Namo Tassa Bagawato Arahato Samma Sam Buddha Sa: CH20: Jarāmaraṇa (Aging-and-Death)

Sunday, August 17, 2025

At-a-glance: Future Effect • Vipāka-vaṭṭa • Completion of the Dukkha Suite

Jarā (aging) per SN 12.2: old age, decrepitude, broken teeth, gray hair, wrinkled skin, decline of vitality and faculties.
Maraṇa (death) per SN 12.2: passing away, dissolution, disappearance, death, time of death, completion of time, breakup of the aggregates, laying down of the body.
Placement (Ch02): Future Effect—arises conditioned by jāti (birth); completes the vipāka side of the wheel (SN 12.1).
Dukkha suite (SN 12.1): after birth there follow soka, parideva, dukkha, domanassa, upāyāsa (sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, distress).
Round (Ch03): Vipāka-vaṭṭa (result): not a punishment, but the lawful fruition of causes laid in Present Cause.
Cessation pointer: “With the cessation of jāti, jarāmaraṇa ceases” (SN 12.1).

Upstream: vedanā → taṇhā → upādāna → (kamma)bhava → jāti (Ch16–19).
Jarāmaraṇa is the unavoidable sequel of jāti: once the aggregates arise, they are impermanent (anicca) and liable to aging and death.
Feedback risk: unmanaged encounters with aging, loss, and endings can re-trigger kilesa at C2 (reacting to painful vedanā), which seeds new kamma.
Cessation reading: cooling taṇhā upstream prevents the stack that culminates in jāti → jarāmaraṇa; thus the mass of dukkha does not arise (SN 12.1).

Three-Note Mortality (90 sec)
Sit upright. On three consecutive breaths, note: “arising” (in-breath), “changing” (out-breath), “passing” (pause). Apply the same three notes to a current body sensation. Let tenderness—not fear—be the tone.
Pain → Tone → Soften (2 min)
When a discomfort appears, label phassa → vedanā (painful), then soften jaw/chest/hands. Say once: “Result felt; not a command.” Watch for taṇhā (“push away”) and let it fail to ignite.
Loss without Story (3 min)
Name one tiny sign of aging/ending you noticed today (e.g., tired eyes, a wilted leaf, an app shutting down). State only what is seen, then whisper once: “anicca — dukkha — anattā.” Offer one kind action next (drink water, rest eyes, kind word).

Ch19 Jāti (immediate condition; Future Effect stream).
Ch05 Two Truths (why jarāmaraṇa exemplifies dukkha-sacca).
Ch15–16 Vedanā → Taṇhā (how painful tone can re-seed the chain).
Ch06 Three Connections (watch C2 when meeting loss; protect ethics for C3).
Ch21 Khandha present-aspect (seeing aggregates instead of “me/mine” in aging and death).

SN 12.1; SN 12.2.

QR Footer (left → right)

Audio QR-CH20-AUD1 — “Three-Note Mortality: arising–changing–passing.” (Alt: “QR to audio: gentle marana reflection”)
Video QR-CH20-VID1 — Meeting pain as vipāka without craving. (Alt: “QR to video: vedanā→taṇhā prevention in loss”)
Slides QR-CH20-PPT1 — Future Effect panel: jāti → jarāmaraṇa with dukkha suite. (Alt: “QR to slides: aging-and-death deck”)
Prompt QR-CH20-PRM1 — Pain → Tone → Soften cue card. (Alt: “QR to prompt: work with painful feeling kindly”)