Thus have I heard:
One time, Budha was staying at the Sheetavana Deer Park on the Simsumaaragiri mountain in the country of Vrji.
At that time, the elder Naagaara approached Bhagavaan, bowed at his feet, and sat to one side. After a moment, he rose and said to Bhagavaan, “I am now old and afflicted with illness, burdened with many worries and troubles. I beseech Bhagavaan to teach me so that all beings may attain peace and security for a long time.”
Bhagavaan said to the elder, “As you have said, the body is full of suffering and pain. What can one rely on? It is merely covered with a thin layer of skin. Elder, you should know that those who depend on this body can only enjoy fleeting pleasures. This is the way of the foolish, not the wise. Therefore, elder, though the body may be sick, let the mind be free from sickness. Thus, elder, you should train yourself in this way.”
Hearing this, the elder rose from his seat, bowed at Bhagavaan’s feet, and left. Then the elder thought, “I should go to the Venerable Shaariputra and ask him about this teaching. Shaariputra is not far from here, sitting under a tree.” At that time, the elder Naagaara went to Shaariputra, bowed at his feet, and sat to one side.
Shaariputra asked the elder, “Your appearance is serene, and your faculties are calm. There must be a reason for this. Elder, have you heard the Dharma from the Budha?”
The elder replied to Shaariputra, “How could my appearance not be serene? Bhagavaan has poured the nectar of the Dharma into my heart.”
Shaariputra asked, “How has Bhagavaan poured the nectar of the Dharma into your heart?”
The elder replied, “Shaariputra, I went to Bhagavaan, bowed at his feet, and sat to one side. I said to Bhagavaan, ‘I am old and constantly afflicted with illness, suffering immeasurable pain. I beseech Bhagavaan to explain this body so that all beings may attain peace and security.’
Bhagavaan then said to me, ‘Elder, this body is full of decay and suffering, merely covered with a thin layer of skin. Elder, you should know that those who rely on this body can only enjoy fleeting pleasures, unaware of the immeasurable suffering in the long night. Therefore, elder, though the body may be sick, let the mind be free from sickness. Thus, elder, you should train yourself in this way.’ Bhagavaan poured the nectar of the Dharma into my heart.”
Shaariputra said, “Elder, did you not ask Bhagavaan further about this teaching? How can the body be sick while the mind is free from sickness? How can the body be ill while the mind is free from illness?”
The elder replied, “I did not ask Bhagavaan further about this. You, Venerable Shaariputra, must have this understanding. Please explain it fully.”
Shaariputra said, “Listen carefully and reflect well. I will explain it to you in detail.”
The elder replied, “Yes, Shaariputra,” and listened attentively.
Shaariputra said to the elder, “Elder, ordinary people who do not see the noble ones, do not receive their teachings, and do not follow their instructions; who do not see good friends and do not associate with them—they regard form as the self, form as belonging to the self, and the self as belonging to form.
They see the self in form and form in the self. They see form and the self as united. When form and the self are united, form decays and changes constantly, giving rise to sorrow, worry, and suffering.
They regard feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness as the self, consciousness as belonging to the self, and the self as belonging to consciousness. They see the self in consciousness and consciousness in the self. They see consciousness and the self as united. When consciousness and the self are united, consciousness decays and changes constantly, giving rise to sorrow, worry, and suffering.
Thus, elder, both the body and the mind are afflicted.”
The elder asked Shaariputra, “How can the body be sick while the mind is free from sickness?”
Shaariputra said, “Elder, noble disciples who serve the noble ones, practice the teachings, associate with good friends, and draw close to them—they do not regard form as the self, do not see the self in form or form in the self, and do not regard form as belonging to the self or the self as belonging to form.
They see form as impermanent and changing, and they do not give rise to sorrow, worry, or suffering over form. They also do not regard feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness as the self, do not see the self in consciousness or consciousness in the self, and do not regard consciousness as belonging to the self or the self as belonging to consciousness. They see consciousness as impermanent and changing, and they do not give rise to sorrow, worry, or suffering over consciousness.
Thus, elder, the body may be sick, but the mind is free from sickness. Therefore, elder, you should train yourself in this way, letting go of attachment to the body and mind, and remaining free from clinging. Elder, you should train yourself in this way.”
When the elder Naagaara heard what Shaariputra said, he followed it with joy.