“What ages, what does not age? What’s called a deviation? What’s a roadblock for skillful qualities? What is ending day and night? What’s the stain of celibacy? What’s the waterless bath?
How many holes are there in the world, where one’s wealth leaks out? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: how are we to understand this?”
“The physical form of mortals gets old, but their name and clan don’t. Lust is called a deviation,
and greed is a roadblock for skillful qualities. Youth is ending day and night. Women are the stain of chastity, to which this generation clings. Fervor and chastity are the waterless bath.
There are six holes in the world, where one’s wealth leaks out: laziness and negligence, lack of initiative and lack of restraint, sleepiness and sloth. You should completely get rid of these holes!”
Getting Old
SN 1.76 · Najīratisutta
Connections
Collection & context
- Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.