Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Oneofthekingsministers,forwhomtheVenerableLediSaydaw
wrote this poem in 1894. King Thibaw, the last king of Upper Burma,
was deposed by the British in November 1885 and exiled to India.
Lower Burma had already been under British Rule since 1850.
You are waiting to die with satisfaction means
tlat you aie uying to satis( tle delements until tle
aiiival of deatl. You aie ueating delements witl
various objects so that they never become weary. Thus,
you aie waiting foi deatl. Tle du[ foi deatl is to be
alive befoie its advent. Tle iesonsibili[ foi tle dele-
ments is endless. Tle delements must be seived witl
beuei and beuei objects. Blind woildlings aie assing
life ahei life, caiiying out tlese duties and iesonsibil-
ities, wlicl aie not foi tleii own benet. Ignoiing tle
iesonsibili[ foi delements and being dutiful to deatl,
tle good woildlings uy tleii best to be nee nom deatl.
Tnu S1xz
Causes of grief and despair. Not only woildly aaiis,
but also deeds of claii[ and moiali[ foi tle aclievement
of futuie good existences and wealtl aie causes of dele-
ments. So they are called causes of grief and despair.
Tley aie also causes of woiiy and sueiing. Vaiious
aclievements aie tle causes of failuie oi desuuction.
Tlose aaiis aie iolonging sasia. Tle cause of suei-
ing ciaving is tle cause of giief. Tle uutl of sueiing
is tle cause of desaii. Tlese two uutls aie tle imoitant
aits of sasia. Tleii aaiis seem to be imoitant.
Tle cycle of delements (ki|es-.aa), which
includes ignoiance, ciaving and auaclment, is tle
cause of grief. The cycle of volitional activities
(kanna-.aa), consisting of ten wholesome deeds and
ten unwholesome deeds, arises due to the cycle of
delements. Tley aie imoitant. Tle cycle of iesult-
ants (.ipka-.aa), existences obtained due to voli-
tional activities, is destined to desuuction and decay,
so it is the cause of despair.
Tle eye, tle facul[ of seeing, is tle slave of tle dele-
ments and cause of giief. Being tle fuel of tle ie of aging
and death, it is the cause of despair. It is just a part of the
building of the mundane imperialists craving, conceit,
and wrong view. Similarly, the ear, nose, tongue, body, and
mind aie also tle slaves of tle delements and causes of
giief. As tley aie tle fuels of aging-ie and deatl-ie tley
are causes of despair. They are the assets of craving, conceit,
and wrong view, the three mundane imperialists.
Unseen starting-point of life means the starting
point of existence cannot be seen or known. That is
called the beginningless round of rebirth. In perpetual
hunger means you always want to have, to be, to see,
to hear, etc. Without eradicating craving, you will
nevei be satised. Even if you become a univeisal
monaicl oi Salla, tle ling of gods, you will still suei
nom tle lungei of desiie. You will still be in eietual
hunger like a hungry ghost (peta).
Without quenching the thirst of desire is craving
foi leasant foims, sounds, nagiance, avouis,
touches, and thoughts. Theyre just a pile of ash in