Jarāsutta

Sutta Nipāta 4.6

Anthology of Discourses 4.6

Jarāsutta

Old Age

Appaṁ vata jīvitaṁ idaṁ,

Short, alas, is this life;

Oraṁ vassasatāpi miyyati;

you die before a hundred years.

Yo cepi aticca jīvati,

Even if you live a little longer,

Atha kho so jarasāpi miyyati.

you still die of old age.

Socanti janā mamāyite,

People grieve over belongings,

Na hi santi niccā pariggahā;

yet there is no such thing as permanent possessions.

Vinābhāvasantamevidaṁ,

Separation is a fact of life; when you see this,

Iti disvā nāgāramāvase.

you wouldn’t stay living at home.

Maraṇenapi taṁ pahīyati,

Whatever a person thinks of as belonging to them,

Yaṁ puriso mamidanti maññati;

that too is given up when they die.

Etampi viditvā paṇḍito,

Knowing this, an astute follower of mine

Na mamattāya nametha māmako.

would not be bent on ownership.

Supinena yathāpi saṅgataṁ,

Just as, upon awakening, a person does not see

Paṭibuddho puriso na passati;

what they encountered in a dream;

Evampi piyāyitaṁ janaṁ,

so too you do not see your loved ones

Petaṁ kālaṅkataṁ na passati.

when they are dead and gone.

Diṭṭhāpi sutāpi te janā,

You used to see and hear those folk,

Yesaṁ nāmamidaṁ pavuccati;

and call them by their name.

Nāmaṁyevāvasissati,

Yet the name is all that’s left to tell

Akkheyyaṁ petassa jantuno.

of a personage when they’re gone.

Sokapparidevamaccharaṁ,

Those who are greedy for belongings

Na jahanti giddhā mamāyite;

don’t give up sorrow, lamentation, and stinginess.

Tasmā munayo pariggahaṁ,

That’s why the sages, seers of sanctuary,

Hitvā acariṁsu khemadassino.

left possessions behind and wandered.

Patilīnacarassa bhikkhuno,

For a mendicant who lives withdrawn,

Bhajamānassa vivittamāsanaṁ;

frequenting a secluded seat,

Sāmaggiyamāhu tassa taṁ,

they say it’s fitting

Yo attānaṁ bhavane na dassaye.

to not show themselves in a home.

Sabbattha munī anissito,

The sage is independent everywhere,

Na piyaṁ kubbati nopi appiyaṁ;

they don’t form likes or dislikes.

Tasmiṁ paridevamaccharaṁ,

Lamentation and stinginess

Paṇṇe vāri yathā na limpati.

slip off them like water from a leaf.

Udabindu yathāpi pokkhare,

Like a droplet slips from a lotus-leaf,

Padume vāri yathā na limpati;

like water from a lotus flower;

Evaṁ muni nopalimpati,

the sage doesn’t cling to that

Yadidaṁ diṭṭhasutaṁ mutesu vā.

which is seen or heard or thought.

Dhono na hi tena maññati,

For the one who is cleansed does not conceive

Yadidaṁ diṭṭhasutaṁ mutesu vā;

in terms of things seen, heard, or thought.

Nāññena visuddhimicchati,

They do not wish to be purified by another;

Na hi so rajjati no virajjatīti.

they are neither passionate
nor growing dispassioned.

Jarāsuttaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.