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Buddhism

Iti 77 · uttaka 77

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Monks, this body falls apart; consciousness is subject to fading; all acquisitions are inconstant, stressful, subject to change.”

Knowing the body as                  falling apart,

& consciousness            as dissolving away,

seeing the danger                  in acquisitions,

you’ve gone beyond

birth & death.

Having reached the foremost peace,

you bide your time,

composed.

See also: Thag 11; Thag 14:1


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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