JARA VAGGA (Old Age)
 

Contents

1 Visakha and her drunken companions
2 How the Buddha auctioned Sirima's corpse
3 How the Buddha console an elderly nun - Uttara
4 The over-confident monks
5 Arahanthood through reflection on the impermanence of beauty - Rupananda
6 The queen who regretted over a minor mistake - Mallika
7 The monk who always said the wrong thing - Laludayi
8 The paean of bliss uttered by the Buddha
9 How Mahadhana squandered away his wealth
 

XI:1 SEEK THE LIGHT

What is laughter, what is joy, when the world is ever burning¹?
Shrouded by darkness, would you not seek the light?
 

XI:1 Visakha and her drunken companions

After sometime, they again requested her to accompany them to the garden.  Knowing what had happened the last time, Visakha refused. Then they requested her to take them to the Jetavana monastery so that they could pay their homage to the Buddha.

On arrival at the monastery, the ladies again, unknown to Visakha, drank the liquor they had secretly brought along. Visakha requested the Buddha teach them the Dhamma. By that time, the women were all drunk. Mara took the opportunity to encourage them to be bold and soon they were boisterously singing, dancing, clapping and jumping about in the monastery. The Buddha saw the hand of Mara in the shameless behaviour of these women and said to himself, ‘Mara must not be given the opportunity.’

So, the Buddha sent forth dark-blue rays from the hair of his eyebrow and the whole room was darkened; the women were frightened and began to get sober. Then the Master vanished from his seat and stood on top of Mt. Sumeru, and from there he sent forth a ray of light and the sky was lit up as if by a thousand moons.

After thus manifesting this phenomenon, the Enlightened One admonished the women, ‘You ladies should not have come to the monastery in this unmindful state. Because you have been negligent, Mara has had the opportunity to make you behave shamelessly in the monastery. Now strive to put out the fire of lust and the other evil passions within you.’

The Buddha, after ascertaining that the ladies had by then developed unshaken faith in the Dhamma, returned to the Jetavana monastery. In response to a question by Visakha, he explained the evil of drinking liquor and how countless beings had to suffer pain and unhappiness. At the end of the discourse, those ladies realised the Truth and were established in the path of discipline and mindfulness.
 

Note:

1. This world is perpetually consumed with the flames of passions. It is completely shrouded by the veil of ignorance. Being placed in such a world, the wise should try to seek the light of wisdom.
 

XI:2 FOUL IS THIS GAILY DECKED BODY

Behold this beautiful body, a mass of sores, a heaped-up (lump), diseased, much thought of, in which nothing lasts, nothing persists¹.
 

XI:2 How the Buddha auctioned Sirima’s corpse

The next day, the young bhikkhu went with the other bhikkhus to the house of Sirima. She was not well on that day, but since she wanted to pay respects to the bhikkhus, she was carried to their presence. The young bhikkhu seeing Sirima thought to himself, ‘Even though she is sick, she is very beautiful.’ And he developed a strong desire for her.

That very night, Sirima died. King Bimbisara visited the Buddha and mentioned that Sirima had died. He advised the king to keep the dead body for three days without burying it. On the fourth day, the dead body of Sirima was no longer beautiful or desirable; it had become bloated and maggots came out from the body.

On that day, the Buddha took his bhikkhus to the cemetery to observe the dead body. The young bhikkhu, who was so desperately in love with Sirima, did not know that Sirima had died. When he heard that the Buddha and the bhikkhus were going to see Sirima, he eagerly joined them. The Buddha then requested the king to announce that Sirima would be available for a night on the payment of one thousand pieces of coins. But nobody would take her for one thousand, or for five hundred; or for two hundred and fifty, or even if she were to be given free of charge.

Then the Buddha said to the audience, ‘Bhikkhus! Look at Sirima. When she was living, there were many who were willing to give one thousand to spend one night with her; but now none will take her even if given without any payment. The body of a person is subject to deterioration and decay, After listening to the Buddha, the young monk who had developed his attachment to Sirima realised the real nature of life.
 

Note:

1. As good as pleasant.
 

XI:3 LIFE ENDS IN DEATH

Thoroughly worn out is this body, a nest of diseases, perishable. This putrid mass breaks up. Truly, life ends in death.
 

