At the city of Sāvatthī…
King Pasenadi sat to one side, and the Buddha asked him, “So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”
“Bhante, my grandmother has passed away. She was old, elderly and a senior. She was advanced in years and had reached the final stage of life. She was a hundred and twenty years old. Bhante, I loved my grandmother very much. She was very dear to me.
“If, by exchanging a valuable elephant with somebody I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it. If, by exchanging a valuable horse with somebody I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it. If, by exchanging a prosperous village with somebody I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it. If, by exchanging a prosperous state with somebody I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it.”
“Great king, all beings are subject to death. Death is their end; they’re not freed from death.”
“It’s incredible, bhante, it’s amazing, how well it was said by the Buddha: ‘All beings are subject to death. Death is their end; they’re not freed from death.’”
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true! All beings are subject to death. Death is their end; they’re not freed from death. It’s like the clay pots made by potters. Whatever kind they are, whether baked or unbaked, all of them are subject to break apart. Breaking is their end; they’re not freed from breaking. In the same way, all beings are subject to death. Death is their end; they’re not freed from death.”
“All beings will die,
life ends with death.
Beings pass on according to their kamma,
reaping the fruits of good and bad kamma.
Those who do bad go to hell,
and those who do good go to heaven.
“That’s why you should do good,
which will benefit your future lives.
Only the merit of beings
support them in the next world.”
