Dvejana Sutta: Two People (1)

AN 3.51

Thai 3.52; BJT 3.52

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika 's monastery. Then two brahmans — feeble old men, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old — went to the Blessed One. On arrival, they exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to him: "Master Gotama, we are brahmans — feeble old men, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old. And we have done no admirable deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay our fears. Teach us, Master Gotama. Instruct us, Master Gotama, for our long-term benefit & happiness."

"Indeed, brahmans, you are feeble old men, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old. And you have done no admirable deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay your fears. This world is swept away by aging, by illness, by death. With the world thus swept away by aging, illness, & death, any restraint of body, speech, & intellect practiced here will be one's shelter, cave, island, & refuge after death in the world beyond."

It's swept along: life, its next-to-nothing span. For one swept on by aging no shelters exist. Keeping sight of this danger in death, do meritorious deeds that bring bliss. Whoever here is restrained in body, speech, & awareness, who makes merit while he's alive: that will be for his bliss after death.

The text of this page ("Dvejana Sutta: Two People (1)", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License . To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Transcribed from a file provided by the translator. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013.

How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Dvejana Sutta: Two People (1)" (AN 3.51), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition) , 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.051.than.html .