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# AN 9:15 · A Boil (Gaṇḍa Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-9-15/
- Published: 2026-06-01T05:50:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:44:23.000Z
- Description: Aṅguttara Nikāya · AN 9:15. Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Aṅguttara Nikāya, Discourse, Pali, Early Buddhist, Library, #Import 2026-07-06 03:34

“Monks, it’s just as if there were a boil that had been building for many years with nine openings, nine un-lanced heads. Whatever would ooze out from it would be an uncleanliness oozing out, a stench oozing out, a disgust oozing out. Whatever would be discharged from it would be an uncleanliness discharging, a stench discharging, a disgust discharging.

“’A boil,’ monks, is another word for this body composed of the four properties, born of mother & father, fed on rice & porridge, subject to inconstancy, rubbing & abrasion, breaking-up & disintegrating. It has nine openings, nine un-lanced heads. Whatever would ooze out from it would be an uncleanliness oozing out, a stench oozing out, a disgust oozing out. Whatever would be discharged from it would be an uncleanliness discharging, a stench discharging, a disgust discharging. For that reason, you should become disenchanted with this body.”

See also: [MN 119](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/mn-119/); [AN 4:163](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-4-163/); [Sn 1:11](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-1-11/); [Thag 10:5](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/thag-10-5/)

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*Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) licence, for free distribution only. Source: [dhammatalks.org](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN9%5F15.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*