XI:3 How the Buddha consoled an elderly nun (Uttara)

On the fourth day, while she was on her alms round, she met the Buddha on a narrow road. Respectfully, she paid homage to the Buddha and stepped back. While doing so, she accidentally stepped on her own robe and fell to the ground.

The Master went up to her and consoled her, ‘You must understand that your body is getting old and infirm, it is ready to crumble.’

Reflecting mindfully on the advice given by the Master, Bhikkhuni Uttara attained the first stage of Sainthood.
 

XI:4 WHAT DELIGHT IN SEEING WHITE BONES?

Like gourds cast away in autumn are these dove-hued bones.
What pleasure is there in looking at them?
 

XI:4 The over-confident monks

When they arrived at the outer gate of the monastery, the Buddha told Venerable Ananda, ‘Those bhikkhus will not benefit much by coming to see me now. Ask them to go to the cemetery first and then come and see me.’ Ananda then delivered the message to those bhikkhus, and they reflected, ‘The Enlightened One knows everything; he must have some reasons for making us go to the cemetery first.’ So they went to the cemetery.

There, when they saw decaying dead bodies,* they could look at them as just skeletons, and bones, but when they saw some fresh dead bodies, they realised, with horror, that they still had some sensual desires awakening in them. The Buddha saw them from his monastery and sent forth his radiance and exhorted, ‘Bhikkhus! Seeing these dead bodies, is it proper for you to have any sensual desire in you?”

Perceiving the fleeting nature of all sensual pleasures, all those bhikkhus realised the Dhamma.

*Dead bodies are classified as (i) bloated (uddhumataka), (ii) discoloured (vinilaka), (iii) festering (vipubbaka), (iv) dissected (vicchiddaka), (v) gnawed-to-pieces (vikkhayitaka), (vi) scattered-in-pieces (vikkhittaka), (vii) mutilated and scattered-in-pieces (hata-vikkhittaka), (viii) bloody (lohitaka), (ix) worm-infested (pulavaka), and (x) skeleton (atthika).

During the time of the Buddha, these ten kinds of dead bodies were found in cemeteries and charnel places where dead bodies were not buried or cremated and where flesh-eating beasts and birds frequent. In modern days it is impossible to obtain such corpses as subjects for meditation.
 

XI:5 THIS BODY IS COMPOSED OF FLESH AND BLOOD

Of bones is (this) city made, plastered with flesh and blood.
Herein are stored decay, death, conceit, and detraction.
 

XI:5 Arahanthood through reflection on the impermanence of beauty
(Rupananda)

My mother, Gotami, has become a bhikkhuni, and I am all alone here!’ So saying, she became a bhikkhuni herself. Thus, she had become a bhikkhuni not out of conviction but only because of her attachment to her family. Rupananda had heard from others that the Buddha often talked about the impermanency of the body. So she thought that he would talk disparagingly about her good looks if he should see her; and thus thinking, she kept away from the Buddha. But other bhikkhunis, coming back from the monastery, kept talking in praise of the Buddha until one day, she decided to accompany them to the monastery.

The Buddha saw her and reflected, ‘A thorn can be taken out with a thorn. Rupananda is very attached to her body and is very proud of her beauty. Therefore I must take the pride and attachment out of her through beauty.’ So, with his supernormal power, he caused a vision of a very beautiful lady about sixteen years of age to be seated near him. This young girl was visible only to Rupananda. When she saw the girl, she realised that compared to that girl, she herself was just like an old, ugly crow next to a beautiful white swan.

Rupananda liked her very much. Then, she looked again and was surprised to find that the girl had grown to the age of about twenty. Again and again, she looked at the figure beside the Buddha and each time she noticed that the girl had grown older and older. Thus, the girl turned into a grown-up lady, then into a middle-aged lady, an old lady and finally a very old lady. Rupananda also noticed that with the arising of each new image, the old image disappeared, and she came to realise that there was a continuous process of change and decay in the body. With the coming of this realisation, her attachment to the body diminished.

Meanwhile, the figure had turned into an old, decrepit lady who could no longer control her bodily functions and was rolling on the ground. Finally, she died, her body got bloated, pus and maggots came out of the body.

Having seen all these, Rupananda pondered, ‘This young girl has grown old and decrepit and died in this very place before my own eyes. In the same way, my body will also grow old and decay. It will be subjected to disease and I will also die.’ Thus, she came to perceive the true nature of the body.

