everyone should stay in an old age home at least for a day, to observe and think. Impermanence of everything is so obvious; strength and beauty, health and confidence. All that is visible is disease, old age and death; dukha, the reality of life. What Siddhartha did not see in his time was the effect of money and the modern medicines. In the ancient times,even the kings had to be satisfied with herbs and blood sucking leeches for treatment.
Today, old age and death are fought by doctors. Doctors and modern medicines can prolong life in exchange for money and what is life in a city, without money ? a living death!after wealth goes, friends and relatives are the next to go, followed by dignity and self esteem, adding a whole new dimension to "sans everything" of Shakespeare. The subsequent rounds of treatments take a little more money and effort and give a little less lease of life and it goes on till the very end. There are times when one is forced to choose between quantity and quality; longevity vs quality of life.
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