Do not want to grow old, feel pain, or die - how?

“If we do not want to grow old, feel pain, or die, then refrain from wanting to be born. That’s it.”

The Buddha proclaimed that we are born out of three types of desire: kamma taṇhā, craving for visual objects, sounds, aromas, flavors, and sex; bhava taṇhā is the craving to have and become, desire for it to be like this or like that; vibhava taṇhā is the desire not to have or not to become. Not wanting it to be like this, and instead wanting it to be like that. This is called vibhava taṇhā.

If we have desire such as this within our mind, discontentment and stress will arise. For example, we do not want to grow old, be in pain, or die. These desires are all vibhava taṇhā. However, if we accept the truth that we will have to experience pain, old age, and death, and it cannot be prevented, we will stop this desire and not be troubled by pain, old age, and death.

We have to see anicca, dukkha, and anattā — especially anattā. We should see that we cannot prohibit our husband or wife from doing as they will, nor can we command him or her to act as we wish. Demanding that the body not age, feel pain, or die is impossible.

If we do not want to grow old, feel pain, or die, then refrain from wanting to be born. That’s it. For us not to be born, we should stop desiring because it is desire that propels us to birth. If we still have desire for sex or visual objects, sounds, aromas, flavours, and tactile sensations, then when we do not have eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, we will seek out new eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body as replacements.

Nowadays, people who are blind can seek out new eyes so that they can see. If people have no desire, then they just let it be. It is not necessary to have a replacement, not necessary to see. If we have desire and are blind, and artificial eyes or eyes donated by others become available, we will want them implanted immediately. If there aren’t any to be found, once this body passes away, we will seek out a new body and return to be born once more. Instead, if we were to wait, accept and live through the consequences of our kamma until they pass away, then when our mind is at a higher level, we will return as a human afresh.

If we dwelled in negativity, we would first have to exhaust the resulting punishments. If we dwelled in positivity, we would first have to receive the rewards and only after that would we return to birth again. If there is no more desire, then there is no need to be born again. If there is no birth, there will be no pain, old age, or death, and no need to have problems of all kinds that all of us experience. We have problems of all kinds because we have a body. If there is no body, there are no problems such as old age, pain, death, and separation from one another.

The Buddha taught that there is no suffering and discontent for one who has no birth. Whoever has the desire for birth within them will still have the potential to suffer. If we do not want suffering, we should act according to the teachings of the Buddha. Make merit, give up demerit, and stop desire successfully. If we can do that, then we will not forever be in the round of perpetual death and rebirth.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto