I'd better sit while in the human world

Even Araka knew that much.

"Meditators, once upon a time there was a teacher named Araka [the Bodhisatta himself], a leader free of passion for sensual pleasures.

"He had hundreds, many hundreds, of students, and he taught them the dhamma (truth) in this way: 'Next to nothing, Brahmins, is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass quickly vanishes with the rising of the sun and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a dewdrop -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as when the rain-gods (akasha-devas) send rain in fat drops that plop, leaving a bubble on the water that quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a water bubble -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just like a line drawn on water with a stick quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a line drawn on water with a stick -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a river flowing down from the mountains, going far, swiftly carrying everything with it so that there is not a moment, not a second, not an instant when it stands still, but instead it goes, flows, and rushes, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a river flowing down from the mountains -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a strongman forming a wad of spit on the tip of his tongue would spit it out with very little effort, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a wad of spit — limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a sliver of meat dropped onto an iron skillet that has been heated all day quickly vanishes and does not remain, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a sliver of meat -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a cow on its way to slaughter is led to the abattoir, with every step of its foot closer to slaughter, closer to death, in the same way, Brahmins, the life of human beings is like a cow being led to slaughter — limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering.

"'One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

Reflection

"Now at that time, meditators, the human lifespan was 60,000 years, with girls marriageable at 500 [figuratively, a big number, not actually 500]. And at that time there were [only] six afflictions in this world:

1. cold,
2. heat,
3. hunger,
4. thirst,
5. defecation,
6. urination.

"Yet, even though people were so long-lived, long-lasting, with so few afflictions, that teacher Araka taught the dhamma to his disciples in this way:

"'Next to nothing, Brahmins, is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering. One ought to touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"At present, meditators, one speaking rightly could say, 'Next to nothing is the life of human beings -- limited, a trifling, of much stress and suffering. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the pure life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"At present, meditators, one who lives a long time is 100 years old or a little older. Living 100 years, one lives for 300 seasons: 100 seasons of cold, 100 seasons of heat, 100 seasons of rain.

"Living for 300 seasons, one lives for 1,200 months: 400 months of cold, 400 months of heat, 400 months of rain.

"Living for 1,200 months, one lives for 2,400 fortnights [two-week periods]: 800 fortnights of cold, 800 fortnights of heat, 800 fortnights of rain.

"Living for 2,400 fortnights, one lives for 36,000 days: 12,000 days of cold, 12,000 days of heat, 12,000 days of rain.

"Living for 36,000 days, one eats 72,000 meals [or many more]: 24,000 meals in the cold, 24,000 meals in the heat, 24,000 meals in the rain -- counting the taking of mother's milk and any obstacles to eating.

"These are the obstacles to eating: when one does not eat while angered, when one does not eat while suffering or stressed, when one does not eat while sick, when one does not eat on the observance [1] day, when one does not eat while poor.

"Therefore, meditators, I have counted the life of a person living for 100 years: I have counted the lifespan, counted the seasons, counted the years [2], counted the months, counted the fortnights, counted the nights, counted the days, counted the meals, counted the obstacles to eating.

"Whatever a teacher should do -- seeking the welfare of students, out of sympathy for them -- that have I done for you.

"There are the roots of trees; there are places to withdraw [to practice]. Practice the absorptions (jhanas), meditators. Be vigilant (not negligent). Be happy, not full of regret. This is the message."

NOTES

1. 1. The weekly lunar observance of the Eight Precepts, Uposatha, Fasting Day, when one fasts after noon to intensively listen, read, study, and practice the Dhamma for a whole day and into the night.
2. The actual counting does not mention years between seasons and months; the number of years is implied in the lifespan.

• See also: MN 54; AN 6.19-20; Sn 4.6
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.), Arakenanusasani Sutta: "Araka's Teaching" (AN 7.70 PTS: A iv 136); edited by Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly