English
6. Explanation of the Discourse on Aging Now, the explanation of the Discourse on Aging will be given— 39. Short, alas, is this life, One dies even before a hundred years; And even if one lives beyond that, Still, one dies of old age. “Short, alas, is this life”— “Life” means duration, existence, continuation, maintenance, movement, carrying on, preservation, life, the faculty of life. Moreover, life is short, life is little, for two reasons: Either life is short due to its brevity of duration, Or life is short due to its brevity of essence. How is life short due to its brevity of duration? In the past moment of consciousness, it lived, it does not live, it will not live; In the future moment of consciousness, it will live, it does not live, it did not live; In the present moment of consciousness, it lives, it did not live, it will not live. “Life and self-existence, And all joys and sorrows; Are conjoined with a single consciousness, The moment passes swiftly. “Even the gods who endure Eighty-four thousand eons; Even they do not live Conjoined with two consciousnesses. “Those that ceased in one who dies, Or in one who remains here; All the aggregates are similar, Gone without rebirth. “And those that broke immediately, And those that will break in the future; There is no difference in characteristic Among those that ceased in between. “By what is not yet born, one is not born; By what is present, one lives; The world dies when consciousness breaks, According to conventional truth. “Just as rivers flow, Guided by desire; Their unbroken stream flows on, Conditioned by the six sense bases. “Broken, they are not stored away, There is no heap in the future; Those that are born and remain, Are like mustard seeds on a needle’s point. “For the phenomena that are born, Their breaking is foremost; They exist as perishable things, Unmixed with the old. “They come from not being seen, They go to being seen when they break; Like a flash of lightning in the sky, They arise and they vanish.” Thus, life is short due to its brevity of duration. How is life short due to its brevity of essence? Bound up with breathing… Life is bound by in-breaths, life is bound by out-breaths, life is bound by in-breaths and out-breaths, life is bound by the great elements, life is bound by edible food, life is bound by heat, life is bound by consciousness. Their root is weak, their prior causes are weak, the conditions are weak, those that bring them forth are weak, their co-existents are weak, their associations are weak, their co-born are weak, that which sets them in motion is weak. These are always weak for each other, these are unstable for each other. These make each other fall, for each other there is no protector, nor do these sustain each other. And that which brings forth does not exist. Nor is anyone diminished by anyone, and these Gandharvas are entirely so; These are brought forth by the former, and those that brought forth are already dead; The former and the latter, never saw each other. Thus, life is short due to its essence. Moreover, compared to the life of the Devas of the Four Great Kings, the life of humans is little life, short life, brief life, momentary life, light life, temporary life, non-enduring life, non-long-lasting life. Compared to the life of the Tāvatiṃsa Devas… compared to the life of the Yāma Devas… compared to the life of the Tusita Devas… compared to the life of the Nimmānaratī Devas… compared to the life of the Paranimmitavasavattī Devas… compared to the life of the Brahmakāyika Devas, the life of humans is little life, short life, brief life, momentary life, light life, temporary life, non-enduring life, non-long-lasting life. For this was said by the Blessed One: “Little, monks, is the lifespan of humans, the next world is to be gone to, it is to be understood with wisdom, good is to be done, the holy life is to be lived, there is no not-dying for one who is born. Whoever, monks, lives long, lives for a hundred years, or less.” Or even more. Short is the life of humans, A good person should despise it; He should live as if his head is ablaze, For there is no escape from death. Days and nights pass by, Life ceases; The life of mortals wastes away, Like water in small rivers. Alas, short is this life. Even within a hundred years, one dies. Even at the kalala stage, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at the abbuda stage, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at the pesi stage, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at the ghana stage, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at the developing limbs stage, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even immediately after birth, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even in the lying-in chamber, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at half a month old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at one month old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at two months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at three months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at four months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at five months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at six months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at seven months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at eight months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at nine months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at ten months old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at one year old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at two years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at three years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at four years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at five years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at six years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at seven years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at eight years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at nine years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at ten years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at twenty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at thirty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at forty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at fifty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at sixty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at seventy years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at eighty years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes; Even at ninety years old, one falls away, dies, disappears, vanishes – Even within a hundred years, one dies. And if one lives beyond that. He who lives having passed a hundred years, he lives for one year, or he lives for two years, or he lives for three years, or he lives for four years, or he lives for five years, or he lives for six years, or he lives for seven years, or he lives for eight years, or he lives for nine years, or he lives for ten years, or he lives for twenty years, or he lives for thirty years. lives, or lives for forty years – and even if one lives beyond that. Still, that one dies of old age. When one is old, aged, advanced in years, reached the end of life, with broken teeth, grey hair, sparse and bald head, wrinkled body marked with spots, bent, stooped, relying on a stick, that one falls away, dies, disappears, perishes due to old age, there is no escape from death. Like ripe fruits, there is fear of falling in the morning; So for mortals who are born, there is always fear of death. Just as a potter's made clay vessels; All end in breaking, so is the life of mortals. Both young and old, both fools and the wise; All go under the sway of death, all have death as their destination. For those overcome by death, going to the other world; A father does not protect his son, nor relatives their kin. While relatives look on, and lament loudly; Each mortal one by one, is led away like an ox to slaughter; Thus is the world afflicted, by death and old age. Still, that one dies of old age. Therefore the Blessed One said: Short indeed is this life, one dies even before a hundred years; And even if one lives beyond that, still, that one dies of old age. People grieve over what they cling to, for there are no permanent possessions; Seeing that separation is inherent in this, one should not dwell in a house. "People grieve over what they cling to." "People" means nobles, brahmins, merchants, workers, householders, monastics, devas, and humans. "Clinging" means two kinds of clinging – clinging of craving and clinging of views... this is clinging of craving... this is clinging of views. Even those who suspect their cherished object will be taken away grieve, those whose object is being taken away grieve, and those whose object has been taken away grieve. Even those who suspect their cherished object will change grieve, those whose object is changing grieve, and those whose object has changed grieve, they become weary, lament, beat their breasts, cry out... Falling into bewilderment, People grieve over what they call 'mine'. Indeed, no possessions are permanent. There are two kinds of possessions: Possession through craving, And possession through views. ... This is possession through craving. ... This is possession through views. Possession through craving is impermanent, Conditioned, Dependently arisen, Subject to decay, Subject to vanishing, Subject to dispassion, Subject to cessation, Subject to change. Possession through views is also impermanent, Conditioned, Dependently arisen, Subject to decay, Subject to vanishing, Subject to dispassion, Subject to cessation, Subject to change. This was said by the Blessed One: