4:6 Old Age

804Short, alas, is this life;
one even dies before a hundred years.
Even if one lives longer,
one still dies because of old age. (1)

805People sorrow over things taken as “mine,”
for there are no permanent possessions.
Having seen that there is separation,
one should not live the home life. (2)

806Whatever a person conceives thus, “This is mine,”
that too is abandoned at death.
Having understood this, a wise one, my follower,
should not incline to take things as “mine.” (3)

807Just as, on awakening, a person does not see
whatever was encountered in a dream, [159]
so too one does not see a beloved person
who has died and passed away. (4)

808Although those people were seen and heard,
and were known by such and such a name,
when a person has passed away,
the name alone remains to be uttered. (5)

809Those who are greedy for personal assets
do not escape sorrow, lamentation, and miserliness.
Therefore the munis, seers of security,
wandered having abandoned possessions. (6)

810When a bhikkhu lives withdrawn,
resorting to a secluded seat,
they say it is appropriate for him
not to show himself in a fixed dwelling. (7)

811The muni is not dependent on anything;
he takes nothing as pleasing, nothing as displeasing.
Lamentation and miserliness do not stick to him
as water does not stick to a leaf. (8)

812Just as a water drop does not stick to a lotus leaf,
or water to the lotus flower,
so the muni does not cling to anything
among the seen, heard, or sensed. (9) [160]

813One cleansed does not thereby conceive
things seen, heard, or sensed.
He does not wish for purification by another,
for he becomes neither passionate nor dispassionate. (10)

Jarāsutta

804Appaṁ vata jīvitaṁ idaṁ,
Oraṁ vassasatāpi miyyati;
Yo cepi aticca jīvati,
Atha kho so jarasāpi miyyati.

805 Socanti janā mamāyite,
Na hi santi niccā pariggahā;
Vinābhāvasantamevidaṁ,
Iti disvā nāgāramāvase.

806 Māraṇenapi taṁ pahīyati,
Yaṁ puriso mamidanti maññati;
Etampi viditvā paṇḍito,
Na mamattāya nametha māmako.

807 Supinena yathāpi saṅgataṁ,
Paṭibuddho puriso na passati;
Evampi piyāyitaṁ janaṁ,
Petaṁ kālaṅkataṁ na passati.

808 Diṭṭhāpi sutāpi te janā,
Yesaṁ nāmamidaṁ pavuccati;
Nāmaṁyevāvasissati,
Akkheyyaṁ petassa jantuno.

809 Sokapparidevamaccharaṁ,
Na jahanti giddhā mamāyite;
Tasmā munayo pariggahaṁ,
Hitvā acariṁsu khemadassino.

810 Patilīnacarassa bhikkhuno,
Bhajamānassa vivittamāsanaṁ;
Sāmaggiyamāhu tassa taṁ,
Yo attānaṁ bhavane na dassaye.

811 Sabbattha munī anissito,
Na piyaṁ kubbati nopi appiyaṁ;
Tasmiṁ paridevamaccharaṁ,
Paṇṇe vāri yathā na limpati.

812 Udabindu yathāpi pokkhare,
Padume vāri yathā na limpati;
Evaṁ muni nopalimpati,
Yadidaṁ diṭṭhasutaṁ mutesu vā.

813 Dhono na hi tena maññati,
Yadidaṁ diṭṭhasutaṁ mutesu vā;
Nāññena visuddhimicchati,
Na hi so rajjati no virajjatīti.

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Jarāsuttaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.