| orrow of this World. | | | | follows suit. Therefore one should learn to restrain |
| All of us, men, women and traders should think wisely; | | | | oneself and develop what is good. One should not be |
| we are horn and are bound to die; we have a physical | | | | slow to develop the practice of generosity, morality |
| body, so are sure to grow old ; relatives and parents | | | | and meditation (Bhavana) , for these practices are |
| cannot help us in this; when we die, we die alone and | | | | undoubtedly the path to the good. |
| our minds cling to their merit and demerit. One may be | | | | Summarising the steps of the path which one should |
| famous and have gained much in the world,then one | | | | make haste to follow : (a) Do not stray from the path |
| has to discard it all. Children, men, women, all must be | | | | of virtue. (b) Do not deal in corruption. (c) Do not seek |
| abandoned. Please listen to the words of the Bhikkhus | | | | to do dangerous things. (d) Do not intentionally do |
| ; do not cling to the conceit of self, for wife and | | | | wrong. (e) Do not think evil. |
| husband must part, and when one’s body is a | | | | Think of your body as being like a boat, in which: |
| corpse, it will decay and be burnt in the crematorium. | | | | 1.Faith (Saddha) is the anchor which may be let down |
| This fact may be seen clearly by all, and because of | | | | when it is time to rest awhile from the journey. |
| this, one fluctuates between happiness and sorrow. | | | | 2. Energy (Viriya) is the oar for rowing the boat. |
| But the happiness is small, like the fireflies on the top of | | | | 3.Mindfulness (Sati) is the rudder. |
| a large tree, as compared with the suffering which is | | | | 4. Concentrated-Absorption (Samadhi) is the hand at |
| like a mountain. | | | | the helm which keeps a true course and prevents the |
| All of us, men and women, have been born and are | | | | boat drifting so that it moves freely and easily across |
| sure to come to old age and death. Money and the | | | | the swiftly flowing river. |
| things we value most must part from us. We cannot | | | | 5.Wisdom (Panna) is the telescope, enabling you to |
| take one single thing with us. Even the money that is | | | | see the rocks in your path. |
| put in the dead body’s mouth1 remains in the | | | | 6. Knowledge is the eyes and ears which guard the |
| crematorium or is taken by the undertaker. Husband or | | | | boat, preventing it from coming to harm and capsizing. |
| wife can only follow as far as the crematorium. | | | | 7. The arising of laziness is like a dangerous fish which |
| At best they can offer flowers, incense and candles, | | | | tries to upset the boat. |
| and talk in a modest way, to wish that you may be | | | | 8. Hatred is like a fierce wind. |
| born well and happily, or so that you may rise to | | | | 9. Ceasing to harm others makes the water calm |
| heaven. “Do not return to interfere with our | | | | down. |
| lives, do not come back (as a ghost) to disturb your | | | | 10. Selfishness (Macchariya) is the large waves. |
| children and grandchildren. Let our relationship with you | | | | 11. Forbearance and patience (Khanti) disperses the |
| be finished from today”. | | | | hosts of Mara (the evil one ). |
| When they have talked modestly like this, then the fire | | | | 12.Morality (Sila) is the medicine which develops |
| is lit and everything burns up, after which they return | | | | one’s skill. |
| home to do what they want. Only oneself will be alone | | | | 13. Meditation (Bhavana) is the weapon that strikes the |
| and solitary. If the body is discarded on open ground, | | | | blow that kills the mundane elements of existence, thus |
| then only vultures and bad dogs will eat it, until nothing | | | | in time, ending all life under these conditions. This also |
| remains. Then where can one say that one exists? | | | | ends one’s tendencies of ignorance, |
| This is the truth of the thing which we grasp hold of | | | | one’s defilements (Kilesa) and the taste for |
| and cling to; it is not oneself. One’s true body is | | | | craving (Tanฺha). |
| the good and evil which one does and which is | | | | No more is there any wandering back and forth |
| followed by the appropriate results. This is like | | | | between birth and death. Boundless joy, continuous |
| one’s shadow which cannot become separate | | | | and supreme then arises in Nibbana. |
| from oneself, so that in whatever way one moves, it | | | | |