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Anguttara Nikaya

# AN 7.74 Araka Sutta (The Teacher Araka) AN 7.74

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    [page 1]
    AN 7.74

    Araka Sutta
    “The Teacher Araka”

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2023

    “Bhikkhus, in the past there was a teacher named Araka, the founder of a religious sect of
    practitioners, who lived free from lust for sensual pleasures.
    “Araka, the teacher, had hundreds of disciples whom he would teach the Dhamma, by saying:
    ‘O! Brahmins, the life of a human being is so very brief, fleeting, and full of worries, as it brings
    with it so much suffering, pain, and misery. This must be carefully pondered and understood by
    each one of you. Therefore, you should become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-
    bringing actions, dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those
    who are born.
    1. “Human life is like that of a dewdrop, Brahmins! Much like when the Sun rises early in the
    morning, the dew drops that had gathered on the tip of grass quickly vanish, unable to stay long.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like a dew drop; fleeting, and full of worries, as it brings
    with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must, therefore, strive diligently to become wise
    while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and dedicating yourselves to the
    holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    2. “Human life is like that of a bubble, Brahmins! Much like when heavy rain is pouring down,
    you can see the splashing of the rain drops that form into bubbles everywhere, almost quarreling
    with each other here and there, but ever so quickly, they all vanish and disappear from sight.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like the bubbles of rain drops that vanish; fleeting, and
    full of worries, as it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must, therefore,
    strive diligently to become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and
    dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    3. “Human life is as short as that of a line that is drawn in water, Brahmins! Much like when you
    try drawing a line by moving a stick on the surface of the water, which instantaneously
    disappears, and is no more.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like a line that is drawn in water with a stick; fleeting,
    and full of worries, as it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must, therefore,

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    strive diligently to become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and
    dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    4. “Human life is as short as the swiftly flowing river rushing down from the mountains,
    Brahmins!  Much like the swiftly flowing river coming down from the mountains, as it rushes,
    pushes forth and does not stop, taking and dragging down with its strong current all that stand on
    its path, without stopping or taking a break, not even for a minute, a second, or just a moment,
    nor could it ever turn back.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like the swiftly flowing river; fleeting, and full of
    worries, as it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must, therefore, strive
    diligently to become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and
    dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    5. “Human life is short and not so different than a glob of spittle, Brahmins! Much like when a
    strong man collecting a glob of spittle at the tip of his tongue, quickly and easily spits it out, the
    spit is no more.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like a glob of spittle, fleeting, and full of worries, as it
    brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must, therefore, strive diligently to
    become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and dedicating
    yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    6. “Human life is short and not so different than a small piece of lard, Brahmins! Much like when
    someone drops a small piece of lard onto a blazing red-hot iron pan that’s been heated for an
    entire day, the lard would immediately hiss and vaporize.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like a small piece of lard, fleeting, and full of worries, as
    it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery, you must therefore, strive diligently to
    become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing actions, and dedicating
    yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are born.
    7. “Human life is short and not so different than a cow that is on her way to the slaughterhouse,
    Brahmins! Much like a cow that is on her way to be slaughtered, whichever leg she lifts to
    continue walking, whatever she does, the cow would still be headed straight to the
    slaughterhouse, to be killed.
    “Having a life that is so very brief, just like a cow that is on her way to the slaughterhouse;
    fleeting, and full of worries, as it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery; you must,
    therefore, strive diligently to become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing
    actions, and dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who
    are born.
    “But Bhikkhus, during the time of Araka, the teacher, humans enjoyed an average lifespan of
    sixty thousand years! And girls would reach the age of marriage when they were five hundred
    years old!

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    “At that time, humans would suffer from only six types of ailments: cold, heat, hunger, thirst,
    and the need to urinate and excrete.
    “You see, Bhikkhus, that teacher Araka was instructing human beings who had such a long
    lifespan, with very few discomforts and even fewer ailments, teaching them that life is so very
    short, fleeting, and full of worries, as it brings with it so much suffering, pain, and misery, and
    how they must, therefore, strive diligently to become wise while living a wholesome life, doing
    merit-bringing actions, and dedicating themselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for
    all those who are born.
    “But now, more than ever, Bhikkhus, it is very appropriate and essential to remind yourselves
    that the life of a human being is so very brief, fleeting, and full of worries, as it brings with it so
    much suffering, pain, and misery. This must be carefully pondered and understood by each one
    of you.
    “Therefore, you should become wise while living a wholesome life, doing merit-bringing
    actions, dedicating yourselves to the holy life, because death is inevitable for all those who are
    born.
    “Bhikkhus, it is appropriate and essential now more than ever, because one lives at the most to a
    hundred years, or maybe a little bit more. Someone living a hundred years has three hundred
    seasons, that include a hundred winters, a hundred summers, and a hundred rainy seasons.
    “Bhikkhus, someone living a hundred seasons, lives only one thousand and two hundred months,
    that include four hundred months of the winter season, four hundred months of the summer
    season, and four hundred months of the rainy season.
    “One living one thousand and two hundred months has two thousand four hundred fortnights,
    consisting of eight hundred winter fortnights, eight hundred summer fortnights, and eight
    hundred rainy season fortnights.
    “Someone living 2,400 fortnights has 36,000 nights, consisting of 12,000 winter nights, 12,000
    summer nights, and 12,000 rainy season nights.
    “One living 36,000 nights eats 72,000 meals, consisting of 24,000 meals taken in the winter
    season, 24,000 meals taken in the summer season, and 24,000 meals taken in the rainy season,
    including mother’s milk that one has consumed as an infant, and any other meals one has missed.
    “The missed meals include times when, while being aggravated by anger, the person could not
    eat; aggravated by pain, they could not eat; aggravated by sickness, they could not eat; while
    observing the Uposatha, they could not eat; and while they were unable to obtain food, they
    could not eat.
    “Therefore, Bhikkhus, I have elaborated for you on the human lifespan, in its seasons, months,
    fortnights, nights and days, along with the number of meals a human being would consume,
    while living those hundred years.

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    “Bhikkhus,
    Whatever should be done by a compassionate teacher for his disciples,
    Out of consideration for them and their wellbeing,
    All that, I have done for you.

    “Now, there are these roots of trees and empty kutis.
    Go and meditate, Bhikkhus!
    Do not be heedless or negligent!
    Otherwise, you will regret it later!
    This is our advice to you.”

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

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