The Buddha uses a simile of a man who can catch the arrows shot by well-trained archers before they touch the ground to illustrate that life-sustaining conditions wear away faster than that.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, cattāro daḷhadhammā dhanuggahā susikkhitā katahatthā katūpāsanā catuddisā ṭhitā assu. Atha puriso āgaccheyya: ‘ahaṁ imesaṁ catunnaṁ daḷhadhammānaṁ dhanuggahānaṁ susikkhitānaṁ katahatthānaṁ katūpāsanānaṁ catuddisā kaṇḍe khitte appatiṭṭhite pathaviyaṁ gahetvā āharissāmī’ti.
“Bhikkhus, suppose there were four archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, |skilled::dexterous [katahattha]|, and accomplished in their craft, stationed in each of the four directions. Then a man might come along and say, ‘I will catch the arrows that these four expert archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished, shot in each of the four directions before they touch the ground and bring them back.’
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, ‘javano puriso paramena javena samannāgato’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti?
What do you think, bhikkhus, would it be appropriate to say, ‘This man is one possessed of the utmost speed?’
“Ekassa cepi, bhante, daḷhadhammassa dhanuggahassa susikkhitassa katahatthassa katūpāsanassa kaṇḍaṁ khittaṁ appatiṭṭhitaṁ pathaviyaṁ gahetvā āhareyya: ‘javano puriso paramena javena samannāgato’ti alaṁvacanāya, ko pana vādo catunnaṁ daḷhadhammānaṁ dhanuggahānaṁ susikkhitānaṁ katahatthānaṁ katūpāsanānan”ti?
“Venerable sir, even if someone were to retrieve the arrow shot by one expert archer, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished, before it touched the ground, it would be appropriate to say, ‘This man is possessed of the utmost speed.’ How much more so in the case of four such archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished?”
“Yathā ca, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa javo, yathā ca candimasūriyānaṁ javo, tato sīghataro. Yathā ca, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa javo yathā ca candimasūriyānaṁ javo yathā ca yā devatā candimasūriyānaṁ purato dhāvanti tāsaṁ devatānaṁ javo, (…) tato sīghataraṁ āyusaṅkhārā khīyanti.
“Bhikkhus, though the speed of that man is fast, the speed of the moon and the sun is faster than that. And faster still than the speed of the moon and the sun is the speed of the deities who run ahead of them. But faster still than all of these is the [moment-by-moment] |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion [khīyati]| of the |vital formations::life force, life-sustaining condition [āyusaṅkhāra]|.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell |diligently::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, suppose there were four archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, |skilled::dexterous [katahattha]|, and accomplished in their craft, stationed in each of the four directions. Then a man might come along and say, ‘I will catch the arrows that these four expert archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished, shot in each of the four directions before they touch the ground and bring them back.’
What do you think, bhikkhus, would it be appropriate to say, ‘This man is one possessed of the utmost speed?’
“Venerable sir, even if someone were to retrieve the arrow shot by one expert archer, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished, before it touched the ground, it would be appropriate to say, ‘This man is possessed of the utmost speed.’ How much more so in the case of four such archers, firm in their aim, well-trained, skilled, and accomplished?”
“Bhikkhus, though the speed of that man is fast, the speed of the moon and the sun is faster than that. And faster still than the speed of the moon and the sun is the speed of the deities who run ahead of them. But faster still than all of these is the [moment-by-moment] |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion [khīyati]| of the |vital formations::life force, life-sustaining condition [āyusaṅkhāra]|.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell |diligently::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, cattāro daḷhadhammā dhanuggahā susikkhitā katahatthā katūpāsanā catuddisā ṭhitā assu. Atha puriso āgaccheyya: ‘ahaṁ imesaṁ catunnaṁ daḷhadhammānaṁ dhanuggahānaṁ susikkhitānaṁ katahatthānaṁ katūpāsanānaṁ catuddisā kaṇḍe khitte appatiṭṭhite pathaviyaṁ gahetvā āharissāmī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, ‘javano puriso paramena javena samannāgato’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti?
“Ekassa cepi, bhante, daḷhadhammassa dhanuggahassa susikkhitassa katahatthassa katūpāsanassa kaṇḍaṁ khittaṁ appatiṭṭhitaṁ pathaviyaṁ gahetvā āhareyya: ‘javano puriso paramena javena samannāgato’ti alaṁvacanāya, ko pana vādo catunnaṁ daḷhadhammānaṁ dhanuggahānaṁ susikkhitānaṁ katahatthānaṁ katūpāsanānan”ti?
“Yathā ca, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa javo, yathā ca candimasūriyānaṁ javo, tato sīghataro. Yathā ca, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa javo yathā ca candimasūriyānaṁ javo yathā ca yā devatā candimasūriyānaṁ purato dhāvanti tāsaṁ devatānaṁ javo, (…) tato sīghataraṁ āyusaṅkhārā khīyanti.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.