Lord Buddha describes the amount of suffering which men endure. “The transmigration (samsara) of beings, O mendicants,” he says “has its beginning in eternity. The opening cannot be found from which, having come forth, being led astray through ignorance, bound by the thirst for existence, we stray and wander. What do you think, O mendicants, which of the two is more, the water which is in the great oceans, or the tears which have poured from you and have been shed for you while you wandered and went astray in this long transmigration, and sorrowed and wept, because that which you hated was your portion, and that which you loved was not your portion? A mother’s death, a father’s death, a brother’s death, a sister’s death, a son’s death, a daughter’s death, the loss of relations, the loss of property, all this you have experienced through long ages. And while you experienced this through long ages, more tears have poured from you and have been shed by you, while you strayed and wandered on this long pilgrimage, and sorrowed and wept because that which you hated was your portion and that which you loved was not your portion, than all the water which is in the great oceans.”
“A wise man should avoid unchastity as if it were a burning pit of live coals; one who is not able to live in a state of celibacy should not commit adultery.”
“Never associate with loved or with unloved objects.”
“Not to see the loved and to see the unloved is pain.”
“Therefore hold nothing dear, for the loss of the loved is evil.”
“No bonds have they to whom nothing is loved or unloved.”
“From what is loved is born grief, from the loved is born fear.”
“To the man freed from loving anything there is no grief, much less fear.”
“From affection is born grief, from affection is born fear.”
“To the man freed from affection there is no grief, much less fear.”
“From pleasure is born grief; from pleasure is born fear.”
“To the man freed from pleasure there is no grief, much less fear.”
“From desire is born grief; from desire is born fear.”
“To the man freed from desire there is no grief, much less fear.”
“What laughter, what joy is there, since there is always the burning from desire and from its fulfillment?”
“Enveloped in darkness, seek ye not a lamp?”
“This form (body) is decrepit, a nest of diseases, decaying.”
“The putrid body is breaking up, for life ends in death.”
“These grayish bones, which are cast away gourds in autumn–having seen them, what pleasure remains?”
“The preoccupied man while in the act of gathering flowers is seized by death and carried off, as a great flood the sleeping village.”
“The preoccupied man while in the act of gathering flowers does the God of Death get into his power, when unsated with lusts.”
(Dhammapada)