[327] Now on that occasion the Venerable Phagguṇa was afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the Venerable Phagguṇa is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would go to the Venerable Phagguṇa out of compassion." The Blessed One consented by silence.
Then in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, the Blessed One went to the Venerable Phagguṇa. The Venerable Phagguṇa saw the Blessed One coming in the distance, and on seeing him he stirred upon his bed. Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Phagguṇa: "Enough, Phagguṇa, do not stir upon your bed. There are these seats prepared by others; I shall sit there." The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Phagguṇa: "I hope, Phagguṇa, that you are bearing up; I hope you are getting by; I hope the painful feelings (vedanā) are subsiding, not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is discernible."
"Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting by; my painful feelings are severe, they are increasing, not subsiding; their increase, not their subsiding, is discernible. Just as, venerable sir, a strong man might cleave one's head with a sharp-pointed blade, even so, venerable sir, violent winds bear down upon my head. Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting by; my painful feelings are severe, they are increasing, not subsiding; their increase, not their subsiding, is discernible. Just as, venerable sir, a strong man might fasten a head-binding upon one's head with a tough leather strap, even so, venerable sir, there are violent pains in my head. Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting by; my painful feelings are severe, they are increasing, not subsiding; their increase, not their subsiding, is discernible. Just as, venerable sir, a skilled butcher of cattle or a butcher's apprentice might carve up the belly with a sharp butcher's knife, even so, venerable sir, violent winds carve up my belly. Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting by; my painful feelings are severe, they are increasing, not subsiding; their increase, not their subsiding, is discernible. Just as, venerable sir, two strong men, having seized a weaker man by both arms, might scorch and roast him over a pit of glowing coals, even so, venerable sir, there is a violent burning in my body. Venerable sir, I am not bearing up, I am not getting by; my painful feelings are severe, they are increasing, not subsiding; their increase, not their subsiding, is discernible."
Then the Blessed One, having instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the Venerable Phagguṇa with a talk on the Dhamma, rose from his seat and departed. Then, not long after the Blessed One had departed, the Venerable Phagguṇa passed away; and at that time, at the time of his death, his faculties (indriya) were serene.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, not long after the Blessed One had departed, the Venerable Phagguṇa passed away; and at that time, at the time of his death, his faculties were serene."
"But why, Ānanda, should the faculties of the bhikkhu Phagguṇa not have been serene? The mind (citta) of the bhikkhu Phagguṇa, Ānanda, had not been liberated from the five lower fetters (saṃyojana); but having heard that teaching of the Dhamma, his mind was liberated from the five lower fetters. There are, Ānanda, these six benefits in listening to the Dhamma at the proper time and in examining the meaning at the proper time. What six?
"Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has not been liberated from the five lower fetters. At that time, at the time of death, he gets to see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with its meaning and with its phrasing; he reveals the holy life utterly perfect and pure. Having heard that teaching of the Dhamma, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the first benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
"Further, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has not been liberated from the five lower fetters. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathāgata. The disciple of the Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with its meaning and with its phrasing; he reveals the holy life utterly perfect and pure. Having heard that teaching of the Dhamma, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the second benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
"Further, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has not been liberated from the five lower fetters. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, nor does he get to see a disciple of the Tathāgata; but he thinks over, ponders upon, and mentally examines the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it. As he thinks over, ponders upon, and mentally examines the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it, his mind is liberated from the five lower fetters. This, Ānanda, is the third benefit of examining the meaning at the proper time.
"Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has been liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind has not been liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions (upadhi). At that time, at the time of death, he gets to see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle … he reveals the holy life. Having heard that teaching of the Dhamma, his mind is liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. This, Ānanda, is the fourth benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
"Further, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has been liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind has not been liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, but he gets to see a disciple of the Tathāgata. The disciple of the Tathāgata teaches him the Dhamma that is good in the beginning … he reveals the holy life pure. Having heard that teaching of the Dhamma, his mind is liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. This, Ānanda, is the fifth benefit of listening to the Dhamma at the proper time.
"Further, Ānanda, a bhikkhu's mind has been liberated from the five lower fetters, but his mind has not been liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. At that time, at the time of death, he does not get to see the Tathāgata, nor does he get to see a disciple of the Tathāgata; but he thinks over, ponders upon, and mentally examines the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it. As he thinks over, ponders upon, and mentally examines the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it, his mind is liberated in the unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. This, Ānanda, is the sixth benefit of examining the meaning at the proper time.
"These, Ānanda, are the six benefits in listening to the Dhamma at the proper time and in examining the meaning at the proper time."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.