Standing to one side, the young deity Nanda recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:
“Time flies by, the nights swiftly pass,
The stages of life gradually abandon [us];
Clearly seeing this danger in death,
One should do meritorious deeds that bring happiness.”
[The Blessed One]: “Time flies by, the nights swiftly pass,
The stages of life gradually abandon [us];
Clearly seeing this danger in death,
One should drop the |world’s bait::material delight, worldliness [lokāmisa]|, looking for peace.”