AN 6.19 Maranassati Sutta

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AN 6.19 Maranassati Sutta : Mindfulness of Death (1)
I have heard that at one time the Lord Buddha was staying at Nadika, in the Brick Hall. There he addressed the monks, "Monks!"

"Yes, lord," the monks replied.

The Lord Buddha said, "Mindfulness of death, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit & great benefit. It gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its final end. Therefore you should develop mindfulness of death."

When this was said, a certain monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I already develop mindfulness of death."

"And how do you develop mindfulness of death?"

"I think, 'O, that I might live for a day & night, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I develop mindfulness of death."

Then another monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I, too, already develop mindfulness of death."

"And how do you develop mindfulness of death?"

"I think, 'O, that I might live for a day, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I develop mindfulness of death."

Then another monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I, too, develop mindfulness of death." ... "I think, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to eat a meal, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' ..."

Then another monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I, too, develop mindfulness of death." ... "I think, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up four morsels of food, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' ..."

Then another monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I, too, develop mindfulness of death." ... "I think, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' ..."

Then another monk addressed the Lord Buddha, "I, too, develop mindfulness of death." ... "I think, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I develop mindfulness of death."

When this was said, the Lord Buddha addressed the monks. "Whoever develops mindfulness of death, thinking, 'O, that I might live for a day & night... for a day... for the interval that it takes to eat a meal... for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up four morsels of food, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal' — they are said to dwell heedlessly. They develop mindfulness of death slowly for the sake of ending the defilements.

"But whoever develops mindfulness of death, thinking, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food... for the interval that it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Lord Buddha's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal' — they are said to dwell heedfully. They develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the defilements.

"Therefore you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell heedfully. We will develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the defilements.' That is how you should train yourselves."

That is what the Lord Buddha said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Lord Buddha's words.

See also: AN6.20.