Mahavagga, Khandaka 3, Chapter 7

1. At that time the mother of a Bhikkhu was sick. She sent a messenger to her son (saying), 'I am sick; might my son come to me; I long for my son's coming.' Now that Bhikkhu thought: 'The Blessed One has allowed (a Bhikkhu) to go, if the affair for which he goes can be accomplished within seven days, and if he is sent for, but not if he is not sent for, by a person of any one of the seven classes; (and he has also allowed to go), if the thing he goes for can be accomplished within seven days, even if he is not sent for, and much more if he is sent for, by a person of any one of the five classes. Now my mother is sick; she is not a lay-devotee (upasikā). What am I, therefore, to do?'

They told this thing to the Blessed One.

2. 'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to go (even during the rainy season), if the thing you go for can be accomplished within seven days, even if you are not sent for, and much more if you are sent for, by a person of any one of the following seven classes: Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunīs, sikkhamānās, sāmaṇeras, sāmaṇerīs, the mother, and the father. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to go, if the thing you go for can be accomplished within seven days, even if you are not sent for, and much more if you are sent for, by a person of any one of these seven classes. Within seven days you ought to return.

3. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu's mother is sick. If she sends a messenger to her son (saying), "I am sick; might my son come to me; I long for my son's coming (&c., see chap. 6. 2)."

4. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu's father is sick . . . . (&c., as in § 3).

5. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu's brother is sick. If he sends a messenger to his brother (saying), "I am sick; might my brother come to me; I long for my brother's coming," he ought to go, O Bhikkhus, if the affair can be accomplished within seven days, and if he sends for him, but not if he does not send for him. Within seven days he ought to return.

6. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu's sister is sick . . . . (&c., see § 5).

7. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a relation of a Bhikkhu is sick. If he sends a messenger to that Bhikkhu (saying), "I am sick; might his reverence come to me" . . . . ( &c., as in § 5).

8. 'In case, O Bhikkhus, a person that used to live with the Bhikkhus^[1] is sick. If he sends a messenger to the Bhikkhus (saying), "I am sick; might the Bhikkhus come to me" . . . . ( &c.. as in § 5).'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Buddhaghosa: bhikkhugatika is a person that dwells in the same Vihāra with the Bhikkhus.