太子瑞應本起經 1.21

1.21

"The prince mounted his carriage and went out of the southern gate of the city. The Lord of Devas again transformed into an old man, with white hair and a hunched back, leaning on a cane and walking feebly. The prince asked, saying: 'What kind of person is this?' His servant said: 'An old man.' 'What is it to be old?' He replied: 'When years are advanced and the faculties are ripe, the form changes and the complexion declines, food and drink do not digest, physical strength becomes hollow and feeble, sitting and rising are extremely arduous, and of the remaining life little is left; therefore it is called old.' The prince said: 'What joy is there? The sun and moon pass away, seasons alter and years shift; things are born in spring, and wither and dry in autumn and winter; old age arrives like lightning—how can the body be relied upon?' He turned his carriage back, taking pity on human life: 'Prime and vigor do not last long, there are old age and sickness, whose pain is hard to endure; I cannot long dwell in the world to bear this suffering,' and again he grieved and did not eat. The king regretted having let him go out, and again added five hundred singing-girls to entertain him."