An extraordinary medicine

Just as there are people who recover from an illness ONLY in the case that they receive the proper food, medicine and care, there are those people who realise the Four Noble Truths Only if they receive the opportunity to see the Thathagatha, the knower of all worlds.

Have you ever been sick in your life? Have you ever suffered from a serious illness? It is highly likely that you have suffered from an illness at some point in your life.

Did you know that in this world, there are only three types of people who are sick? Despite the kind of illness you may have, you belong to one of these three categories of people with an illness.

The first patient is a person who does not recover from his illness whether or not he has the right food for his sickness, whether or not he has the proper medicine for his sickness and whether or not he has a proper caregiver for his sickness. Have you seen such people? They may receive the best care, the best medicine and the appropriate food, yet they do not recover from their illness.

The second patient is a person who recovers from his illness regardless of whether he has the right food for his sickness, regardless of whether he has the proper medicine for his sickness and regardless of whether he has a proper caregiver for his illness. Have you seen such people? They do not receive the needed

care, the essential medicines and the appropriate food, yet they recover on their own. If they recover without the needed food, medicine and care, recovering from an illness when they do receive these is no miracle.

Recovery

The third patient however is rather different. The third person who is suffering from an illness recovers only if he receives the appropriate food for his sickness, the right medicine for his sickness and the proper care needed. If he does not receive these three things, he does not recover from his illness.

These three types of patients are a simile to all beings suffering from the disease of samsara, the cycle of rebirth. Our Great Teacher, the Supreme Buddha taught us that, just as there can be found these three types of sick people existing in this world, there are three categories of people living in this world.

Just as there are people who DO NOT recover from an illness, regardless of whether they receive the proper food, medicine and care, there are people who DO NOT recover from the disease of samsara. They do not understand this Noble Dhamma, regardless of whether they have the opportunity to see the Thathagatha, the knower of the world. They do not realise this Dhamma, regardless of whether they have the opportunity to hear this Noble Dhamma, proclaimed by the Supreme Buddha or from his disciples.

Paccheka Buddha

And just as there are people who Do recover from an illness, regardless of whether they receive the proper care, there are people in this world who DO recover from this disease called samsara. They realise the Four Noble Truths regardless of whether they have the opportunity to see the Supreme Buddha through their own eyes. They realise this Noble Dhamma regardless of whether they receive the opportunity to hear this Noble Dhamma. This category of people however is rather rare. This category of people is called “Paccheka Buddha (Private Buddha). These Noble beings reach Enlightenment on their own due to their accumulated merits from their past lives. But they reach Parinibbna, without having proclaimed the Dhamma to the world. Paccheka Buddha’s arise only during ages where a Supreme Buddha or the Noble Dhamma ceases to exist.

And finally, the Supreme Buddha teachers us the third category of people.

Just as there are people who recover from an illness ONLY in the case that they receive the proper food, medicine and care, there are those people who realise the Four Noble Truths Only if they receive the opportunity to see the Thathagatha, the knower of all worlds.

They realise this Dhamma ONLY if they receive the opportunity to hear the Dhamma. If they do not get to see the Supreme Buddha, or if they do not have the opportunity to hear this Noble Dhamma, they do not realise the Four Noble Truths.

It is for this person, that our Great Teacher, the Supreme Buddha preaches the Noble Dhamma.

It is for the benefit of this Third person that our Supreme Teacher instructed his noble disciples to preach this Noble Dhamma. From this whole world, it is this Third person, who takes advantage of this extraordinary medicine and fully recovers from the dangerous disease known as samsara.

This extraordinary medicine is now available. But it is Your decision to take it and find out for yourself whether you are that Third Person?

Gilanoupama Sutta – AN-3.22-
May you always be
well and happy!
Noble friends of
Toronto