Posted by: Dhammañāṇa
« on: December 10, 2017, 02:44:23 PM »There is btw. the story of a blessed doctor in the Robe-cloth Khandhaka , Jīvaka, who later also become the medical helper of the Buddha. The whole Khandhaka bases on his story.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
Then, having known with his awareness the train of thought in Jīvaka Komārabhacca’s awareness, the Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda, “Ānanda, just now, the thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, as he was walking out through the outer gate-house, ‘I have given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, and the Tathāgata’s body is over-full with humors. It won’t make him purge thirty times. It will make him purge twenty-nine times. But when the Blessed One has purged, he will bathe. When he has bathed, it will make him purge once. That’s how Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will come to be.’ In that case, prepare some warm water.”
Responding, “As you say, Lord,” to the Blessed One, Ven. Ānanda prepared some warm water.
(Mv.VIII.1.33) Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “Lord, has the Blessed One purged?”
“I have purged, Jīvaka.”
“Just now, Lord, the thought occurred to me, as I was walking out through the outer gate-house, ‘I have given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, and the Tathāgata’s body has an excess of toxins. It won’t make him purge thirty times. It will make him purge twenty-nine times. But when the Blessed One has purged, he will bathe. When he has bathed, it will make him purge once. That’s how Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will come to be.’ May the Blessed One bathe; may the Well-gone One bathe.”
Then the Blessed One bathed with the warm water. When he had bathed, it made him purge once. That’s how the Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge came to be.
Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca said to the Blessed One, “Until the Blessed One’s body returns to normalcy, vegetable broth should be enough as alms-food.”