[88] Setting at Sāvatthī. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One … Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, in such-and-such a dwelling there is a certain bhikkhu, newly ordained, of no renown, who is afflicted, in pain, gravely ill. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach that bhikkhu out of compassion."
Then the Blessed One, having heard that he was newly ordained and that he was gravely ill, and having understood, "He is a bhikkhu of no renown," approached that bhikkhu. That bhikkhu saw the Blessed One coming from afar, and on seeing him he stirred upon his bed. Then the Blessed One said to that bhikkhu: "Enough, bhikkhu, do not stir upon your bed. There are these seats that have been prepared; I shall sit down there." The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to that bhikkhu: "I hope you are bearing up, bhikkhu; I hope you are getting by. I hope your painful feelings (vedanā) are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increasing, is discerned."
"Venerable sir, I am not bearing up; I am not getting by. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding; their increasing, not their subsiding, is discerned."
"I hope, bhikkhu, that you have no remorse, no regret (vippaṭisāra)?"
"Indeed, venerable sir, I have no small remorse, no small regret."
"But I hope, bhikkhu, that you have nothing for which to reproach yourself in regard to virtue (sīla)?"
("Venerable sir, I have nothing for which to reproach myself in regard to virtue.")
"If, bhikkhu, you have nothing for which to reproach yourself in regard to virtue, then why, bhikkhu, do you have remorse and regret?"
"Venerable sir, I do not understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One to be for the purpose of purity of virtue (sīlavisuddhi)."
"If, bhikkhu, you do not understand the Dhamma taught by me to be for the purpose of purity of virtue, then for what purpose do you understand the Dhamma taught by me?"
"Venerable sir, I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One to be for the purpose of the fading of lust (rāgavirāga)."
"Good, good, bhikkhu! It is good, bhikkhu, that you understand the Dhamma taught by me to be for the purpose of the fading of lust. For, bhikkhu, the Dhamma taught by me is for the purpose of the fading of lust."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.