Deep Commentary

The Buddha taught this verse at Veluvana regarding Sirima, a beautiful courtesan in Rajagaha. Despite her profession, she had a good heart. After hearing a verse from the Buddha about overcoming anger with love and evil with good, she attained the fruit of Stream-Entry (Sotapanna) and became a devoted lay follower. Her exquisite beauty captivated many men. However, she suddenly fell ill and died. The Buddha asked the king to leave her corpse uncremated. Days later, her bloated, decaying body, oozing with worms, was displayed to the public. The king offered the corpse to anyone for a thousand coins, gradually reducing the price to nothing, yet no one wanted it. The Buddha used this opportunity to teach about the true nature of the body. People go to great lengths to beautify their bodies, yet physical beauty is impermanent. No matter how stunning one's appearance, it is ultimately a decaying vessel covered by a thin layer of skin, destined to become a heap of bones. The body is an aggregation of elements, subject to disease and death. Realizing this inherent impurity and impermanence, practitioners should not cling to physical beauty or sensory desires, but rather use their fleeting lives to cultivate wholesome deeds and spiritual wisdom.