16.3 The Story about Visākhā
Visākhāvatthu
Dhp 213
Burlingame: The Buddha Comforts the Afflicted
Compare: Ud 8.8
The lay supporter Visākhā lost her granddaughter and was given over to grief; she went to the Buddha who explained that everyone must die and that if she had many relatives there would be no end of occasions for grief, and advised her further with a verse.
Keywords: Death, Grief, Insight
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“From fondness there arises grief,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the female lay disciple Visākhā.
It seems that Visākhā used to permit her son’s daughter, a maiden named Dattā, to minister to the bhikkhus in her house when she was absent. After a time Dattā died. Visākhā attended to the deposition of her body, and then, unable to control her grief, went sad and sorrowful to the Teacher, and having saluted him, sat down respectfully on one side. The Teacher said to Visākhā: “Why is it, Visākhā, that you sit here sad and sorrowful, with tears in your eyes, weeping and wailing?”
“But, Visākhā, how many inhabitants are there in Sāvatthī?” – “I have heard you say, venerable Sir, that there are seventy millions.” – “But suppose all these persons were as dear to you as was Dattā; would you like to have it so?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “But how many persons die every day in Sāvatthī?” – “A great many, venerable Sir.” – “In that case it is certain that you would lack time to satisfy your grief; you would go about both by night and by day, doing nothing but wail.” – “It is so, venerable Sir; I understand.” Then
213. Pemato jāyatī soko, pemato jāyatī bhayaṁ,
pemato vippamuttassa natthi soko, kuto bhayaṁ?
From fondness there arises grief,
from fondness there arises fear,
for one who is free from fondness
there is no grief, how is there fear?
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.