Old Age

146. How is there laughter, how is there joy, as this world is always burning? Why do you not seek a light, ye who are surrounded by darkness?

146. How can there be laughter or joy when this world is always burning? Why don’t you seek a light when you are surrounded by darkness?

147. Look at this dressed-up lump, covered with wounds, joined together, sickly, full of many thoughts, which has no strength, no hold!

147. Look at this dressed-up lump of a body, covered in wounds, pieced together, sickly, and full of thoughts. It has no strength, nothing to keep it firm!

148. This body is wasted, full of sickness, and frail; this heap of corruption breaks to pieces, life indeed ends in death.

148. This body is worn out, full of sickness, and frail. This decaying mass falls apart. Life indeed ends in death.

149. Those white bones, like gourds thrown away in the autumn, what pleasure is there in looking at them?

149. Those white bones are like gourds thrown away in autumn. What pleasure is there in looking at those bones?

150. After a stronghold has been made of the bones, it is covered with flesh and blood, and there dwell in it old age and death, pride and deceit.

150. Once a fortress is built from bones, it is covered with flesh and blood. Within this fortress live old age and death, pride and deceit.

151. The brilliant chariots of kings are destroyed, the body also approaches destruction, but the virtue of good people never approaches destruction,—thus do the good say to the good.

151. The splendid chariots of kings are destroyed, and the body also nears destruction. But the virtue of good people never nears destruction. This is what good people say to one another.

152. A man who has learnt little, grows old like an ox; his flesh grows, but his knowledge does not grow.

152. A man who has learned little grows old like an ox. His body grows, but his knowledge does not.

153, 154. Looking for the maker of this tabernacle, I shall have to run through a course of many births, so long as I do not find (him); and painful is birth again and again. But now, maker of the tabernacle, thou hast been seen; thou shalt not make up this tabernacle again. All thy rafters are broken, thy ridge-pole is sundered; the mind, approaching the Eternal (visankhara, nirvana), has attained to the extinction of all desires.

153, 154. I seek the maker of this dwelling. As long as I do not find him, I must pass through many births. And being born again and again is painful. But now, maker of this dwelling, you have been seen. You will not build this dwelling again. All your rafters are broken. Your roof’s main beam is shattered. The mind, approaching the Eternal (visankhara, nirvana), has reached the end of all desires.

155. Men who have not observed proper discipline, and have not gained treasure in their youth, perish like old herons in a lake without fish.

155. Men who have not practiced proper discipline or gained wealth in their youth perish like old herons in a lake without fish.

156. Men who have not observed proper discipline, and have not gained treasure in their youth, lie, like broken bows, sighing after the past.

156. Men who did not practice proper discipline or gain wealth in their youth lie like broken bows. They sigh as they long for the past.