1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now on that occasion the lay follower Dighavu was sick, afflicted, gravely ill. Then the lay follower Dighavu addressed his father, the householder Jotika, thus: "Come, householder, approach the Blessed One, pay homage to him in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable sir, the lay follower Dighavu is sick, afflicted, gravely ill; he pays homage to the Blessed One with his head at the Blessed One's feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would come to the residence of the lay follower Dighavu out of compassion.’"

"Yes, dear," the householder Jotika replied, and he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and delivered his message. The Blessed One consented by silence.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena dīghāvu upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako pitaraṁ jotikaṁ gahapatiṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, gahapati, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vanda: ‘dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti.

"Evaṁ, tātā"ti kho jotiko gahapati dīghāvussa upāsakassa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jotiko gahapati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati. Evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

2Then the Blessed One dressed and, taking bowl and robe, went to the residence of the lay follower Dighavu. sn.v.345 He then sat down in the appointed seat and said to the lay follower Dighavu: "I hope you are bearing up, Dighavu, I hope you are getting better. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is to be discerned."

2Atha kho bhagavā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ etadavoca: "Kacci te, dīghāvu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ? Kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo"ti?

"Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting better. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding, and their increase, not their subsiding, is to be discerned."

"Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo"ti.

"Therefore, Dighavu, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be one who possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: "The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One." I will be one who possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha. … I will be one who possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourself."

"Tasmātiha te, dīghāvu, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato bhavissāmi – itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato bhavissāmi akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehi’. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban"ti.

3"Venerable sir, as to these four factors of stream-entry that have been taught by the Blessed One, these things exist in me, and I live in conformity with those things. For, venerable sir, I possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha. … I possess the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration."

3"Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni desitāni, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehī"ti.

"Therefore, Dighavu, established upon these four factors of stream-entry, you should develop further six things that partake of true knowledge. Here, Dighavu, dwell contemplating impermanence in all formations, perceiving suffering in what is impermanent, perceiving nonself in what is suffering, perceiving abandonment, perceiving fading away, perceiving cessation.[n.324] These six perceptions are found along with others at 46.71–76. As a group, the six things that partake of true knowledge (cha vijjābhāgiyā dhammā) are mentioned at AN6.35, but without elaboration. The text uses the suffix -anupassī for the first contemplation and -saññī for the others. Their meanings are the same. It is in such a way that you should train yourself."

"Tasmātiha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, imesu catūsu sotāpattiyaṅgesu patiṭṭhāya cha vijjābhāgiye dhamme uttari bhāveyyāsi. Idha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāhi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññīti. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban"ti.

4"Venerable sir, as to these six things that partake of true knowledge that have been taught by the Blessed One, these things exist in me, and I live in conformity with those things. For, venerable sir, I dwell contemplating impermanence in all formations, perceiving suffering in what is impermanent, perceiving nonself in what is suffering, perceiving abandonment, perceiving fading away, perceiving cessation. However, venerable sir, the thought occurs to me: ‘After I am gone, may this householder Jotika not fall into distress.’" sn.v.346

4"Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cha vijjābhāgiyā dhammā desitā, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāmi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññī. Api ca me, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘mā hevāyaṁ jotiko gahapati mamaccayena vighātaṁ āpajjī’"ti.

"Don’t be concerned about this, dear Dighavu. Come now, dear Dighavu, pay close attention to what the Blessed One is saying to you."

"Mā tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, evaṁ manasākāsi. Iṅgha tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, yadeva te bhagavā āha, tadeva tvaṁ sādhukaṁ manasi karohī"ti.

5Then the Blessed One, having given this exhortation to the lay follower Dighavu, rose from his seat and departed. Then, not long after the Blessed One had left, the lay follower Dighavu died.

5Atha kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako acirapakkantassa bhagavato kālamakāsi.

Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, that lay follower named Dighavu to whom the Blessed One gave a brief exhortation has died. What is his destination, what is his future bourn?"

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "yo so, bhante, dīghāvu nāma upāsako bhagavatā saṅkhittena ovādena ovadito so kālaṅkato. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo"ti?

"Bhikkhus, the lay follower Dighavu was wise. He practised in accordance with the Dhamma and did not trouble me on account of the Dhamma. Bhikkhus, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters the lay follower Dighavu has become one of spontaneous birth, due to attain Nibbāna there without returning from that world."

"Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, dīghāvu upāsako, paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ, na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi. Dīghāvu, bhikkhave, upāsako pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.