Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
VIII. Yamaka-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Eights
Chapter VIII: The Pairs
Sutta 73
Paṭhama Maraṇa-Sati Suttaṃ
Mindfulness of Death (a)[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was staying in the Brick Hall at Nādika.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks!"
"Lord," they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
2. "Mindfulness of death, monks,
when made become,
developed
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
merging and ending in the deathless.
Monks, do ye make become
mindfulness of death."
§
3. And when he had thus spoken,
a certain monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live but one day and night,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
4. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live for a day only,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
5. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live live half a day,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
6. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live long enough to eat one alms-meal,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
7. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live long enough to eat half an alms-meal,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
8. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live long enough to swallow four or five morsels of food,
which I have munched,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
9. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live long enough to swallow one morsel of food,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
■
10. And another monk said to him:
"Lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
"How, monk, do you make it become?"
"Herein, lord, such is my thought:
'Surely were I to live but long enough to breathe in after breathing out,
or to breathe out after breathing in,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
thus, lord, I make become mindfulness of death."
And when he had thus spoken, the Exalted One said to those monks:
"This monk who makes become mindfulness of death thus:
'Surely were I to live but one day and night,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me';
and he who make it become thus:
'Surely were I to live for a day only,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me'
and he who make it become thus:
'Surely were I to live live half a day,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me'
and he who make it become thus:
'Surely were I to live long enough to eat one alms-meal,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me'
and he who make it become thus:
'Surely were I to live long enough to eat half an alms-meal,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me'
and he who make it become thus:
'Surely were I to live long enough to swallow four or five morsels of food,
which I have munched,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
these monks are said to live indolently;
and slackly they make mindfulness of death become
for the destruction of the cankers.
■
But he who makes become mindfulness of death thus:
'Surely were I to live long enough to swallow one morsel of food,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me'
or thus:
'Surely were I to live but long enough to breathe in after breathing out,
or to breathe out after breathing in,
an I were to ponder over the word of the Exalted One,
much indeed would be done by me' -
these monks are said to live diligently;
and keenly they make mindfulness of death become
for the destruction of cankers.[2]
Wherefore, monks, train yourselves thus:
We will live diligently
and keenly make mindfulness of death become
to the end that we may destroy the cankers.
Train yourselves thus, monks."
[1] Cf. the whole of this sutta with A. iii, 303; also above, p. 28.
[2] This is quoted at Vism. 237; trsl. 273.
