an.5.48 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Situations

“Bhikkhus, there are these five situations that are unobtainable by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. What five? (1) ‘May what is subject to old age not grow old!’: this is a situation that is unobtainable by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. (2) ‘May what is subject to illness not fall ill!’: this is a situation that is unobtainable by an ascetic … or by anyone in the world. (3) ‘May what is subject to death not die!’: this is a situation that is unobtainable by an ascetic … or by anyone in the world. (4) ‘May what is subject to destruction not be destroyed!’: this is a situation that is unobtainable by an ascetic … or by anyone in the world. (5) ‘May what is subject to loss not be lost!’: this is a situation that is unobtainable by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world.

(1) “Bhikkhus, for the uninstructed worldling, what is subject to old age grows old. When this happens, he does not reflect thus: ‘I am not the only one for whom what is subject to old age grows old. For all beings that come and go, that pass away and undergo rebirth, what is subject to old age grows old. If I were to sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating my breast, and become confused when what is subject to old age grows old, I would lose my appetite and my features would become ugly. I would not be able to do my work, my enemies would be elated, and my friends would become saddened.’ Thus, when what is subject to old age grows old, he sorrows, languishes, laments, weeps beating his breast, and becomes confused. This is called an uninstructed worldling pierced by the poisonous dart of sorrow who only torments himself.

(2) “Again, for the uninstructed worldling, what is subject to illness falls ill … (3) … what is subject to death dies … (4) … what is subject to destruction is destroyed … (5) … what is subject to loss is lost. When this happens, he does not reflect thus: ‘I am not the only one for whom what is subject to loss is lost. For all beings who come and go, who pass away and undergo rebirth, what is subject to loss is lost. If I were to sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating my breast, and become confused when what is subject to loss is lost, I would lose my appetite and my features would become ugly. I would not be able to do my work, my enemies would be elated, and my friends would become saddened.’ Thus, when what is subject to loss is lost, he sorrows, languishes, laments, weeps beating his breast, and becomes confused. This is called an uninstructed worldling pierced by the poisonous dart of sorrow who only torments himself.

(1) “Bhikkhus, for the instructed noble disciple, what is subject to old age grows old. When this happens, he reflects thus: ‘I am not the only one for whom what is subject to old age grows old. For all beings that come and go, that pass away and undergo rebirth, what is subject to old age grows old. If I were to sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating my breast, and become confused when what is subject to old age grows old, I would lose my appetite and my features would become ugly. I would not be able to do my work, my enemies would be elated, and my friends would become saddened.’ Thus, when what is subject to old age grows old, he does not sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating his breast, and become confused. This is called an instructed noble disciple who has drawn out the poisonous dart of sorrow pierced by which the uninstructed worldling only torments himself. Sorrowless, without darts, the noble disciple realizes nibbāna.

(2) “Again, for the instructed noble disciple, what is subject to illness falls ill … (3) … what is subject to death dies … (4) … what is subject to destruction is destroyed … (5) … what is subject to loss is lost. When this happens, he reflects thus: ‘I am not the only one for whom what is subject to loss is lost. For all beings that come and go, that pass away and undergo rebirth, what is subject to loss is lost. If I were to sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating my breast, and become confused when what is subject to loss is lost, I would lose my appetite and my features would become ugly. I would not be able to do my work, my enemies would be elated, and my friends would become saddened.’ Thus, when what is subject to loss is lost, he does not sorrow, languish, lament, weep beating his breast, and become confused. This is called an instructed noble disciple who has drawn out the poisonous dart of sorrow pierced by which the uninstructed worldling only torments himself. Sorrowless, without darts, the noble disciple realizes nibbāna.

“These, bhikkhus, are the five situations that are unobtainable by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world.

“It is not by sorrowing and lamenting
that even the least good here can be gained.
Knowing that one is sorrowful and sad,
one’s enemies are elated.

“When the wise person does not shake in adversities,
knowing how to determine what is good,
his enemies are saddened, having seen
that his former facial expression does not change.

“Wherever one might gain one’s good,
in whatever way—by chanting, mantras,
maxims, gifts, or tradition—there
one should exert oneself in just that way.

“But if one should understand: ‘This good
cannot be obtained by me or anyone else,’
one should accept the situation without sorrowing,
thinking: ‘The kamma is strong; what can I do now?’”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

Things That Cannot Be Had

“Mendicants, there are five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.
What five?
That someone liable to old age should not grow old.
That someone liable to sickness should not get sick. … That someone liable to death should not die. … That someone liable to ending should not end. … That someone liable to perishing should not perish. …
An unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to old age who grows old.
But they don’t reflect on old age:
‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old.
If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I’d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’
And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
This is called
an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow’s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves.
Furthermore, an unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to sickness … death … ending … perishing.
But they don’t reflect on perishing:
‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes.
If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I’d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’
And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
This is called
an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow’s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves.
A learned noble disciple has someone liable to old age who grows old.
So they reflect on old age:
‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old.
If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I’d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’
And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
This is called
a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow’s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves.
Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves.
Furthermore, a learned noble disciple has someone liable to sickness … death … ending … perishing.
So they reflect on perishing:
‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes.
If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I’d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’
And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
This is called
a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow’s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves.
Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves.
These are the five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.
Sorrowing and lamenting
doesn’t do even a little bit of good.
When they know that you’re sad,
your enemies are encouraged.
When an astute person doesn’t waver in the face of adversity,
as they’re able to assess what’s beneficial,
their enemies suffer,
seeing that their normal expression doesn’t change.
Chants, recitations, fine sayings,
charity or traditions:
if by means of any such things you benefit,
then by all means keep doing them.
But if you understand that ‘this good thing
can’t be had by me or by anyone else’,
you should accept it without sorrowing, thinking:
‘The karma is strong. What can I do now?’”