Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
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:
“maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, maraṇassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā?
“Bhikkhus, |recollection of death::keeping death in mind [maraṇassati]|, when developed and frequently cultivated, 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]|. And how, bhikkhus, is recollection of death developed and frequently cultivated so that it is of great fruit and great benefit; so that it leads to the deathless and culminates in the deathless?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu divase nikkhante rattiyā patihitāya iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa— ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya; tena me assa kālakiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo. Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ; tena me assa kālakiriyā, so mamassa antarāyo’ti. Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ: ‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.
Here, bhikkhus, when the day has elapsed and the night has approached, a bhikkhu reflects: ‘I could die on account of many causes: a snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, or a centipede might bite me. Through that, I might die and that would be an obstacle for me. Or I might trip and fall down, or the food I have eaten might turn out to be harmful, or my bile might flare up, or my phlegm might flare up, or piercing winds might flare up in me. Through that, I might die and that would be an obstacle for me.’ Therefore bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should reflect: ‘Do I have any |harmful::injurious, destructive, bad, or evil [pāpaka]|, |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| that have not yet been abandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight?’
Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘atthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.
If, bhikkhus, while |reviewing::reviewing on, looking at [paccavekkhamāna]|, a bhikkhu knows: ‘I have harmful, unwholesome mental qualities that have not yet been abandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight,’ then he should arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, kindle enthusiasm, maintain tireless determination, and apply |mindfulness::recollection of the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly with sustained attention, free from craving and distress [sati]| and |full awareness::attentiveness, clear and full comprehension [sampajañña]|. Just as, bhikkhus, if one’s clothes or one’s head were on fire, one would arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, kindle enthusiasm, maintain tireless determination, and apply mindfulness and full awareness to extinguish that fire; so too, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, enthusiasm, tireless determination, and apply mindfulness and full awareness to abandon those harmful, unwholesome mental qualities.
Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.
However, bhikkhus, if while reviewing a bhikkhu knows: ‘There are no harmful, unwholesome mental qualities not yet abandoned in me that would be an obstacle if I were to die tonight,’ then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should dwell in that |joy and happiness::joyful pleasure and gladness [pītipāmojja]|, training by day and night in wholesome mental qualities.
Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu rattiyā nikkhantāya divase patihite iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa— ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya; tena me assa kālakiriyā so mamassa antarāyo. Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ; tena me assa kālakiriyā so mamassa antarāyo’ti. Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ: ‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.
Here moreover, bhikkhus, when the night has passed and the day has approached, a bhikkhu reflects: ‘I could die on account of many causes: a snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, or a centipede might bite me. Through that, I might die and that would be an obstacle for me. Or I might trip and fall down, or the food I have eaten might turn out to be harmful, or my bile might flare up, or my phlegm might flare up, or piercing winds might flare up in me. Through that, I might die and that would be an obstacle for me.’ Therefore bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should reflect: ‘Do I have any harmful, unwholesome mental qualities that have not yet been abandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die today?’
Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘atthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.
If, bhikkhus, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows: ‘I have harmful, unwholesome mental qualities that have not yet been abandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die today,’ then he should arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, kindle enthusiasm, maintain tireless determination, and apply mindfulness and full awareness. Just as, bhikkhus, if one’s clothes or one’s head were on fire, one would arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, kindle enthusiasm, maintain tireless determination, and apply mindfulness and full awareness to extinguish that fire; so too, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should arouse the utmost desire, make an extraordinary effort, stir up perseverance, enthusiasm, tireless determination, and apply mindfulness and full awareness to abandon those harmful, unwholesome mental qualities.
Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā, ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.
However, bhikkhus, if while reviewing a bhikkhu knows: ‘There are no harmful, unwholesome mental qualities not yet abandoned in me that would be an obstacle if I were to die today,’ then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should dwell in that joy and happiness, training by day and night in wholesome mental qualities.
Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, maraṇassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā”ti.
This, bhikkhus, is how recollection of death is developed and frequently cultivated so that it is of great fruit and great benefit; so that it leads to the deathless and culminates in the deathless.”