Did you see the Sick Man?

Channa the charioteer has the vision of majority ordinary beings who are not even aware about what’s happening to their own self.  Their observations skills are not wise as they are based and limited on the visible facts.

When the day that the prince went out with the charioteer Channa for the second time, he wanted to check his friend’s observation over the second omen as Channa was failed on the first omen.  So, as soon as he noticed a sick man, the prince questioned Channa, by asking who he is?  But the answer of Channa was quite obvious.  He was just an ordinary man with very basic observation skills.  So, he went on by saying the popular interpretation of sickness.  “How one is getting sick, and how healthy people have to face the sickness time to time… etc… Etc…”  Channa’s reply remind the wise prince of how majority of being are delusional and disappointing.  So, the feeling of being hurried to find a solution naturally comes. 

Sickness doesn’t mean the appearance of symptoms.  Whether it is body or mind, they are bound to be sick.  They never overcome the nature of sickness.  The body & the mind hold the ability of sickness.  Not only the living things, non-living things are also bound to be sick.  But the definitions are different.  So, while the majority of us depending on the definition we have created for sickness, the real sickness is already happening.     If you are wise enough, you can observe this true nature through wisdom!

So only those who can’t think beyond the box, able to limit the way they think, BUT not the wise ones. This is what Samma Sambuddha is explaining in that Sutta through his own observation as a young boy.  So, when your observations are limited, you interpret the deeper teachings according to yours.  So, be careful and be wise!