Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Nātika::name of a village situated in the middle country of ancient India [nātika]| in the brick house. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti?
“Bhikkhus, |recollection of death::keeping death in mind [maraṇassati]|, when cultivated and frequently practiced, is of great fruit and great benefit; it leads to the deathless and it |culminates in the deathless::ends in the deathless state, epithet of Nibbāna [amatapariyosāna]|. But do you, bhikkhus, develop recollection of death?”
Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
1.) When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, I do develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just a night and a day so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
2.) Then another bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just a day so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
3.) Still another bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just the time it takes to eat a single alms meal so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
4.) Still another bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“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. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just the time it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls of food so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much! In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
5.) Still another bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just the time it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful of food so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
6.) Still another bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death.”
“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?
“And how, bhikkhu, do you develop recollection of death?”
“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. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.
“Here, venerable sir, I think thus: ‘May I live just the time it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ In this way, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death.”
Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca:
When this was said, the Blessed One said to those bhikkhus:
“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. 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.
“Bhikkhus, 1.) take the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just a night and a day so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!‘ 2.) Or take the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just a day so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ 3.) Or take the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just the time it takes to eat a single alms meal so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!‘ 4.) Or take the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just the time it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls of food so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ These, bhikkhus, are the bhikkhus who dwell |negligently::inattentively, carelessly; lit. intoxicated [pamatta]| and develop recollection of death sluggishly, not for the |wearing away of the taints::gradual exhaustion and elimination of the mental defilements or deep-seated afflictions such as sensual desire, craving for existence, views, and ignorance [āsava + khaya]|.
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. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, bhikkhū appamattā viharanti tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya.
But 5.) the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just the time it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful of food so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!‘ 6.) Or take the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death in this way: ‘May I live just the time it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, so that I may attend to the Blessed One’s teaching. I could then accomplish much!’ These, bhikkhus, are the bhikkhus who dwell |with diligence::quality of doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]| and develop recollection of death |keenly::sharply, with vigor [tikkha]|, for the wearing away of the taints.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvessāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with diligence. We will develop recollection of death keenly for the wearing away of the taints.’ That is how you should train yourselves.”