King Pasenadi expresses deep sorrow over his grandmother’s death. The Buddha teaches him that all beings, without exception, are subject to death and cannot escape it, likening it to a potter’s pots that are all bound to break.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divādivassā”ti?
When King Pasenadi of Kosala was seated to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: “Now where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?”
“Ayyikā me, bhante, kālaṅkatā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallikā addhagatā vayoanuppattā vīsavassasatikā jātiyā. Ayyikā kho pana me, bhante, piyā hoti manāpā. Hatthiratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, hatthiratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Assaratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, assaratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Gāmavarena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, gāmavarampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Janapadapadesena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, janapadapadesampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’”ti.
“My grandmother, venerable sir, has passed away. She was old, aged, elderly, advanced in years, having reached the final stage of life, she was one hundred and twenty years old. Venerable sir, my grandmother was dear and beloved to me. If, venerable sir, by means of the |elephant treasure::one of the seven treasures of a universal ruler [hatthī + ratana]| I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the elephant treasure so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of the |horse treasure::one of the seven treasures of a universal ruler [assa + ratana]| I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the horse treasure so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of an excellent village I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even an excellent village so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of the country area I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the country area so that she would not have passed away.”
“Sabbe sattā, mahārāja, maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.
“All beings, great king, are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.”
“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā—sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā’”ti.
“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘All beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.’”
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā. Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici kumbhakārabhājanāni āmakāni ceva pakkāni ca sabbāni tāni bhedanadhammāni bhedanapariyosānāni bhedanaṁ anatītāni; evameva kho, mahārāja, sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.
“So it is, great king. So it is, great king. All beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death. Just as whatever pots made by a potter, whether unfired or fired, are subject to breaking, have breaking as their end, and are not exempt from breaking; so all beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.”
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One further said this:
“Sabbe sattā marissanti,
maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ;
Yathākammaṁ gamissanti,
puññapāpaphalūpagā;
Nirayaṁ pāpakammantā,
puññakammā ca suggatiṁ.
“All beings will die,
for life has death as its end;
They will fare according to their deeds,
reaping the fruits of their merit and demerit;
The doer of |injurious actions::harmful, bad, potentially evil intention or action [pāpakamma]| goes to |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|,
The doer of merit goes to a |good destination::state of happiness [suggati]|.
Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,
nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
Therefore, one should do |good::what is beneficial, wholesome, skillful, meritorious [kalyāṇa]|,
as a collection for the future life;
Merits are the support for living beings,
[when they arise] in the next world.”
At Sāvatthi.
When King Pasenadi of Kosala was seated to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: “Now where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?”
“My grandmother, venerable sir, has passed away. She was old, aged, elderly, advanced in years, having reached the final stage of life, she was one hundred and twenty years old. Venerable sir, my grandmother was dear and beloved to me. If, venerable sir, by means of the |elephant treasure::one of the seven treasures of a universal ruler [hatthī + ratana]| I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the elephant treasure so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of the |horse treasure::one of the seven treasures of a universal ruler [assa + ratana]| I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the horse treasure so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of an excellent village I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even an excellent village so that she would not have passed away. If, venerable sir, by means of the country area I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the country area so that she would not have passed away.”
“All beings, great king, are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.”
“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘All beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.’”
“So it is, great king. So it is, great king. All beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death. Just as whatever pots made by a potter, whether unfired or fired, are subject to breaking, have breaking as their end, and are not exempt from breaking; so all beings are subject to death, have death as their end, and are not exempt from death.”
The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One further said this:
“All beings will die,
for life has death as its end;
They will fare according to their deeds,
reaping the fruits of their merit and demerit;
The doer of |injurious actions::harmful, bad, potentially evil intention or action [pāpakamma]| goes to |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|,
The doer of merit goes to a |good destination::state of happiness [suggati]|.
Therefore, one should do |good::what is beneficial, wholesome, skillful, meritorious [kalyāṇa]|,
as a collection for the future life;
Merits are the support for living beings,
[when they arise] in the next world.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divādivassā”ti?
“Ayyikā me, bhante, kālaṅkatā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallikā addhagatā vayoanuppattā vīsavassasatikā jātiyā. Ayyikā kho pana me, bhante, piyā hoti manāpā. Hatthiratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, hatthiratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Assaratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, assaratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Gāmavarena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, gāmavarampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Janapadapadesena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, janapadapadesampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’”ti.
“Sabbe sattā, mahārāja, maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.
“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā—sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā’”ti.
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā. Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici kumbhakārabhājanāni āmakāni ceva pakkāni ca sabbāni tāni bhedanadhammāni bhedanapariyosānāni bhedanaṁ anatītāni; evameva kho, mahārāja, sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
“Sabbe sattā marissanti,
maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ;
Yathākammaṁ gamissanti,
puññapāpaphalūpagā;
Nirayaṁ pāpakammantā,
puññakammā ca suggatiṁ.
Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,
nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.