VIEWING THIS BODY AS FOAM AND A MIRAGE, ONE AVOIDS THE SHAFTS OF DEATH AND GOES BEYOND HIM/HER. - Dhammapada (Verse 46)
“This body of ours is like forth, a bubble, or foam. It disintegrates quickly. The nature of life is like a mirage, an
illusion. Therefore, one must give up these unrealities. To achieve
that one must destroy Mara’s flower-arrows by which he tempts men and
woman. It is necessary that the truth-seeker should go beyond Mara’s
region, to areas unseen by him. Mara knows only the realm of death. The
truth seeker goes beyond that region to the “deathless” (Nibbana) – a
domain Mara has never seen.”
“Phenupamam kayam imam viditva maricidhammam abhisambudhano
Chetvana marassa papupphakani adassanam maccurajassa gacche.”
While residing at the Jetavana Monastry, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to a certain monk.
A monk obtained a meditation topic from the Buddha and entered the forest for the purpose of practicing meditation. But when, after striving and struggling with much effort he was still unable to attain arahatship. So he returned to the Buddha and asked for a meditation topic that suits his needs.
On the way he saw a mirage. He said to himself, “Even as this mirage, as seen in the season of the heat, appears substantial to those that are far away, but vanishes on nearer approach. This is the same with this existence unsubstantial by reason of birth and decay.” Upon fixing his mind on the mirage, he meditated on the mirage. On his return, wearied with the journey, he bathed in the Aciravathi River and sat himself in the shade of a tree on the river bank near a waterfall. As he sat there watching the white water bursting from the force of the water striking against the rocks, he said to himself, ”Just as this existence produced and just so does it burst,” And this he took for his meditation topic.
The Buddha seated in his perfumed chamber, saw the elder and said,”Monk it is even so. Like a bubble of form or a mirage is this existence. Precisely thus is it produced and precisely thus it pass away.”
“Phenupamam” – Like forth. The body is compared to forth and bubble, because the body too disintegrates quickly like forth and bubble. In many instances, the transience of the human body is equated to the disintegration of a bubble.
“marici dhammam abhisambudhano”- becoming deeply aware of the mirage-like insubstantiality and the illusory nature of life. The bubble and the mirage, together emphasize the evanescence and the illusory nature of life………………………..
“This body of ours is like forth, a bubble, or foam. It disintegrates quickly. The nature of life is like a mirage, an
illusion. Therefore, one must give up these unrealities. To achieve
that one must destroy Mara’s flower-arrows by which he tempts men and
woman. It is necessary that the truth-seeker should go beyond Mara’s
region, to areas unseen by him. Mara knows only the realm of death. The
truth seeker goes beyond that region to the “deathless” (Nibbana) – a
domain Mara has never seen.”“Phenupamam kayam imam viditva maricidhammam abhisambudhano
Chetvana marassa papupphakani adassanam maccurajassa gacche.”
While residing at the Jetavana Monastry, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to a certain monk.
A monk obtained a meditation topic from the Buddha and entered the forest for the purpose of practicing meditation. But when, after striving and struggling with much effort he was still unable to attain arahatship. So he returned to the Buddha and asked for a meditation topic that suits his needs.
On the way he saw a mirage. He said to himself, “Even as this mirage, as seen in the season of the heat, appears substantial to those that are far away, but vanishes on nearer approach. This is the same with this existence unsubstantial by reason of birth and decay.” Upon fixing his mind on the mirage, he meditated on the mirage. On his return, wearied with the journey, he bathed in the Aciravathi River and sat himself in the shade of a tree on the river bank near a waterfall. As he sat there watching the white water bursting from the force of the water striking against the rocks, he said to himself, ”Just as this existence produced and just so does it burst,” And this he took for his meditation topic.
The Buddha seated in his perfumed chamber, saw the elder and said,”Monk it is even so. Like a bubble of form or a mirage is this existence. Precisely thus is it produced and precisely thus it pass away.”
“Phenupamam” – Like forth. The body is compared to forth and bubble, because the body too disintegrates quickly like forth and bubble. In many instances, the transience of the human body is equated to the disintegration of a bubble.
“marici dhammam abhisambudhano”- becoming deeply aware of the mirage-like insubstantiality and the illusory nature of life. The bubble and the mirage, together emphasize the evanescence and the illusory nature of life………………………..
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