[34] Then, bhikkhus, after the passing of many years … ¹ Bhikkhus, as Prince Vipassī was driving out to the pleasure park, he saw a man afflicted, in pain, gravely ill, lying sunk in his own urine and excrement, being lifted up by some and laid down by others. Having seen him, he addressed the charioteer: "My dear charioteer, what has this man done? For his eyes are not like those of others, and his head² is not like that of others."
"Sire, that is what is called a sick man."
"But, my dear charioteer, why is he called a sick man?"
"Sire, he is called a sick man; perhaps he may yet recover from that affliction."
"But, my dear charioteer, am I too subject to sickness, not beyond sickness?"
"Sire, both you and we are all subject to sickness, not beyond sickness."
"Well then, my dear charioteer, enough of the pleasure park for today; turn back from here to the inner palace."
"Yes, sire," the charioteer replied to Prince Vipassī, bhikkhus, and turned back from there to the inner palace.
There, bhikkhus, Prince Vipassī, having gone to the inner palace, brooded, pained and dejected: "Shame, alas, sirs, on this thing called birth (jāti), since for one who is born, aging will appear, sickness will appear!"
¹ [Editorial footnote in the Siam Raṭṭha edition: the Po. and Ma. editions read *vacanan ti*.]
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.