The Life Stories of the Monks – 1799 

 

 

remember his 

[1203]

 Dhamma influence, his Dhamma instruments and his 

righteous support.” 

The Buddha knowing that Ven. Ānanda was really in great distress, said to him 
as follows, for he desired to abate his sorrowful feelings: “My dear Ānanda, 
have I not spoken to you long before about separation from one’s beloved while 
alive (

nānā-bhāva

), separation by death (

vinā-bhāva

) and separation in different 

existences (

aññathā-bhāva

)? Dear Ānanda, herein how could it be possible to 

wish that something, having the nature of coming to life, coming into existence 
and being subject to conditioning and destruction, should not pass away? Indeed 
there is no such possibility! 

My dear Ānanda, while a big substantial tree is standing, its largest branch 
might come to destruction; similarly, while the community of worthy monks is 
existing, Sāriputta ceases to live. Herein how would it be possible to wish that 
something, having the nature of coming to life, coming into existence and being 
subject to conditioning and destruction, should not pass away? Indeed there is no 
such possibility. 

My dear Ānanda, do not live depending on others but live depending on yourself. 
Live not by relying on other doctrines but by relying on the supermundane ones! 
My dear Ānanda, how should a monk not live depending on others but live 
depending on himself? How should one live not relying on other doctrines but 
by relying on supermundane ones? 

My dear Ānanda, in this Dispensation, a monk lives, eradicating craving and 
grief that tend to appear in the world, by putting forth strong effort, by 
reflecting, by being mindful, by repeatedly seeing the body as the body. By 
putting strong effort, by reflecting, by being mindful, one lives, eradicating 
craving and grief that tends to appear in the world, by repeatedly seeing feelings 
as feelings, by repeatedly seeing the mind as mind, by repeatedly seeing 
phenomena as phenomena. My dear Ānanda, in this way a monk lives not by 
depending on others but by depending upon himself. He lives not by relying on 
other doctrines but by relying on supermundane ones. 

My dear Ānanda, if monks, at present or after my demise, live by not depending 
on others but by depending on themselves, by not relying on other doctrines but 
by relying on supermundane ones, all of them will become noble Arahats, 
indeed among those, who take up the three trainings.”