The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a strong leather strap around my head. I’m not keeping well.

The winds slicing my belly are so severe, like a deft butcher or their apprentice were slicing open a cow’s belly with a sharp meat cleaver. I’m not keeping well.

The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals. I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”

Then the Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired Venerable Phagguna with a Dhamma talk, after which he rose from his seat and left.

Not long after the Buddha left, Venerable Phagguna passed away. At the time of his death, his faculties were bright and clear. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, soon after the Buddha left, Venerable Phagguna died. At the time of his death, his faculties were bright and clear.”