Old age(Buddhism)

Becoming old and having to pass away are symptomatic of the human predicament; hence jarā-maraṇa is recognized in early Buddhism as a self-evident manifestation of dukkha.

Old Age and Death

Jarā-maraṇa as “old age and death” is part of the last link in the standard 12-link formulation of the dependent arising, paṭicca samuppāda, of dukkha – a term whose meaning ranges from barely noticeable dissatisfaction to outright suffering as inherent features of human existence. That being afflicted by old age and having to face death thus stand on a par with other manifestations of dukkha recognized in early Buddhism is also evident from the inclusion of old age and death in the definition of dukkha in the first of the four noble truths. These four noble truths form a central teaching of early Buddhism, which identifies the scope of dukkha (first truth), its arising (second truth), its cessation (third truth), and the path that leads to its cessation (fourth truth). These four noble truths are the crux of the teachings delivered by the Buddha, who in fact arises in the world in order to show a way out of the predicament of jarā-maraṇa ([1], Vol. V, p. 144). In contrast to this predicament stands the realization of Nirvāṇa as the deathless, amata, which corresponds to the complete destruction of old age and death ([2], 1094).
Old age and death are also reckoned as two divine messengers, devadūta. A discourse reports that, on passing away, an immoral person will have to face King Yama, who questions the evildoer if he never saw the divine messengers ([3], Vol. III, p. 179). When the culprit denies having seen them, King Yama draws his attention to the fact that, although he had actually seen the divine messengers, he did not realize their significance. Two of the divine messengers to which King Yama draws the wrongdoer’s attention are an old person and a dead person. These are “divine messengers” in the sense that they exemplify the inevitability of old age and death. The main point conveyed by the notion of divine messengers is thus the importance of reflecting on the ethical quality of one’s deeds against the perspective of the inevitability of old age and death.
The impact caused by the sight of others afflicted by old age and death recurs also in the traditional account of the experiences that were instrumental in stirring the bodhisattva Gotama to go forth and eventually become a Buddha. The Pāli version of this account is found in the Jātaka-nidānakathā ([4], Vol. I, p. 58), belonging to a textual strata that is historically later than the early discourses. According to this account, the bodhisattva Gotama had been unaware of these predicaments of human existence until during pleasure outings he saw an old person and a dead person for the first time in his life, besides seeing a sick person and someone who had gone forth.
A less legendary account of Gotama’s pre-awakening insight into the basic predicaments of human existence can be found in a discourse which records the bodhisattva’s reflection that worldlings react with disgust and aversion when they see someone else subject to old age and death, even though they are themselves subject to the same predicaments ([1], Vol. I, p. 145). Realizing that he was himself subject to old age and death, the bodhisattva lost all pride in being endowed with youth and life.
Thus, the account in the Jātaka-nidānakathā, in spite of its apparent narrative embellishments, rests on ideas already found in the early Buddhist tradition, in the sense that the theme of old age and death apparently played an important role in stirring the bodhisattva Gotama to go forth. That old age and death were indeed instrumental in motivating him to leave behind the household life and proceed in his quest for awakening can also be seen in another discourse, which reports that the Buddha went forth in search of freedom from old age and death ([3], Vol. I, p. 163).
In fact, not only in his present life, but according to yet another discourse even in a former life in the far-gone past the bodhisattva had been stirred to leave behind the household life on seeing a divine messenger appear ([3], Vol. II, p. 75). According to this tale, in a former life as a king he had renounced his throne and retired to live in seclusion and meditation due to the impact of seeing only the divine messenger of old age. This divine messenger did not manifest through the sight of another human being afflicted by old age. Rather, it was the sight of the first gray hair on his own head that became a divine messenger for this king. The king had in fact instructed his barber to keep a lookout for the first gray hair on his head, as he had already anticipated the appearance of this “divine messenger” and was ready to act on it.
In this way, the function of old age and death as divine messengers highlights the importance of not turning a blind eye to these basic predicaments of human life. While for an outright immoral person the appearance of these divine messengers may not suffice to bring home the importance of living a heedful and moral life, in the case of a person of noble character even the divine messenger of old age alone will not pass unheeded and may lead to quite drastic decisions, such as abdicating the throne to live a life of meditation and renunciation at the sight of a single gray hair on one’s head.
Not only old age can have such a stirring effect, but death as well. In fact, recollection of death, maraṇānussati, is one of the meditation practices recommended repeatedly in the early Buddhist discourses. Such recollection should be undertaken by contemplating the fact that death may happen at any time, so much so that even the next morsel to be eaten or the next breath to be taken are uncertain ([1], Vol. III, p. 306).
One who, stirred by the inevitability of old age and death, has successfully lived a life of renunciation and become a sage can then apparently go beyond old age and death even in his or her present life ([3], Vol. III, p. 246). Although the body will inevitably age and eventually expire, lack of identification with the body leaves the liberated one free from any mental affliction when old age and death manifest.
The unshakeable attitude of a liberated sage when faced with death is exemplified in the stanzas of a young monk, who reportedly had been caught by robbers set on killing him. Without any sign of fear, the young monk declares that he has nothing to bewail on being killed, as he is free from thinking of himself in terms of “I was” or “I will be” ([5], 715). Having realized the deathless, amata, and thereby gone beyond death while still alive, he was able to remain completely unshaken when actual death threatened to manifest. The tale concludes with the robbers being so impressed by his fearless attitude toward impending death that they decided to release him, an external release that exemplified and was motivated by his total inner release from death as well as from any of the other dependently arisen manifestations of dukkha.

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