佛說比丘疾病經第二十六
The Buddha Speaks the Sutra on Monks' Illness, Number 26
聞如是：
Thus have I heard:
一時佛遊舍衛祇樹給孤獨園，與大比丘千二百五十人俱。時一比丘，疾病困篤獨自一身，無有等類，無有視者，亦無醫藥衣被飯食，不能起居，惡露自出。身臥其上，四向顧視，無來救濟者，便自歎息：「今日吾身，無救無護！」
At one time the Buddha was traveling in the Jeta Grove of Anathapindika's Park in Shravasti, together with a great assembly of 1,250 monks.
At that time there was a certain monk who had fallen gravely ill. He was all alone, with no companion, and no one to look after him. He had no medicine, no clothing or bedding, no food. He could not get up or lie down on his own, and his discharges flowed out freely. He lay in his own filth, looking around in all four directions, and there was no one who came to rescue him. So he sighed to himself: "Today there is no one to save me, no one to protect me!"
時阿難見，往白佛：「唯然大聖！吾身今日，得未曾有。如來世尊大慈大哀，有苦比丘，當念救濟。吾乃往世無數劫時，救此比丘疾病之患，於今世亦然。乃往過去久遠世時，於空閑處，多神仙五通學者，在彼獨處，各各相勸，轉相佐助。各各取果，以相給足，以作籌筭，設使疾病，轉相瞻療。時有摩納學志，有所緩急，常馳走趣。有一學志，若有急緩疾病之厄，初不視瞻。時彼學志，有急緩時，無有救者，則自獨立，無伴無侶。彼於異時，身得疾病，無療瞻者，亦無持果授與食者。是時五通仙人見彼和上，見之如是，心自念言：『此人孤獨，無有救護。』心慜念之，即往到其所，即問之曰：『摩納學志！卿強健時，頗有消息，問訊不寧，有親厚朋友乎？』即時報曰：『無也！和上亦無親友知識之厚，我之父母，家屬親里，去此大遠。』又問曰：『此梵志共頓一處，不與親友結為知識耶？』答曰：『無也！』和上答曰：『不結親友，無有知識，以何為人？卿見餘人，展轉相敬，展轉相事，卿獨不也？今日孤獨，無救護。』於時仙人，扶接摩納，使之令坐，將詣自所頓處，勸之安心，將詣親厚而以療治，則頌偈曰：
Then Ananda saw this and went to the Buddha to report it: "Indeed, great sage! Today I have gained something I never had before. The Tathagata, the World-Honored One, in great compassion and great pity, thinks of saving and relieving the monk who is suffering. Here is the understanding I draw from this: in past lives countless kalpas ago, I once rescued this monk from the affliction of illness, and in this present life it is the same. In the distant past, in a secluded place, there were many sages who had attained the five supernatural powers and were students of the way. Dwelling there alone, they encouraged one another and helped one another. Each gathered fruit and shared it enough for one another, and they kept count by tallies. If someone became ill, they took turns looking after and healing one another. At that time there was a brahmacarin student who, whenever there was some urgency, was always running back and forth. There was one student who, whenever there was urgency or illness or trouble, never paid the slightest attention. When that student faced urgency, he had no one to rescue him, and so he stood alone, without companion or mate. On another occasion, when he himself fell ill, there was no one to heal or look after him, and no one to hold fruit out and give him food. At that time the five-powered sage saw that student, his preceptor, in this condition, and thought to himself: 'This person is alone, with no one to rescue or protect him.' Moved with compassion, he thought of him, went straight to where he was, and asked him: 'Brahmacarin student! When you were strong and well, did you send any greetings or inquiries, and did you have any close and loyal friends?' He immediately replied: 'No! Even my preceptor had no close friends or intimate acquaintances, and my parents, family, and relatives are far from here.' Again he asked: 'These brahmanas shared one dwelling place; did they not form bonds of friendship and acquaintance with one another?' He answered: 'No!' The preceptor replied: 'Not forming friendships and having no acquaintances, what kind of person are you? You have seen others respect one another and serve one another in turn; are you alone the only one who does not? Today you are alone, with no one to rescue or protect you.' Then the sage took the brahmacarin by the arm, helped him sit up, led him to his own dwelling place, encouraged him to set his mind at ease, brought him to close friends, and treated him, speaking this verse:
「『棄捐于妻子， 出家無所慕，
卿和上為父， 等類則兄弟。
頓與梵志俱， 而不相供視，
得疾病困篤， 孤獨無所依。
察子見此已， 梵行為親友，
普行子恭敬， 展轉相瞻視。』」
"Having abandoned wife and children, leaving home with nothing to long for, your preceptor is your father, and your fellow monastics are your brothers. Yet you go off with the brahmins, paying one another no respect or care. When you fall gravely ill, you are alone with no one to rely on. Seeing such a child as this, one who lives the holy life becomes your family and friends, and practitioners treat a child with respect, watching over one another in turn."
