z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 09.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 576
576 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- She then went and cremated the child, saying: “All is impermanent; this is the law.”
§ 3. His Concern for the Sick
VIII
(i)
Now at one time a certain brother was suffering from dysentery and lay where he had fallen down in his own excreta.
And the Exalted One going on his rounds of the lodgings, with the venerable Ananda in attendance, came to the lodging of that brother.
Now the Exalted One saw that brother lying where he had fallen in his own excreta and seeing him he went towards him, and said: “Brother, what ails you ?”
“I have dysentery, Lord.”
“But is there anyone taking care of you, brother ?”
“No, Lord.”
“Why is it, brother, that the brethren do not take care of you ?”
“I am useless to the brethren, Lord, therefore the brethren do not care for me.”
Then the Exalted One said to the venerable Ananda: “Go you, Ananda, and fetch water. I will wash this brother.”
“Yes, Lord,” replied the venerable Ananda to the Exalted One. When he had fetched the water, the Exalted One poured it out, while the venerable Ananda washed that brother all over. Then the Exalted One, taking him by the head and the venerable Ananda taking him by the feet, together they laid him on the bed.
Then the Exalted One, in this connection and on this occasion, gathered the Order of Brethren together, and questioned the brethren, saying:
“Brethren, is there in such and such a lodging a brother who is sick?”
“There is, Lord.”
“And what ails that brother?”