Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

But the Bodisat stopped them all, saying : — ' Enough, my friends ! Be still ! ' And he exhorted the queen, saying : — ' Neither do thou, O queen, weep : neither do thou lament. For down even unto a grain of sesamum fruit there is no such thing as a compound which is permanent ! All are transient, all have the inherent quality of dissolution ! '

And when he had so said, he further uttered this stanza : —

' How transient are all component things !
Growth is their nature and decay :
They are produced, they are dissolved again :
To bring them into full subjection, that is bliss V

[In these verses the words ' How transient are all component things ! ' mean ' Dear lady Subhadda, wheresoever and by whatsoever causes made or come together, compounds 3, — that is, all those things which possess the essential constituents [whether material or mental] of existing things4, — all these compounds are impermanence itself. For of these form 5 is impermanent, reason 6 is impermanent, the [mental] eye 7 is impermanent, and qualities 8 are impermanent. And whatever treasure there be, whether conscious or unconscious, that is transitory. Understand therefore " How transient are all component things!"

'And why? "Growth is their nature and decay." These, all, have the inherent quality of coming into [individual] existence, and have also the inherent quality of growing old ; or [in other words] their very nature is to come into existence and to be broken up. Therefore should it be understood that they are impermanent.

' And since they are impermanent, when " they are produced, they are dissolved again." Having come into existence,

1 This question and answer are not in the Suttanta.

2 All this is omitted in the Suttanta. It is true the verse occurs .here, but it is placed in the mouth of the Teacher, after the account of Maha-Sudassana's death.

3 Sankhara. * Khandayatanadayo. B Rfipam.

'• Vififianam. 7 Cakkhum. 8 Dhamma.

INTRODUCTION. 1 95

having reached a state1, they are surely dissolved. For all these things come into existence, taking an individual form ; and are dissolved, being broken up. To them as soon as there is birth, there is what is called a state ; as soon as there is a state, there is what is called disintegration 2. For to the unborn there is no such thing as state, and there is no such thing as a state which is without disintegration. Thus are all compounds, having attained to the three characteristic marks [of impermanency, pain, and want of any abiding principle], subject, in this way and in that way, to dissolution. All these component things therefore, without exception, are impermanent, momentary, despicable, unstable, disintegrating, trembling, quaking, unlasting, sure to depart 3, only for a time 4, and without substance ; as temporary as a phantom, as the mirage, or as foam !

• How then in these, dear lady Subhadda, can you feel any sign of satisfaction ? Understand rather than " to bring them into subjection, that is bliss." For to bring them into subjection, since it involves mastery over the whole circle of transmigration, is the same as Nirvana. That and this are one 5. And there is no other bliss than that.']

And when Maha-Sudassana had thus brought his discourse to a point with the ambrosial great Nirvana, and had made exhortation also to the rest of the great multitude, saying : — ' Give gifts ! Observe the precepts ! Keep the sacred days G ! ' he became an inheritor of the world of the gods.

[When the Master had concluded this lesson in the truth, he summed up the Jataka, saying: — ' She who was then Subhadda the queen was the mother of Rahula, the great adviser was Rahula, the rest of the retinue the Buddha's retinue, and Maha-Sudassana I myself.']

The word translated ' component things ' or ' compounds ' is sarikhara, literally confections, from kar, 'to make,' and sam, ' together.' It is a word very frequently used in Buddhist writings, and a word consequently of many different connotations ; and there is, of course, no exactly corresponding word

1 Thiti. 2 Bhango.

3 Payata, literally 'departed.' The forms payati and payato, given by Childers, should be corrected into payati and payato.

4 Tavakalika. See Jataka I, 121, where the word is used of a cart let out on hire for a time only.

5 Tad ev ekam eka/«, which is not altogether without ambiguity.