The Translation

[F.155.b] [RAS.60.a2] [TUL.46.a3] [PDP.222.b9]

1.1Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a great community of monks numbering 1,250.

1.2Then, the Blessed One addressed those monks: “Monks, all conditioned states are impermanent, uncertain, unreliable, subject to change. This being the case, monks, one should become disgusted with, indifferent to, not fixated upon, and liberated from all conditioned states.

1.3“For all beings, all spirits, and all that draw breath, life indeed concludes with death, has its limit in death, [F.156.a] for there is nothing [PDP.223.a] that is born that will not die.

1.4“Monks, those wealthy householder families, wealthy brahmin families, and wealthy warrior families who are of great wealth, of great affluence, having an abundance of jewels, rubies, pearls, beryl, conch shells, crystal, coral, [RAS.60.b] gold, silver, and luxuries; owning an abundance of treasuries and storerooms of money and grain; [TUL.46.b] having an abundance of male slaves, female slaves, servants, and laborers; and having an abundance of friends, counselors, relations, and relatives‍—even for them life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.

1.5“Monks, those consecrated kings and warriors, who have obtained strength and power through sovereignty over the people, who dwell having conquered the great circumference of the Earth‍—even for them life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.

1.6“Monks, those sages who are forest hermits, whose livelihood consists of fallen fruit, who eat fallen fruit, who are nourished by fallen fruit‍—even for them life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.

1.7“Monks, those gods of the realm of desire‍—the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the gods of Yāma Heaven, the gods of Tuṣita Heaven, the gods of the Heaven of Delightful Emanations, and the gods of the Heaven of Control of Enjoyments Created by Others‍—even for them life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.

1.8“Monks, those gods of the form realm ‍—those who have obtained the first dhyāna, that is, those who attend Brahmā, those stationed before Brahmā, those in the assembly of Brahmā, and those Great Brahmā gods; [RAS.61.a] those who have obtained the second dhyāna, that is, those of limited radiance, [F.156.b] those of immeasurable radiance, and those who are radiant ones; those who have obtained the third dhyāna, that is, those of limited splendor, those of immeasurable splendor, and those of complete splendor; those who have obtained the fourth dhyāna, that is, those who are unclouded, those with abundant merit, those with great fruition, and those who have a nature that is free from perception; and those gods [of the Pure Abodes (śuddhāvāsa)], that is, those who are relatively not great, those without trouble, those of excellent appearance, those of excellent observation, and those who are highest‍—even for them [TUL.47.a] life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.

1.9“Monks, those gods of the formless realm ‍—those gods belonging to the sphere of the infinity of space, those belonging to the sphere of the infinity of consciousness, those belonging to the sphere of nothingness, those belonging to the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception; even for them life concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die. These are the three worlds.

1.10“Monks, those arhats, whose negative influences have been exhausted, who have fulfilled their duty, who have done what is to be done, who have laid aside their burdens, who have reached their own goals, those for whom the fetters of existence have been exhausted, whose minds have been completely liberated by proper, highest knowledge, those who have obtained the excellent perfection consisting of complete mastery of thought‍—even for them their pleasing bodies are subject to being given up.

1.11“Monks, those pratyekabuddhas living alone like a rhinoceros, who live in crowds , who master themselves alone, who pacify themselves alone, who enter parinirvāṇa themselves alone‍—even for them their pleasing bodies are subject to being given up. [RAS.61.b]

1.12“Monks, those tathāgatas, [F.157.a] arhats, complete and perfect buddhas, mighty with the ten powers, worthy of admiration, roaring a true lion’s roar, confident in the four confidences‍—confidence in ascending dharmas, confidence in all their teaching, confidence in comprehending the path to nirvāṇa, and confidence in their effort for the knowledge of exhausting negative influences‍—their bodies strong-limbed and firm like Nārāyaṇa‍—even for them their pleasing bodies are subject to being given up.

1.13“Monks, just as pots made by potters, [PDP.223.b] whether unfired or fired, are destroyed, conclude in destruction, it is exactly so, monks, for all beings, all spirits, and all that draw breath‍—[TUL.47.b] life indeed concludes with death, has its limit in death, for there is nothing that is born that will not die.”

1.14So said the Blessed One. After the Sugata said this, the Teacher spoke further:

1.15So said the Blessed One. The assembly was delighted, and those monks rejoiced at the speech of the Blessed One.

1.16Here ends the noble “Sūtra on Impermanence.”