SN 2:19 · Uttara the Deva’s Son (Uttara Sutta)
Near Rājagaha. As he was standing to one side, Uttara the deva’s son recited this verse in the Blessed One’s presence:
“Life is swept along,
next-to-nothing its span.
For one swept on by aging
no shelters exist.
Perceiving this danger in death,
one should do deeds of merit
that bring about bliss.”
The Buddha:
“Life is swept along,
next-to-nothing its span.
For one swept to old age
no shelters exist.
Perceiving this danger in death,
one should drop the world’s bait
and look for peace.”
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).
