Deep Commentary

The Buddha delivered this verse at the Veluvana Monastery concerning Prince Abhaya. After a military victory, the Prince was captivated by a beautiful dancer in the palace. When she suddenly fell ill and died, the Prince was overcome with grief. The Buddha comforted him by explaining the nature of samsara: this was not the first time she had died, nor the first time he had mourned her. The Buddha taught that attachment to worldly pleasures is a trait of the foolish, who become trapped in a cycle of suffering, greed, and delusion. To the wise, however, the world—no matter how grand or ornate—is recognized as an illusion, temporary and fleeting like a dream. By seeing through the vanity of material existence, the wise remain unattached, finding freedom and peace amidst the world without being enslaved by it.