← SN

SN 1.4

Time Flies

Accentisutta

from: 1. A Reed

Time Flies

At Sāvatthī.

Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Time flies, nights pass by,
the stages of life leave us one by one.
Seeing this peril in death,
do good deeds that bring you joy.”

“Time flies, nights pass by,
the stages of life leave us one by one.
Seeing this peril in death,
a seeker of peace would drop the world’s bait.”

Translation: German (Ayyā Sabbamittā), English (Bhikkhu Sujato). Source: SuttaCentral / Bilara (public domain, CC0).

These texts are freely available — anyone who wishes can support the work with a gift.