homage to me. And keeping me on his right, he vanished at once.
When this was said, the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One, Surely, Venerable Sir, that young god must have been Anathapindika. For the householder Anathapindika had perfect confidence in the Venerable Sariputta. Good, Ananda, good. As far as reasoning goes, you have drawn the right conclusion. That young god was Anathapindika, no one else. This is what the Blessed One said. The Venerable Ananda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.