Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.19 2.
Paṭhamamaraṇassatisutta
Sāraṇīyavagga Paṭhamamaraṇassatisutta Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.
At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Nātika in the Brick Hall.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples:
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: “maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā.
Mindfulness of death, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and benefit, leading to the deathless, having the deathless as its consummation.
Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti?
Should you not cultivate mindfulness of death?
Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
When this was said, a certain disciple said to the Blessed One: I, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the night and day, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Another disciple said to the Blessed One: I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the day, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Another disciple said to the Blessed One: I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the time it takes to eat a meal, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Another disciple said to the Blessed One: I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“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.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the time it takes to eat four or five mouthfuls, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Another disciple said to the Blessed One: I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the time it takes to eat one mouthful, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Another disciple said to the Blessed One: I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
But how do you cultivate mindfulness of death, disciple?
“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.
Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: Oh, may I live for the time it takes to breathe in or out, keep the Blessed One's teaching in mind, much would be done by me.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
Thus, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death.
Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca: “yo cāyaṁ, 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.
Having said this, the Blessed One said to the disciples:
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 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.
Disciples, whether a disciple cultivates mindfulness of death thinking: Oh, may I live for the night and day, or for the day, or for the time it takes to eat a meal, or for the time it takes to eat four or five mouthfuls, these disciples are said to live negligently, to cultivate mindfulness of death slowly for the destruction of the taints.
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.
But whether a disciple cultivates mindfulness of death thinking: Oh, may I live for the time it takes to eat one mouthful, or for the time it takes to breathe in or out, these disciples are said to live diligently, to cultivate mindfulness of death sharply for the destruction of the taints.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, bhikkhū appamattā viharanti tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya.
Therefore train yourselves thus.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvessāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti.
Let us live heedfully, develop acute mindfulness of death for the destruction of the taints.
Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. Navamaṁ.
Thus should you train yourselves.