{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an5.48/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an5.48","id":"suttacentral_an5.48","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an5.48/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, there are five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or M\u0101ra or divinity or by anyone in the world. What five? That someone liable to old age should not grow old. That someone liable to sickness should not get sick. \u2026 That someone liable to death should not die. \u2026 That someone liable to ending should not end. \u2026 That someone liable to perishing should not perish. \u2026 An unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to old age who grows old. But they don\u2019t reflect on old age: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves. Furthermore, an unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to sickness \u2026 death \u2026 ending \u2026 perishing. But they don\u2019t reflect on perishing: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves. A learned noble disciple has someone liable to old age who grows old. So they reflect on old age: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to old age who grows old. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they don\u2019t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves. Furthermore, a learned noble disciple has someone liable to sickness \u2026 death \u2026 ending \u2026 perishing. So they reflect on perishing: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn, they all have someone liable to perishing who perishes. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they don\u2019t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves. These are the five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or M\u0101ra or divinity or by anyone in the world. Sorrowing and lamenting doesn\u2019t do even a little bit of good. When they know that you\u2019re sad, your enemies are encouraged. When an astute person doesn\u2019t waver <j>in the face of adversity, as they\u2019re able to evaluate what\u2019s beneficial, their enemies suffer, seeing that their normal expression doesn\u2019t change. Prayers, recitations, fine sayings, or charity of woven rugs: if by means of any such things you benefit, then by all means keep doing them. But if you understand that \u2018this good thing can\u2019t be had by me or by anyone else\u2019, you should accept it without sorrowing, thinking: \u2018The deed is powerful. What can I do now?\u2019\u201d","title":"Things That Cannot Be Had","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":826}