English
This is an impossible state for an ascetic, or a brahmin, or a deity, or Māra, or a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. 'May I not be lost, subject to loss!' This is an impossible state for an ascetic, or a brahmin, or a deity, or Māra, or a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. O great king, for an uninstructed ordinary person, aging comes. When aging comes, he does not reflect thus: 'It is not for me alone that aging comes, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and are reborn, for all beings, aging comes. If I, when aging comes, were to grieve, lament, and weep, beat my breast, cry out, and fall into confusion, my food would not be appealing, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, and my friends would be displeased.' So, when aging comes, he grieves, laments, and weeps, beats his breast, cries out, and falls into confusion. This, O great king, is called: 'The uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisoned arrow of sorrow, torments himself.' Again, O great king, for an uninstructed ordinary person, illness comes. When illness comes, he does not reflect thus: 'It is not for me alone that illness comes, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and are reborn, for all beings, illness comes. If I, when illness comes, were to grieve, lament, and weep, beat my breast, cry out, and fall into confusion, my food would not be appealing, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, and my friends would be displeased.' So, when illness comes, he grieves, laments, and weeps, beats his breast, cries out, and falls into confusion. This, O great king, is called: 'The uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisoned arrow of sorrow, torments himself.' death comes. When death comes, he does not reflect thus: 'It is not for me alone that death comes, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and are reborn, for all beings, death comes. If I, when death comes, were to grieve, lament, and weep, beat my breast, cry out, and fall into confusion, my food would not be appealing, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, and my friends would be displeased.' So, when death comes, he grieves, laments, and weeps, beats his breast, cries out, and falls into confusion. This, O great king, is called: 'The uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisoned arrow of sorrow, torments himself.' decay comes. When decay comes, he does not reflect thus: 'It is not for me alone that decay comes, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and are reborn, for all beings, decay comes. If I, when decay comes, were to grieve, lament, and weep, beat my breast, cry out, and fall into confusion, my food would not be appealing, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, and my friends would be displeased.' So, when decay comes, he grieves, laments, and weeps, beats his breast, cries out, and falls into confusion. This, O great king, is called: 'The uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisoned arrow of sorrow, torments himself.' loss comes. When loss comes, he does not reflect thus: 'It is not for me alone that loss comes, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and are reborn, for all beings, loss comes. If I, when loss comes, were to grieve, lament, and weep, beat my breast, cry out, and fall into confusion, my food would not be appealing, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, let enemies be pleased, let friends be displeased.’ When that which is subject to loss is lost, he grieves, he laments, he wails, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. This is called, O great king— ‘the uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisoned arrow of sorrow, torments himself.’ “But, O great king, for the instructed noble disciple, that which is subject to aging ages. When that which is subject to aging has aged, he reflects thus— ‘It is not for me alone that that which is subject to aging ages, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and reappear, for all beings, that which is subject to aging ages. If I, when that which is subject to aging has aged, were to grieve, were to lament, were to wail, were to beat my breast, were to fall into confusion, my food would not be digested, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, my friends would be displeased.’ When that which is subject to aging has aged, he does not grieve, he does not lament, he does not wail, he does not beat his breast, he does not fall into confusion. This is called, O great king— ‘the instructed noble disciple has pulled out the poisoned arrow of sorrow, by which the uninstructed ordinary person torments himself. Sorrowless, arrowless, the noble disciple calms himself completely.’ “Furthermore, O great king, for the instructed noble disciple, that which is subject to sickness sickens… …that which is subject to death dies… …that which is subject to decay decays… …that which is subject to loss is lost. When that which is subject to loss is lost, he reflects thus— ‘It is not for me alone that that which is subject to loss is lost, but for all beings who come, go, pass away, and reappear, for all beings, that which is subject to loss is lost. If I, when that which is subject to loss is lost, were to grieve, were to lament, were to wail, were to beat my breast, were to fall into confusion, my food would not be digested, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, my friends would be displeased.’ When that which is subject to loss is lost, he does not grieve, he does not He does not tire, nor lament, nor beat his breast and weep, nor fall into confusion. This is called, O great king— ‘The well-taught noble disciple has extracted the poisoned arrow of sorrow, by which the untaught ordinary person torments himself. Sorrowless, arrowless, the noble disciple calms himself completely.’” “These, O great king, are five things unobtainable by a recluse or a brahmin, by a deva or a Māra, by a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world.” “Not by sorrowing or lamenting, can even a little benefit be gained; Knowing him to be sorrowful and suffering, his enemies become joyful. “But when a wise person, in adversity, does not tremble, one who knows how to discern what is beneficial; His enemies become distressed, seeing his face unchanged as before. “By supplication, by counsel, by good speech, by giving, or by tradition; In whatever way, wherever he might gain benefit, in that way, there he should strive. “If he should know it to be unobtainable, that benefit, by me or by another; Without sorrowing, he should endure, ‘My karma is firm, what can I do now?’” When this was said, King Muṇḍa said to the venerable Nārada: “What is the name, venerable sir, of this discourse on the Dhamma?” “This discourse on the Dhamma, O great king, is called ‘The Removal of the Arrow of Sorrow.’” “Indeed, venerable sir, ‘The Removal of the Arrow of Sorrow’! For having heard this discourse on the Dhamma, venerable sir, my arrow of sorrow has been abandoned.” Then King Muṇḍa addressed Piyaka, the treasurer: “Therefore, friend Piyaka, cremate the body of Queen Bhaddā; and make a stupa for her. From today onwards, we shall bathe and anoint ourselves, and eat food, and attend to our affairs.” The Tenth. The Chapter on King Muṇḍa, the Fifth. Its summary— Beginning, good person, desirable, giver of what is pleasing, overflowing. Prosperity and wealth, Position, Skill, And by Nārada, so it is. The First Fifty is completed. 2. The Second Fifty.