Now at that time a certain monk was sick with dysentery.

He lay fouled in his own urine and excrement.

Then the Blessed One, on an inspection tour of the lodgings with Ven. Ānanda as his attendant monk, went to that monk’s dwelling.

He saw the monk lying fouled in his own urine and excrement. On seeing him, he went to the monk and, on arrival, said to him, “What is your illness, monk?”

“I have dysentery, O Blessed One.”

“But do you have an attendant?”

“No, O Blessed One.”

“Then why don’t the monks tend to you?”

“I don’t do anything for the monks, lord, so they don’t tend to me.”

Then the Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda: “Go fetch some water, Ānanda. We will wash this monk.”

“As you say, lord,” Ven. Ānanda responded, and he fetched some water.

The Blessed One poured water on the monk, and Ven. Ānanda washed him off.

Then — with the Blessed One taking the monk by the head and Ven. Ānanda taking him by the feet — they lifted him up and placed him on a bed.

Then the Blessed One, with regard to this cause, to this incident, had the monks assembled and asked them:

“Is there a sick monk in that dwelling over there?”

“Yes, O Blessed One, there is.”

“And what is his illness?”

“He has dysentery, O Blessed One.”

“But does he have an attendant?”

“No, O Blessed One.”

“Then why don’t the monks tend to him?”

“He doesn’t do anything for the monks, lord, so the monks don’t tend to him.”

“Monks, you have no mother, you have no father who might tend to you.

“If you don’t tend to one another, who then will tend to you?

“Whoever would tend to me, should tend to the sick.

“If one’s preceptor is present, the preceptor should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.

“If one’s teacher is present, the teacher should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.

“If one’s student is present, the student should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.

“If one’s pupil is present, the pupil should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.[1]

“If a fellow student of one’s preceptor is present, the fellow student of one’s preceptor should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.

“If a fellow pupil of one’s teacher is present, the fellow pupil of one’s teacher should tend to one as long as life lasts (or) should stay until one’s recovery.

“If no preceptor, teacher, student, pupil, fellow student of one’s preceptor, or fellow pupil of one’s teacher is present, the Saṅgha should tend to one.

“If he/it (i.e., the monk or the Saṅgha responsible for the care, as the case may be) does not tend to one: an offense of wrong doing. [BMC]

“Monks, a sick person endowed with five qualities is hard to tend to:

“He does what is not amenable (to his cure);

“he does not know the proper amount (in things amenable to his cure);

“he does not take his medicine;

“he does not tell his symptoms, as they actually are present, to the nurse desiring his welfare, saying that they are getting worse when they are getting worse, improving when they are improving, or remaining the same when they are remaining the same;

“and he is not the type who can endure bodily feelings that are painful, fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent, disagreeable, life-threatening.

“A sick person endowed with these five qualities is hard to tend to.

“Monks, a sick person endowed with five qualities is easy to tend to: He does what is amenable (to his cure); he knows the proper amount (in things amenable to his cure); he takes his medicine; he tells his symptoms, as they actually are present, to the nurse desiring his welfare, saying that they are getting worse when they are getting worse, improving when they are improving, or remaining the same when they are remaining the same; and he is the type who can endure bodily feelings that are painful, fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent, disagreeable, life-threatening. A sick person endowed with these five qualities is easy to tend to.

“Monks, a nurse endowed with five qualities is not fit to tend to the sick:

“He is not competent at mixing medicine;

“he does not know what is amenable or unamenable (to the patient’s cure), bringing to the patient things that are unamenable and taking away things that are amenable;

“he tends to the sick person motivated by material gain, not by thoughts of good will;

“he gets disgusted at cleaning up excrement, urine, saliva, or vomit;

“and he is not competent at instructing, urging, rousing, and encouraging the sick person at the proper occasions with a talk on Dhamma.

“A nurse endowed with these five qualities is not fit to tend to the sick.

“Monks, a nurse endowed with five qualities is fit to tend to the sick: He is competent at mixing medicine; he knows what is amenable or unamenable (to the patient’s cure), taking away things that are unamenable and bringing things that are amenable; he tends to the sick person motivated by thoughts of good will, not by material gain; he does not get disgusted at cleaning up excrement, urine, saliva, or vomit; and he is competent at instructing, urging, rousing, and encouraging the sick person at the proper occasions with a talk on Dhamma. A nurse endowed with these five qualities is fit to tend to the sick.”