AN 8.73

Paṭhamamaraṇassatisutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: “maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti.

Mindfulness of Death (1st)

At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, when mindfulness of death is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. It has freedom from death as its objective and culmination. But do you develop mindfulness of death?”

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “Sir, I develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day and night, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ upaḍḍhadivasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live for half a day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat a single almsmeal, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat half an almsmeal, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ cattāro pañca ālope saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā vā passasāmi, passasitvā vā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Another mendicant said to the Buddha, “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” “In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca: “yvāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti; yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ upaḍḍhadivasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti; yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ cattāro pañca ālope saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti— ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhū pamattā viharanti, dandhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya’.

When this was said, the Buddha said to those mendicants: “The mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing to live for a day and night … or to live for a day … or to live for half a day … or to live as long as it takes to eat a meal of almsfood … or to live as long as it takes to eat half a meal of almsfood … or to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls … These are called mendicants who live negligently. They slackly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.

Yo ca khvāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā vā passasāmi, passasitvā vā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti— ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhū appamattā viharanti, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya’.

But the mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful … or to live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out … These are called mendicants who live diligently. They keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvayissāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

So you should train like this: ‘We will live diligently. We will keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.’ That’s how you should train.”