Part 16 - Aging-and-Death: The Fragility of the Constructed Self
“With birth as condition, aging-and-death…
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.”
— SN 12.2
What is aging-and-death?
In Dependent Origination,
it is not only the physical breakdown of the body.
It is any appearance of fragility
in the identity that has just been born.
The moment the self appears,
it also begins:
- aging → weakening
- decay → exposure
- anxiety → threat of ending
Birth guarantees vulnerability.
The self is always dying
Every identity is under constant threat:
- loss of status
- loss of pleasure
- loss of certainty
- loss of others’ approval
- loss of self-image
Fear appears because:
The self cannot survive the next moment
without rebuilding itself.
This is aging, psychologically.
Why sorrow is built in
Because the constructed self:
- is dependent
- is unstable
- is insecure
- must be protected
- must continue with effort
When identity trembles:
- sorrow
- lamentation
- pain
- grief
- despair
must follow.
These are not reactions to misfortune —
they are natural products of identity.
The self fears truth
Truth:
Everything changes.
→ The self insists:
“No, I must stay!”
Truth:
Nothing can be owned.
→ The self insists:
“But this is mine!”
Truth:
No self can be found.
→ The self insists:
“I exist!”
Thus:
- reality is threatening
- life becomes a fight
- death becomes terrifying
The self fears what is real.
That is why it suffers.
Seeing aging-and-death directly
Observe:
- the tension around self-preservation
- the urgency to maintain control
- the pain of inevitable loss
Every identity you notice:
- has a birth moment
- has a death moment
If you see the momentary death of identity,
you will not fear the death of the body.
Culmination Link for Part 16
Birth says:
“I am.”
Aging-and-death says:
“I cannot remain.”
This is the fundamental conflict:
- identity demands permanence
- reality denies it
Thus:
When the self exists, suffering must exist.
When the self is not born —
there is no one to grow old or die.
Dependent Origination reveals:
- where suffering starts (birth)
- why suffering continues (preservation)
- how suffering ends (non-birth)
The chain collapses
when the constructed self is not assumed.