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of this sutta
- Anguttara Nikaya VI.19
- Maranassati Sutta
- Mindfulness of Death (1)
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that at one time the Blessed One was staying at Nadika,
in the Brick Hall. There he addressed the monks, "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks replied.
The Blessed One said, "Mindfulness of death, when developed & pursued, is of
great fruit & great benefit. It plunges into 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 Blessed One, "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
Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I develop
mindfulness of death."
Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, "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 Blessed
One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I develop
mindfulness of death."
Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, "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 Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a
great deal.'..."
Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, "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 Blessed One's
instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.'..."
Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, "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 Blessed One's
instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.'..."
Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, "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 Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.' This is how I
develop mindfulness of death."
When this was said, the Blessed One 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 Blessed One'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 effluents.
"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 Blessed One'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 effluents.
"Therefore you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell heedfully. We will develop
mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the effluents.' That is how you should
train yourselves."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's
words.