Responding to further guidance from the Buddha, Rupananda attained Arahanthood.
 

XI:6 RIGHTEOUSNESS DOES NOT WEAR AWAY

Even ornamented royal chariots wear out.
So too the body reaches old age.
But the Dhamma¹ of the Good grows not old.
Thus, indeed say the Saints² among themselves.
 

XI:6 The queen who regretted over a minor mistake (Mallika)

If anyone was to go into that room, looking from this window there would appear to be two. If you don’t believe me, O king, please go into that room and I will look through this window.’

So, the king went into the bathroom. When he came out, Mallika asked the king why he misbehaved with a she-goat in that place. The king denied it, but the queen insisted that she saw it with her own eyes. The king was puzzled, but being dim-witted, he accepted the queen’s explanation, and concluded that the bathroom was indeed very strange.

From that time, the queen was full of remorse for having lied to the king and for having brazenly accused him of misbehaving with a she-goat. Thus, even when she was approaching death, her mind was disturbed by that particular incident and she had no chance to recall the great meritorious deeds that she had done and only remembered that she had been unfair to her husband. As a result of this unwholesome last thought* when she died she was reborn in a suffering state.

After her funeral, the king wanted to ask the Buddha where she was reborn. The Buddha wished to spare his feelings, and also did not want him to lose faith in the Dhamma since his understanding was not very deep. So he willed that this question should not be put to him, and King Pasenadi forgot to ask the Buddha. The king visited the Buddha for seven consecutive days but was not able to ask his question. However, after seven days in the suffering state, the queen was reborn in the Tusita deva world. On that day, the Buddha went to King Pasenadi’s palace for alms food.

The king finally remembered to ask where the Queen was reborn. When told that she was reborn in the Tusita deva world, the king was very pleased and said, Where else could she be reborn? She was always thinking of doing good deeds. Venerable Sir! Now that she is gone, I, your humble disciple, hardly know what to do.’ The Buddha advised him, ‘Look at these carriages of your father and your grandfather; these are all worn down and lying useless; so also is your body, which is subject to decay and death. Only the Dhamma of the Virtuous is not subject to decay.’
 

Notes:

1. The nine supramundane states are the four Paths, the four Fruits and Nibbana.

2. Such as the Buddhas.

* According to Abhidhamma philosophy, at this critical stage the dying person is presented a Kamma, Kamma Nimitta or Gati Nimitta which determines the next existence.

1. Kamma means some good or bad act done during one's lifetime or immediately before the dying moment.

2. Kamma Nimitta or 'symbol' means a mental reproduction of any sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or idea which was predominant at the time of some important activity, good or bad, such as a vision of knives or dying animals in the case of a butcher, of patients in the case of a physician, and of the object of worship in the case of a devotee, etc.

3. Gati Nimitta or 'symbol of destiny' means some symbol of the place of future birth. This frequently presents itself to dying persons and stamps its gladness or gloom upon their features. If bad indications are indicated, they can at times be remedied by influencing the thoughts of the dying person. Such premonitory visions of destiny may be fire, forests, mountainous regions, a mother's womb, celestial mansions, and the like.
 

XI:7 ONE WITH LITTLE LEARNING LACKS WISDOM

The man of little learning grows old like the ox.
His muscles grow; his wisdom grows not.
 

XI:7 The monk who always said the wrong thing (Laludayi)

The Buddha then revealed that Laludayi in one of his past existences had been a farmer. He had two oxen to help him to till the land. When one of the oxen died, he was very sad and depressed. He urged his son to request for an ox from the king. His son refused, but instead asked him to go personally to ask the favour from the king.

Knowing that his father was dull witted, he taught his father the proper way to address the king. It went something like this:

‘I had two oxen, mighty king, to help me till my land;
But one of them is dead; pray give me another, your Highness.’
But when he was taken before the king, he said:

‘I had two oxen, mighty king, to help me till my land;
But one of them is dead; pray take my other, your Highness.’
Luckily, the king was a wise ruler. He knew that the farmer by the slip of tongue had said the exact opposite of what he had intended to say. The king presented him not one but sixteen oxen.
 

