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20.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But,
friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right
view... and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
21.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands aging and death, the origin
of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading to
the cessation of aging and death, in that way he is one of right view... and
has arrived at this true Dhamma.
22.
"And what is aging and death, what is the origin of
aging and death, what is the cessation of aging and death, what is the way
leading to the cessation of aging and death? The aging of beings in the various
orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair,
wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties -- this is called
aging. The passing of beings out of the various orders of beings, their passing
away, dissolution, disappearance, dying, completion of time, dissolution of the
aggregates, laying down of the body -- this is called death. So this aging and
this death are what is called aging and death. With the arising of birth there
is the arising of aging and death. With the cessation of birth there is the
cessation of aging and death. The way leading to the cessation of aging and
death is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view... right
concentration.
23.
"When a noble disciple has thus understood aging and death, the origin of
aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading to the
cessation of aging and death... he here and now makes an end of suffering. In
that way too a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
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