The rain saturates things that are covered up; it doesn’t saturate things that are open. Therefore you should open up a covered thing, so the rain will not saturate it.
The world is beaten down by death and surrounded by old age. The dart of craving has struck it down, and it’s always fuming with desire.
The world is beaten down by death, caged by old age, beaten constantly without respite, like a criminal being flogged.
Three things are coming, like a wall of flame: death, disease, and old age. No power can stand before them, and no speed’s enough to flee.
Don’t waste your day, a little or a lot. Every night that passes shortens your life by that much.
Walking or standing, sitting or lying down: your final night draws near; you have no time to be careless.
Sirimaṇḍa
Thag 6.13 · Sirimaṇḍattheragāthā
Connections
Collection & context
- TheragāthāThe 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
- Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato and Jessica Walton · 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.