Buddhacarita by Ven Asvaghosa - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 76
15. “I have entered the ascetic-wood to destroy old age and death, –
with no thirst for heaven, with no lack of love nor feeling of anger.
16. “Do not think of mourning for me who am thus gone forth from
my home; union, however long it may last, in time will come to an
end.
17. “Since separation is certain, therefore is my mind fixed on
liberation; how shall there not be repeated severings from one’s
kindred
18. “Do not think of mourning for me who am gone forth to leave
sorrow behind; it is the thralls of passion, who are attached to desires,
the causes of sorrow, for whom thou shouldst mourn.
19. “This was the firm persuasion of our predecessors, – I as one
departing by a common road am not to be mourned for by my heir.
20. “At a man’s death there are doubtless heirs to his wealth; but heirs
to his merit are hard to find on the earth or exist not at all.
21. “Even though thou sayest, ‘He is gone at a wrong time to the
wood,’ – there is no wrong time for religious duty (dharma), life
being fragile as it is.
22. “Therefore my determination is, ‘I must seek my supreme good
this very day;’ what confidence can there be in life, when death stands
as our adversary"