時佛世尊往詣比丘，而問之曰：「今得疾病，有瞻視醫藥床臥具乎？」白曰：「孤獨無瞻視者，無醫無藥，去家甚遠，離於父母無有兄弟，親里伴侶，無供侍者。」世尊又問：「卿強健時，頗瞻視問訊有疾者不？」答曰：「不也！」世尊告曰：「卿強健時，不瞻視人，不問訊疾病，誰當瞻視卿乎？善惡有對，罪福有報，恩生往反，義絕稀疏。佛為一切三界之救，救度五道，當捨卿耶？前世救卿，今亦當然。」
At that time, the World-Honored One went to the monk and asked him, "Are you now sick? Do you have anyone to look after you, medicine, and bedding?"
He replied, "I am alone, with no one to look after me, no doctor, and no medicine. I am far from home, away from my parents, with no brothers, relatives, or companions—no one to attend to me."
The World-Honored One asked again, "When you were strong and healthy, did you ever look after or check in on those who were sick?"
He answered, "No."
The World-Honored One said, "When you were healthy, you did not look after others or ask after the sick—so who should look after you? Good and evil have their counterparts; wrongdoing and merit have their retribution. Kindness gives rise to mutual return; when righteousness is cut off, bonds grow sparse. The Buddha is the savior of all throughout the three realms, rescuing and liberating those in the five paths. How could he abandon you? He saved you in past lives, and he will do so now as well."
佛扶起之，欲以水洗。時天帝聞佛所言，如伸臂頃，忽然來下，欲洗浴之。佛言：「拘翼！卿在天上香潔之中，安能救洗穢濁臭處？」天帝釋答曰：「向者世尊說，此比丘本不瞻人，不視疾病，孤獨無救。佛為十方一切之救，功德具足，無所乏少，尚瞻視之；況我罪福未斷，而不興福耶？」
The Buddha lifted him up and wanted to wash him with water. At that moment, the god Indra heard what the Buddha said and, in the time it takes to stretch out an arm, suddenly descended, wishing to bathe him. The Buddha said, "Kausika, you dwell in the pure and fragrant heavens. How could you arise to wash this filthy, foul, stinking place?" Indra, lord of the gods, replied: "Just now the World-Honored One said that this monk in the past did not care for others and did not attend to the sick, and that he was alone with no one to help him. The Buddha is the savior of all ten directions, perfect in merit, lacking nothing—and yet he still attends to him. How much more should I, whose karma of guilt and merit is not yet exhausted, not go about creating merit?"
時佛手洗，天帝水灌，還復臥之，飲其醫藥，即時除愈。為說經法，即時得道。世尊以偈而讚之曰：
Then the Buddha washed his hands, and the celestial lord Shakra poured water over them. The Buddha lay down again, took his medicine, and was immediately cured. The Buddha taught him the Dharma, and he immediately attained the Path. The World-Honored One praised him with a verse:
「人當瞻疾病， 問訊諸危厄，
善惡有報應， 如種果獲實。
世尊則為父， 經法以為母，
同學者兄弟， 因是而得度。」
People should visit the sick and check on those in danger and distress. Good and evil bring their rewards, like planting seeds and harvesting fruit. The World-Honored One is our father; the scriptures and Dharma are our mother; fellow practitioners are our brothers. Through this, we cross over to liberation.
佛說如是，莫不歡喜。
Thus spoke the Buddha, and everyone rejoiced.