Venerable Assaji is ill, and asks the Buddha to visit him. The Buddha does so, and learns that Assaji has difficulty maintaining his meditation. The Buddha encourages him to contemplate the impermanence of the aggregates.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Assaji was staying in a monastery built by a Kassapa, and he was sick, suffering, gravely ill. [Read More]

Venerable Vakkali is ill, and asks the Buddha to visit him. The Buddha does so, but says there is no point in seeing his physical body, as one who sees the Dhamma sees him. Later, Vakkali is taken to the Black Rock on Isigili, where he declares that he has no attachment to the aggregates, and takes his own life. The Buddha says that he had attained final extinguishment.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. [Read More]

Venerable Anurādha is questioned by a number of ascetics, and ends up by saying that the Realized One is described in terms other than “existing after death” and so on. The wanderers say he’s a fool, so he checks with the Buddha, who says that a Realized One is not even apprehended in this life, so how can he be described after death?At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. [Read More]

Venerable Yamaka had the wrong view that one whose defilements have ended is annihilated at death. The monks ask Sāriputta to help, and he asks Yamaka whether the Realized One in this very life may be identified as one of the aggregates, or apart from them. Convinced, Yamaka lets go of his view and sees the Dhamma.At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a mendicant called Yamaka had the following harmful misconception: “As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, a mendicant who has ended the defilements is annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and doesn’t exist after death. [Read More]

Venerable Tissa, the Blessed One’s paternal cousin, tells the monks that he is dissatisfied as a monk. When the Buddha hears of this, he calls Tissa to him, and questions him on the aggregates. As Tissa showed his understanding of each question, the Buddha praised him, lifting his spirits.At Sāvatthī. Now at that time Venerable Tissa, the Buddha’s paternal cousin, informed several mendicants: “Reverends, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t inspire me, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. [Read More]