In short: in the Dart of Lament (Snp 3.8) the Buddha says mortals are always in danger of death, like ripe fruit about to fall. Lamenting does not help the dead or ourselves; the wise pull out the dart of sorrow and find peace.
As ripe fruit are always in danger of falling, so mortals once born are always in danger of death. As clay pots made by a potter all end up being broken, so is the life of mortals.
Snp 3.8, translated by Bhikkhu Sujato.
What it means
The poem is honest: lamenting and "self-harming" does not bring back the dead, and harms the living. The wise, it says, pull out the dart of sorrow. Read it slowly, and gently; grief takes its own time. See born from the beloved and teachings on grief, and please reach out to someone you trust.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (SNP3.8). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Animittamanaññātaṁ, | Unforeseen and unknown |
| maccānaṁ idha jīvitaṁ; | is the extent of this mortal life— |
| Kasirañca parittañca, | hard and short |
| tañca dukkhena saṁyutaṁ. | and bound to pain. |
| Na hi so upakkamo atthi, | There is no way that |
| yena jātā na miyyare; | those born will not die. |
| Jarampi patvā maraṇaṁ, | On reaching old age death follows: |
| evaṁdhammā hi pāṇino. | such is the nature of living creatures. |
| Phalānamiva pakkānaṁ, | As ripe fruit |
| pāto patanato bhayaṁ; | are always in danger of falling, |
| Evaṁ jātāna maccānaṁ, | so mortals once born |
| niccaṁ maraṇato bhayaṁ. | are always in danger of death. |
| Yathāpi kumbhakārassa, | As clay pots |
| katā mattikabhājanā; | made by a potter |
| Sabbe bhedanapariyantā, | all end up being broken, |
| evaṁ maccāna jīvitaṁ. | so is the life of mortals. |
| Daharā ca mahantā ca, | Young and old, |
| ye bālā ye ca paṇḍitā; | foolish and wise— |
| Sabbe maccuvasaṁ yanti, | all go under the sway of death; |
| sabbe maccuparāyaṇā. | all are destined to die. |
| Tesaṁ maccuparetānaṁ, | When those overcome by death |
| gacchataṁ paralokato; | leave this world for the next, |
| Na pitā tāyate puttaṁ, | a father cannot protect his son, |
| ñātī vā pana ñātake. | nor relatives their kin. |
| Pekkhataṁyeva ñātīnaṁ, | See how, while relatives look on, |
| passa lālapataṁ puthu; | wailing profusely, |
| Ekamekova maccānaṁ, | mortals are led away one by one, |
| govajjho viya nīyati. | like a cow to the slaughter. |
| Evamabbhāhato loko, | And so the world is stricken |
| Maccunā ca jarāya ca; | by old age and by death. |
| Tasmā dhīrā na socanti, | That is why the attentive do not grieve, |
| Viditvā lokapariyāyaṁ. | for they understand the way of the world. |
| Yassa maggaṁ na jānāsi, | For one whose path you do not know— |
| āgatassa gatassa vā; | not whence they came nor where they went— |
| Ubho ante asampassaṁ, | you lament in vain, |
| niratthaṁ paridevasi. | seeing neither end. |
| Paridevayamāno ce, | If a bewildered person, |
| Kiñcidatthaṁ udabbahe; | lamenting and self-harming, |
| Sammūḷho hiṁsamattānaṁ, | could extract any good from that, |
| Kayirā ce naṁ vicakkhaṇo. | then those who see clearly would do the same. |
| Na hi ruṇṇena sokena, | For not by weeping and wailing |
| Santiṁ pappoti cetaso; | will you find peace of heart. |
| Bhiyyassuppajjate dukkhaṁ, | It just gives rise to more suffering, |
| Sarīraṁ cupahaññati. | and distresses your body. |
| Kiso vivaṇṇo bhavati, | Growing thin and pale, |
| Hiṁsamattānamattanā; | you hurt yourself. |
| Na tena petā pālenti, | It does nothing to help the dead: |
| Niratthā paridevanā. | your lamentation is in vain. |
| Sokamappajahaṁ jantu, | Unless a personage gives up grief, |
| Bhiyyo dukkhaṁ nigacchati; | they fall into suffering all the more. |
| Anutthunanto kālaṅkataṁ, | Bewailing those whose time has come, |
| Sokassa vasamanvagū. | you fall under the sway of grief. |
| Aññepi passa gamine, | See, too, other folk departing, |
| Yathākammupage nare; | passing on according to their deeds; |
| Maccuno vasamāgamma, | fallen under the sway of death, |
| Phandantevidha pāṇino. | beings flounder while still here. |
| Yena yena hi maññanti, | For however they imagine it, |
| Tato taṁ hoti aññathā; | it turns out to be something else. |
| Etādiso vinābhāvo, | Such is separation: |
| Passa lokassa pariyāyaṁ. | see the way of the world! |
| Api vassasataṁ jīve, | Even if a human lives |
| Bhiyyo vā pana māṇavo; | a hundred years or more, |
| Ñātisaṅghā vinā hoti, | they are parted from their family circle, |
| Jahāti idha jīvitaṁ. | they leave this life behind. |
| Tasmā arahato sutvā, | Therefore, having learned from the Perfected One, |
| Vineyya paridevitaṁ; | dispel lamentation. |
| Petaṁ kālaṅkataṁ disvā, | Seeing the dead and departed, think: |
| Neso labbhā mayā iti. | “I cannot escape this.” |
| Yathā saraṇamādittaṁ, | As one would extinguish |
| Vārinā parinibbaye; | a blazing refuge with water, |
| Evampi dhīro sapañño, | so too an attentive one—a wise, |
| Paṇḍito kusalo naro; | astute, and skilled person— |
| Khippamuppatitaṁ sokaṁ, | would swiftly blow away grief that comes up, |
| Vāto tūlaṁva dhaṁsaye. | like the wind a tuft of cotton. |
| Paridevaṁ pajappañca, | One who seeks their own happiness |
| Domanassañca attano; | would pluck out the dart from themselves— |
| Attano sukhamesāno, | the wailing and praying, |
| Abbahe sallamattano. | and sadness inside. |
| Abbūḷhasallo asito, | With dart plucked out, unattached, |
| santiṁ pappuyya cetaso; | having found peace of mind, |
| Sabbasokaṁ atikkanto, | overcoming all sorrow, |
| asoko hoti nibbutoti. | one is sorrowless and quenched. |
| Sallasuttaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ. |
Try it
Begin with a 3-minute practice, or make your teaching card for today.
Questions people ask
What is the Salla Sutta?
Snp 3.8, 'The Dart', a poem on the certainty of death and the uselessness of lamentation, teaching how the wise pull out the dart of sorrow.