When Futian started to breathe heavily with her mouth opened, I probably knew that she wasn’t going to live long.

After 2 weeks of antibiotics, she began to breathe with her mouth opened again and that was when I had decided to send her for a second opinion.

After the surgery, the vet was optimistic and sent her back on the same day. Immediately when I let her out from the carrier, she began to grasp her breath and passed on shortly. Her suffering was short from my point of view but to Futian, a second can be a minute and 5 minutes can be an hour. Both the vet and myself carried an intention to relieve her pain and sufferings as well as to extend her life… we cannot see nor can we control her life. I wanted to cry hard but that won’t help.

Since the truth has been discovered, I don’t chant anymore. I’ve complete confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha and practising virtues myself, I shall not compromise.

I read Salla Sutta for Futian and other suttas as well but repeated Salla Sutta often. It was the first time I read this sutta and it penetrated deep in me.

The Salla sutta goes like this.

• Anthology of Discourses 3.8

The Dart

Unforeseen and unknown is the extent of this mortal life—hard and short and bound to pain.

There is no way that those born will not die. On reaching old age death follows: such is the nature of living creatures.

As ripe fruit are always in danger of falling, so mortals once born are always in danger of death.

As clay pots made by a potter all end up being broken, so is the life of mortals.

Young and old, foolish and wise—all go under the sway of death; all are destined to die.

When those overcome by death leave this world for the next, a father cannot protect his son, nor relatives their kin.

See how, while relatives look on, wailing profusely, mortals are led away one by one, like a cow to the slaughter.

And so the world is stricken by old age and by death. That is why the wise do not grieve, for they understand the way of the world.

For one whose path you do not know—not whence they came nor where they went—you lament in vain, seeing neither end.

If a bewildered person, lamenting and self-harming, could extract any good from that, then those who see clearly would do the same.

For not by weeping and wailing will you find peace of heart. It just gives rise to more suffering, and distresses your body.

Growing thin and pale, you hurt yourself. It does nothing to help the dead: your lamentation is in vain.

Unless a person gives up grief, they fall into suffering all the more. Bewailing those whose time has come, you fall under the sway of grief.

See, too, other folk departing to fare after their deeds; fallen under the sway of death, beings flounder while still here.

For whatever you imagine it is, it turns out to be something else. Such is separation: see the way of the world!

Even if a human lives a hundred years or more, they are parted from their family circle, they leave this life behind.

Therefore, having learned from the Perfected One, dispel lamentation. Seeing the dead and departed, think: “I cannot escape this.” 

As one would extinguish a blazing refuge with water, so too a sage—a wise, astute, and skilled person—would swiftly blow away grief that comes up, like the wind a tuft of cotton.

One who seeks their own happiness would pluck out the dart from themselves—the wailing and moaning, and sadness inside.

With dart plucked out, unattached, having found peace of mind, overcoming all sorrow, one is sorrowless and extinguished.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato

Futian didn’t put on much weight but her fur grew better.

Her latest photo taken recently. Futian cremation will be held on this Sunday evening.

I’ve been reflecting on the sutta. Understand the Four Noble Truths at a deeper level. May the understanding and penetration on the Buddha’s teachings never end.

Thank you Futian. May we meet again and practise the Dhamma together in our future lives.