This is as I heard from the Blessed One. At one time the Blessed One was staying in the province of Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s park, at Anathapindika’s monastery.
At that time, the dear and beloved only son of a certain lay follower had died. So a large number of lay followers with wet clothes and wet hair approached the Blessed One. They paid homage to him and sat down to one side. Then the Blessed One asked them, “Lay followers, why have you come here in the middle of the day, with wet clothes and wet hair?”
The lay follower whose son had died replied to the Blessed One, “Bhante, my dear and beloved only son has died. This is why we have come here in the middle of the day with wet clothes and wet hair.”
Then, on realizing the danger of attachment, the Blessed One spoke the following inspired verses:
“Many gods and humans are firmly tied by what they hold as dear and pleasant. Eventually they fall into grief, and are caught by Māra, the evil one.
“However, those who day and night practise the Dhamma heedfully to abandon sense pleasures, that are dear and agreeable, they overcome craving that is so hard to overcome. They dig up the root of craving, the cause of suffering, which is the bait of Māra, the evil one.”
