Reading guide
A worsening illness, honestly reported
Confirmed by direct reading, when Ānanda's own courteous opening inquiry hopes the pain is “fading, not growing,” Sirivaḍḍha does not offer a polite deflection but answers honestly: “the pain is terrible and growing, not fading.”
A teaching offered, then found already present
Ānanda's own instruction — to train in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation — is confirmed by direct reading to be met not with acceptance of new instruction but with Sirivaḍḍha's own declaration that these exact four practices “are found in me, and I exhibit them,” reversing the expected direction of the exchange.
Every one of the five lower fetters, given up
Sirivaḍḍha's own second claim is confirmed by direct reading to be total, not partial: “of the five lower fetters taught by the Buddha, I don't see any that I haven't given up” — the precise criterion for the fruit of non-return (anāgāmi), the third of the four traditional stages of awakening.
Ānanda's own immediate, unqualified confirmation
Ānanda's own response — “you're fortunate, householder, so very fortunate!” — is confirmed by direct reading to declare the attainment outright, without the kind of testing or Socratic questioning found in some of this project's own other discourses (compare SN 47.12's own threefold challenge to Sāriputta).
Key terms
The text
§1 — a sickbed summonsAt one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time the householder Sirivaḍḍha was sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then he addressed a man: “Please, my friend, go to Venerable Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him: ‘Sir, the householder Sirivaḍḍha is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.’ And then say: ‘Sir, please visit him at his home out of sympathy.’” “Yes, sir,” that man replied. He did as Sirivaḍḍha asked. Ānanda consented with silence.
§2 — a worsening illness, honestly reportedThen Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the householder Sirivaḍḍha, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to him: “I hope you’re keeping well, householder; I hope you’re all right. And I hope the pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.” “Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”
§3 — Ānanda's own teaching“So you should train like this: ‘I’ll meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. I’ll meditate on an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.’ That’s how you should train.”
§4 — a declaration, and its confirmation“These four kinds of mindfulness meditation that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I exhibit them. For I meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. I meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. And of the five lower fetters taught by the Buddha, I don’t see any that I haven’t given up.” “You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate! You have declared the fruit of non-return.”
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