The Buddha has a disciple who prides himself in knowing all of The Buddha's Teachings.
One day, The Buddha paid him a visit to discuss some things.
At the end of the discussion, the man looked at The Buddha and said,
"Oh! You also got white hair. You know, I used to have white hair, too, until ... "
And proceeded to tell The Buddha how his friend recommended him a shampoo, and how after regular usage, his crowning glory is now black again.
"Shiny and soft, too," he said, beaming with pride and touching his hair with love and affection.
He also told The Buddha that now, he's the sole distributor for this wonderful, magical shampoo which will make a person look young again.
The Buddha absorbed it all quietly.
Realising that The Buddha was not interested in buying his shampoo, the man dropped the subject.
About a week later, The Buddha visited the disciple again.
Mid-way through the conversation, the man again mention excitedly to The Buddha about his shampoo - how everyone is buying his shampoo, that it's so popular that it's almost out-of-stock, that he's a walking model for his shampoo, all his business plans etc etc.
The Buddha listened on patiently.
After he had finished, The Buddha asked him gently,
"Just wondering, what are the 3 Universal Characteristics/Laws?"
Surprised, the man thought,
"The Buddha is testing me. Luckily I remember ... "
"Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta," the man answered confidently.
Then, The Buddha asked again,
"What do you mean 'Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta'?"
"Huh?! How can The Buddha forget? He's the one who taught it. Ah ... must be losing His memory - He's growing old, look at His whole head of white," thought the man.
"Impermanence, Suffering/Discontent and Not-Self/Non-Self," replied the man with ease.
"Sorry, can you repeat that again?" requested The Buddha.
The man sighed.
"Not only is The Buddha old, His hair white, His memory failing, but He's losing His hearing, too!"
"Impermanence ! Suffering/Discontent ! Non-Self/Not-Self !" repeated the man loudly to The Buddha's ears so that The Buddha could hear.
Tilting His head, The Buddha nodded in the man's direction, and gently said,
"Oh ! Impermanence, eh?" (pause)
Then, looking deeply into the man's eye,
"Suffering/Discontent ... " (pause)
And, smiling knowingly,
"Non-Self/Not-Self ..... I heard it.... Did you ?!!"
"Subjected to change are all conditioned things,
Impermanence is the nature of ALL things.
When there's birth, there will be death.
Understand, Realise, and Be Awaken."
"The Buddha does not speak when people are not ready, and/or willing to listen or understand."
"Wherever you go, as long as you have the itch (craving),
You'll have suffering !"
- The Buddha
"From craving springs grief,
From craving springs fear.
For him who is wholly free from craving,
There's no grief, much less fear."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 216
"When there's nothing to own,
There's no having or losing.
And when that's the case,
Where will there be any suffering?"
- Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo
"We came with nothing, we leave with nothing.
Nothing lasts,
Nothing is forever,
Nothing matters,
Nothing is important."
"Those who are ignorant - they attach and hold;
Those who are wise - they accept and let go."
Whatever that comes along will go away.
Whatever that begins, too, will end."
.
.
"All conditioned things, without exception,
Are subjected to birth, ageing, disease and death."
- The Buddha
"There are 5 things, great king, that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a priest, a deva, a Mara, a Brahma, or anyone at all in the world. Which 5?
- May what is subject to ageing not age;
- May what is subject to illness not grow ill;
- May what is subject to death not die;
- May what is subject to end not end;
- AND, may what is subject to destruction not be destroyed.
These are the 5 things that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a priest, a deva, a Mara, a Brahma, or anyone at all in the world."
- The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya v.49
