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He went down and said to his mother, who was also full of tears, “Why are you crying?" His mother wanted to avoid a reply to his question but in the end she had to explain, "Well, Sushma's son is dead. Death has snatched him from his mother. He won't come back." Thavacchaputra was bewildered and sad to hear this news. Then he asked with tears in his eyes. “Do all people die?" He again asked; “Am I also to die?" She was much perplexed at this query. She replied hesitatingly. “Yes, my son. All have to die. I, too, won't be here for ever."
When the boy heard of death and the transitoriness of life, he began to think that the world was meaningless. He was eager to know; “Is there no means by which man may remain immortal?"
Thereafter, Thavacchaputra began to remain uneasy and indifferent to the world. He happened to learn of the road to eternity from Lord Aristanemi and he took to the forest. He left the world to become a monk to seek freedom from death.
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