XI:8 CRAVING IS THE BUILDER OF THIS HOUSE

Sabba te phasuka bhagga gaha kutam visankhitam
Visankhara gatam cittam - tanhanam khayam ajjhaga.

Through many a birth I wandered in samsara1 seeking, but not finding, the builder of the house. Sorrowful is it to be born again and again.

O house-builder! Thou art seen. Thou shalt build no house again. All thy rafters are broken. Thy ridge-pole is shattered. My mind has attained the unconditioned. Achieved is this end of craving.
 

XI:8 The paean of bliss uttered by the Buddha

He was determined to find the Truth in his own way, and by avoiding the two extremes of excessive sensual indulgence and self-mortification, he found the Middle Path which would lead to Perfect Peace, Nibbana. This Middle Path (Majjhima Patipada) is the Noble Eight Fold Path, - viz. Right Understanding, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

Thus, one evening, seated under a Bo tree on the bank of the Neranjara River, Prince Siddhattha Gotama attained Supreme Enlightenment at the age of thirty-five. During the first watch of the night, the Prince attained the power of recollection of past existences and during the second watch he attained the power of divine sight. Then, during the third watch of the night he contemplated on the Doctrine of Dependent Origination.

At the crack of dawn, Prince Siddhattha Gotama, by his own intellect and insight, fully and completely comprehended the Four Noble Truths: *The Noble Truth of Unsatisfactoriness, Dukkha (Dukkha Ariya Sacca); The Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha (Dukkha Samudaya Ariya Sacca); The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha (Dukkha Nirodha Ariya Sacca), and The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha (Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada Ariya Sacca).

There also appeared in him, in all their purity, the clear knowledge of the absolute reality of each Noble Truth (Sacca nana), knowledge gained through the performance required for each Noble Truth (Kicca nana) and the knowledge of the completion of the performance required for each Noble Truth (Kata nana); and thus, he attained the Sabbannuta nana (also called Bodhi nana) of a Buddha. From that time, he was known as Gotama the Buddha.
 

Notes:

1.These two verses, the first paean of joy (udana) uttered by the Buddha immediately after His Enlightenment, are not found elsewhere. The Venerable Ananda heard them from the lips of the Buddha and they have been inserted here.

Here the Buddha admits his past wanderings in existence which entails suffering, a fact which evidently proves the belief in rebirth. He was compelled to wander, and consequently to suffer, so long as he could not discover the architect who built this house, the body. In His final birth He discovered by His own intuitive wisdom the elusive architect dwelling not outside but within the recesses of His own heart. The architect was Craving or Attachment (tanha) a self-created force, a mental element latent in all. The discovery of the architect is the eradication of craving by attaining Arahanthood which, in this utterance, is alluded to as the end of craving.

The rafters of this self-created house are the defilements  (kilesa). The ridge-pole that supports the rafters is ignorance (avijja), the root cause of all defilements. The shattering of the ridge-pole of ignorance by wisdom results in the complete demolition of the house. The ridge-pole and the rafters are the material with which the architect builds this undesired house.

With their destruction the architect is deprived of the wherewithal to rebuild the house which is not wanted. With the demolition of the house the mind attains the Unconditional which is Nibbana.

* The first Noble Truth of Dukkha should be comprehended. (Parinneyya).

The second Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha should be eradicated. (Pahatabba).

The third Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha should be realised. (Sacchikatabbam).

The fourth Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation of Dukkha should be developed. (Bhavetabbam).
 

XI:9 THEY REGRET WHO DO NOT PROGRESS
MATERIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY

Acaritva’ brahmacariyam - aladdha yobbane dhanam
Senti capatikhina'va - puranani anutthunam.

They who have not led the Holy Life, who in youth have not acquired wealth, pine away like old herons at a pond without fish.

They who have not led the Holy Life, who in youth have not acquired wealth, lie like wornout bows, sighing after the past.
 

XI:9 How Mahadhana squandered away his wealth

One day, the Buddha saw the rich man’s son in poverty and told Venerable Ananda, ‘Look at this son of a very rich man; he has lived an aimless life of pleasure. If he had learnt to look after his money, he would have been a very rich man, or if he had renounced the worldly life, he and his wife could have attained Sainthood. However, because he had done nothing beneficial he has lost all his worldly riches and also lost all opportunties of attaining Sainthood.’