Ja 167 The Story about (the Monk) Samiddhi
(Samiddhijātaka)
In the present one monk is in the peak of his manhood, a Devadhītā tries to tempt him into sensuality, but he rebukes her as he knows not the time of his death. The Buddha tells a story of how he was similarly tempted in a past life.
1. Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu, na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi,
Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu, mā taṁ kālo upaccagā ti.
Without enjoying you seek alms, monk, don’t seek alms without enjoying, having enjoyed, monk, you must seek alms, do not let time pass you by.
In this connection, without enjoying you seek alms, monk, monk, you are in your youth, without enjoying the objects of sensuality through the defilements of sensuality, you walk for alms.
Don’t seek alms without enjoying, without enjoying the five strands of sense pleasure, you should surely not walk for alms, without enjoying sensual pleasures, you have come to walk for alms.
Having enjoyed, monk, you must seek alms, monk, you in your youth, having enjoyed sensual pleasures, later in old age you should seek for alms.
Do not let time pass you by, the time of your youth is the time for enjoyment of these sensual pleasures, do not let it go by.
2. Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi, channo kālo, na dissati,
Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi, mā maṁ kālo upaccagā ti.
I do not know the time, the time is hidden, and not visible, so, without enjoying, I seek alms, and don’t let time pass me by.
In this connection, I do not know the time, I, thinking: “I could die in my first age, in my middle age, or in my old age,” in this way I do not know the time of my own death. With the wise person thinking: Life, illness, and the time, laying down the body, the destiny, these five within the living world, The five are niraya, the downfall; tiracchānayoni, the animal realm; pittivisaya, the world of the departed; manussaloka, the human world; Devā, the gods. have no sign that is known to us. Quoting this verse in Visuddhimagga, Bhadanta Buddhaghosa says: evaṁ animittato maraṇaṁ anussaritabbaṁ; thus, from it not having a sign, you should remember death.
The time is hidden, and not visible, whence: “Normally during such and such a lifetime, or during the winter season and so on, I could die,” this time for me is also covered over, not visible, it being well-covered, he continued without knowing.
So, without enjoying, I seek alms, for that reason, without enjoying the five strands of sense pleasure, I seek alms.
And don’t let time pass me by, do not let the time for practising the ascetic life go by, this is the meaning. Through this reason, while still a youth, having gone forth, I perform ascetic practice.