Once, the Persian King of Jambudvipa came to Buddha's residence. After paying his respects to Buddha, he sat down beside him. Buddha asked him, "Your Majesty, why are there tears in your eyes? What has happened? Where do you come from?"

The king replied, "O World-Honored One! My kind and loving grandmother has passed away. I am holding a funeral for her at the palace. Whenever I think of how she cared for me with great love and kindness while she was alive, tears flow uncontrollably from my eyes. Although my grandmother lived to be one hundred and twenty years old - which is considered a long life by others - I still cannot accept that she has left me forever.

If it were possible, O World-Honored One! I would exchange all my elephants to bring back my grandmother so that she could live forever without aging or dying.

If it were possible, O World-Honored One! I would exchange all my cavalry troops to bring back my grandmother so that she could live forever without aging or dying.

If it were possible, O World-Honored One! I would exchange all my villages, cities and territories to bring back my grandmother so that she could live forever without aging or dying."

Buddha said: "Your Majesty! Please accept this loss with equanimity. Your Majesty! All beings in this world will eventually die; no one can escape death. Your Majesty! There is birth because there is death; if there were no birth then there would be no death. If you want not to die then do not be born."

The Persian King replied: "O World-Honored One! You have taught me this truth before: All beings in this world will eventually die; no one can transcend death even those who have attained enlightenment and liberation must also face the frailty of their physical bodies in this world. Only by letting go of attachment and clinging to this body can they ultimately be liberated from the cycle of birth and death forever."

The Buddha said, "Your Majesty, it is true that no one born in this world or any sentient being can escape death. No one can transcend death. Eventually, they will all die. Your Majesty, it's like pottery made by a potter; eventually they will all be broken. Even if the pottery is left for a long time, it will eventually break. There is no piece of pottery that can remain unbroken forever. Similarly, all people and sentient beings in the world will eventually die; no one can escape death or transcend it.

Your Majesty, everyone in the world will eventually die because where there is birth there must be death. If you want to avoid dying then don't be born; if you are not born then you won't die. Those who have died rely on the merits and virtues planted in this world and their accumulated karma determines where they are reborn after death - those who do evil deeds and accumulate bad karma are reborn into unfavorable places while those who do good deeds and accumulate merits are reborn into favorable places.

Therefore, everyone should do more good deeds and refrain from doing evil ones to accumulate merits for their future lives because the amount of merit determines where and what kind of place we'll be reborn into next life cycle.

Those with deep-rooted merits may be reborn into wealthy families or even enjoy blessings in heaven realms while those with weak merit but heavy karmic debts may fall into poverty-stricken households or suffer greatly as hungry ghosts or animals in hellish realms."

At this moment, the Buddha recited a verse:

"All beings are bound to die,

And those who live will surely perish.

According to their deeds they will fall

Into evil realms or rise up high.

Thus do good and accumulate merit

For the future, for it benefits all.

The merit you accrue is shared by many,

And in lives to come it will help you cross over."

Pali original scripture

SN.3.22/(2). Ayyikāsuttaṃ

　　 133. Sāvatthinidānaṃ Ekamantaṃ nisinnaṃ kho rājānaṃ pasenadiṃ kosalaṃ bhagavā etadavoca– “handa, kuto nu tvaṃ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divādivassā”ti?

　　 “Ayyikā me, bhante, kālaṅkatā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallikā addhagatā vayo-anuppattā vīsavassasatikā jātiyā. Ayyikā kho pana me, bhante, piyā hoti manāpā. Hatthiratanena cepāhaṃ, bhante, labheyyaṃ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, hatthiratanampāhaṃ dadeyyaṃ– ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Assaratanena cepāhaṃ, bhante, labheyyaṃ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, assaratanampāhaṃ dadeyyaṃ– ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Gāmavarena cepāhaṃ bhante, labheyyaṃ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, gāmavarampāhaṃ dadeyyaṃ– ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Janapadapadesena cepāhaṃ, bhante, labheyyaṃ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, janapadapadesampāhaṃ dadeyyaṃ– ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. ‘Sabbe sattā, mahārāja, maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṃ anatītā’ti. ‘Acchariyaṃ, bhante, abbhutaṃ, bhante! Yāvasubhāsitamidaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā– sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṃ anatītā’”ti.

　　 “Evametaṃ, mahārāja, evametaṃ, mahārāja! Sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṃ anatītā. Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici kumbhakārabhājanāni āmakāni ceva pakkāni ca sabbāni tāni bhedanadhammāni bhedanapariyosānāni bhedanaṃ anatītāni; evameva kho, mahārāja, sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṃ anatītā”ti. Idamavoca …pe…

　　 “Sabbe sattā marissanti, maraṇantañhi jīvitaṃ;

　　 Yathākammaṃ gamissanti, puññapāpaphalūpagā.

　　 Nirayaṃ pāpakammantā, puññakammā ca suggatiṃ.

　　 “Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṃ, nicayaṃ samparāyikaṃ;

　　 Puññāni paralokasmiṃ, patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.