[223] Then in the evening the Blessed One, having emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Assaji. The Venerable Assaji saw the Blessed One coming while still far off; having seen him, he stirred upon his bed. Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Assaji: "Enough, Assaji, do not stir upon your bed. There are these seats prepared; I shall sit down there." The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Assaji: "I hope, Assaji, that you are bearing up; I hope you are getting better … is their subsiding discerned, and not their increase?"
"Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting better … their increase is discerned, not their subsiding."
"I hope, Assaji, that you have no remorse, no regret (vippaṭisāra)?"
"Indeed, venerable sir, I have no small remorse, no small regret."
"But I hope, Assaji, that you have nothing to reproach yourself for with regard to virtue (sīla)?"
"Venerable sir, I have nothing to reproach myself for with regard to virtue."
"If, Assaji, you have nothing to reproach yourself for with regard to virtue, then what is your remorse, and what is your regret?"
"Formerly, venerable sir, during my illness I dwelt tranquillizing the bodily formations (kāyasaṅkhārā), and I do not obtain concentration (samādhi). Venerable sir, as I do not obtain that concentration, it occurs to me thus: 'May I not fall away!'"
"Those ascetics and brahmins, Assaji, who take concentration as the essence, for whom concentration constitutes the ascetic life — when they do not obtain that concentration, it occurs to them thus: 'May we not fall away!'
"What do you think, Assaji: is form permanent or impermanent (anicca)?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." … "Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "Therefore … seeing thus … he understands: '… there is nothing further for this state of being.'
"If he feels a pleasant feeling (vedanā), he understands: 'It is impermanent'; he understands: 'It is not held to'; he understands: 'It is not delighted in.' If he feels a painful feeling, he understands: 'It is impermanent'; he understands: 'It is not held to'; he understands: 'It is not delighted in.' If he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands: 'It is impermanent' … he understands: 'It is not delighted in.'
"If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it detached; if he feels a painful feeling, he feels it detached; if he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it detached. He understands: 'It is impermanent' … he understands: 'It is not delighted in.'
"If he feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: 'I feel a feeling terminating with the body.' If he feels a feeling terminating with life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling terminating with life.' He understands: 'With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.