AN 8.74

Dutiyamaraṇassatisutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā.

Mindfulness of Death (2nd)

At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “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.

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, maraṇassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu divase nikkhante rattiyā patihitāya iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa— ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya; tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo. Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ, manussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ, amanussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ; tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo’ti. Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ: ‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.

And how is mindfulness of death developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial, with freedom from death as its objective and culmination? As day passes by and night draws close, a mendicant reflects: ‘I might die of many causes. A snake might bite me, or a scorpion or centipede might sting me. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. Or I might stumble off a cliff, or get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. Or I might be attacked by humans or non-humans. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.’ That mendicant should reflect: ‘Are there any bad, unskillful qualities that I haven’t given up, which might be an obstacle to my progress if I die tonight?’

Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘atthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there are such bad, unskillful qualities. Then in order to give them up they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply extraordinary enthusiasm …

Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.

But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there are no such bad, unskillful qualities. Then that mendicant should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu rattiyā nikkhantāya divase patihite iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa— ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya; tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo. Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ, manussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ, amanussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ; tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo’ti. Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ: ‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.

Or else, as night passes by and day draws close, a mendicant reflects: ‘I might die of many causes. A snake might bite me, or a scorpion or centipede might sting me. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress. Or I might stumble off a cliff, or get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. Or I might be attacked by humans or non-humans. And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.’ That mendicant should reflect: ‘Are there any bad, unskillful qualities that I haven’t given up, which might be an obstacle to my progress if I die today?’

Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘atthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there are such bad, unskillful qualities. Then in order to give them up they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.

Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply extraordinary enthusiasm …

Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu. Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, maraṇassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā”ti.

But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there are no such bad, unskillful qualities. Then that mendicant should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities. Mindfulness of death, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial. It has freedom from death as its objective and culmination.”