Skip to reading
← Aṅguttara Nikāya

The Simile of the Boil

AN 9.15 · Gaṇḍasutta

Small white alpine flowers bloom in a sheltered crevice of green-gray rock.

“Mendicants, suppose there was a boil that was many years old. And that boil had nine orifices that were continually open wounds. Whatever oozed out of them would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting. Whatever exuded from them would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting.

‘Boil’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. And that boil has nine orifices that are continually open wounds. Whatever oozes out of them is filthy, stinking, and disgusting. Whatever exudes from them is filthy, stinking, and disgusting. So, mendicants, have no illusion about this body.”

Connections

Collection & context

Books

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.