1“Mendicants, there are five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world. What five? That someone liable to old age should not grow old. That someone liable to sickness should not get sick. … That someone liable to death should not die. … That someone liable to ending should not end. … That someone liable to perishing should not perish. …

2An uneducated ordinary person has someone liable to old age who grows old. But they don’t reflect: ‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old. If I were to sorrow and pine and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I’d lose my appetite and my body would become ugly. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’ And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they sorrow and pine and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an uneducated ordinary person struck by sorrow’s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves.

3Furthermore, an uneducated ordinary person has someone liable to sickness … death … ending … perishing. But they don’t reflect: ‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes. If I were to sorrow and pine and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I’d lose my appetite and my body would become ugly. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’ And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they sorrow and pine and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an uneducated ordinary person struck by sorrow’s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves.

4An educated noble disciple has someone liable to old age who grows old. And they reflect: ‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old. If I were to sorrow and pine and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I’d lose my appetite and my body would become ugly. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’ And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they don’t sorrow and pine and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an educated noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow’s poisoned arrow, struck by which uneducated ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves.

5Furthermore, an educated noble disciple has someone liable to sickness… death … ending … perishing. And they reflect: ‘It’s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes. If I were to sorrow and pine and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I’d lose my appetite and my body would become ugly. My work wouldn’t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.’ And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they don’t sorrow and pine and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an educated noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow’s poisoned arrow, struck by which uneducated ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves.

6These are the five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.

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7Sorrowing and lamenting
doesn’t do even a little bit of good.
When they know that you’re sad,
your enemies are encouraged.

8When an astute person doesn’t waver in the face of adversity,
as they’re able to assess what’s beneficial,
their enemies suffer,
seeing that their normal expression doesn’t change.

9Chants, recitations, fine sayings,
charity or traditions:
if by means of any such things you benefit,
then by all means keep doing them.

10But if you understand that ‘this good thing
can’t be had by me or by anyone else’,
you should accept it without sorrowing, thinking:
‘The karma is strong. What can I do now?’”

1"Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, alabbhanīyāni ṭhānāni samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmiṁ. Katamāni pañca? ‘Jarādhammaṁ mā jīrī’ti alabbhanīyaṁ ṭhānaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmiṁ. ‘Byādhidhammaṁ mā byādhīyī’ti … pe … ‘maraṇadhammaṁ mā mīyī’ti … ‘khayadhammaṁ mā khīyī’ti … ‘nassanadhammaṁ mā nassī’ti alabbhanīyaṁ ṭhānaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmiṁ.

2Assutavato, bhikkhave, puthujjanassa jarādhammaṁ jīrati. So jarādhamme jiṇṇe na iti paṭisañcikkhati:  ‘Na kho mayhevekassa jarādhammaṁ jīrati, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbesaṁ sattānaṁ jarādhammaṁ jīrati. Ahañceva kho pana jarādhamme jiṇṇe soceyyaṁ kilameyyaṁ parideveyyaṁ, urattāḷiṁ kandeyyaṁ, sammohaṁ āpajjeyyaṁ, bhattampi me nacchādeyya, kāyepi dubbaṇṇiyaṁ okkameyya, kammantāpi nappavatteyyuṁ, amittāpi attamanā assu, mittāpi dummanā assū’ti. So jarādhamme jiṇṇe socati kilamati paridevati, urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:  ‘assutavā puthujjano viddho savisena sokasallena attānaṁyeva paritāpeti’.

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavato puthujjanassa byādhidhammaṁ byādhīyati … pe … maraṇadhammaṁ mīyati … khayadhammaṁ khīyati … nassanadhammaṁ nassati. So nassanadhamme naṭṭhe na iti paṭisañcikkhati:  ‘Na kho mayhevekassa nassanadhammaṁ nassati, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbesaṁ sattānaṁ nassanadhammaṁ nassati. Ahañceva kho pana nassanadhamme naṭṭhe soceyyaṁ kilameyyaṁ parideveyyaṁ, urattāḷiṁ kandeyyaṁ, sammohaṁ āpajjeyyaṁ, bhattampi me nacchādeyya, kāyepi dubbaṇṇiyaṁ okkameyya, kammantāpi nappavatteyyuṁ, amittāpi attamanā assu, mittāpi dummanā assū’ti. So nassanadhamme naṭṭhe socati kilamati paridevati, urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:  ‘assutavā puthujjano viddho savisena sokasallena attānaṁyeva paritāpeti’.

4Sutavato ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa jarādhammaṁ jīrati. So jarādhamme jiṇṇe iti paṭisañcikkhati:  ‘Na kho mayhevekassa jarādhammaṁ jīrati, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbesaṁ sattānaṁ jarādhammaṁ jīrati. Ahañceva kho pana jarādhamme jiṇṇe soceyyaṁ kilameyyaṁ parideveyyaṁ, urattāḷiṁ kandeyyaṁ, sammohaṁ āpajjeyyaṁ, bhattampi me nacchādeyya, kāyepi dubbaṇṇiyaṁ okkameyya, kammantāpi nappavatteyyuṁ, amittāpi attamanā assu, mittāpi dummanā assū’ti. So jarādhamme jiṇṇe na socati na kilamati na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:  ‘sutavā ariyasāvako abbuhi savisaṁ sokasallaṁ, yena viddho assutavā puthujjano attānaṁyeva paritāpeti. Asoko visallo ariyasāvako attānaṁyeva parinibbāpeti’.

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa byādhidhammaṁ byādhīyati … pe … maraṇadhammaṁ mīyati … khayadhammaṁ khīyati … nassanadhammaṁ nassati. So nassanadhamme naṭṭhe iti paṭisañcikkhati:  ‘Na kho mayhevekassa nassanadhammaṁ nassati, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbesaṁ sattānaṁ nassanadhammaṁ nassati. Ahañceva kho pana nassanadhamme naṭṭhe soceyyaṁ kilameyyaṁ parideveyyaṁ, urattāḷiṁ kandeyyaṁ, sammohaṁ āpajjeyyaṁ, bhattampi me nacchādeyya, kāyepi dubbaṇṇiyaṁ okkameyya, kammantāpi nappavatteyyuṁ, amittāpi attamanā assu, mittāpi dummanā assū’ti. So nassanadhamme naṭṭhe na socati na kilamati na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:  ‘sutavā ariyasāvako abbuhi savisaṁ sokasallaṁ, yena viddho assutavā puthujjano attānaṁyeva paritāpeti. Asoko visallo ariyasāvako attānaṁyeva parinibbāpetī’ti.

6Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca alabbhanīyāni ṭhānāni samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasminti.

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7Na socanāya paridevanāya,
Atthodha labbhā api appakopi;
Socantamenaṁ dukhitaṁ viditvā,
Paccatthikā attamanā bhavanti.

8Yato ca kho paṇḍito āpadāsu,
Na vedhatī atthavinicchayaññū;
Paccatthikāssa dukhitā bhavanti,
Disvā mukhaṁ avikāraṁ purāṇaṁ.

9Jappena mantena subhāsitena,
Anuppadānena paveṇiyā vā;
Yathā yathā yattha labhetha atthaṁ,
Tathā tathā tattha parakkameyya.

10Sace pajāneyya alabbhaneyyo,
Mayāva aññena vā esa attho;
Asocamāno adhivāsayeyya,
Kammaṁ daḷhaṁ kinti karomi dānī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.