The Buddha teaches on mindfulness of death (1st), presenting a eightfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 8.73 Mindfulness of Death (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“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.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“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.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ upaḍḍhadivasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“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.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“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.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“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.

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā passasāmi, passasitvā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca:

“yvāyaṁ, 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 upaḍḍhadivasaṁ 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 upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ 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’.

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 passasāmi, passasitvā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhū appamattā viharanti, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya’.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvayissāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā.

“Mendicants, when mindfulness of death is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. It has freedom from death as its objective and culmination.

Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti.

But do you develop mindfulness of death?”

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,

“ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day and night, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ upaḍḍhadivasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live for half a day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat a single almsmeal, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat half an almsmeal, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ cattāro pañca ālope saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Another mendicant said to the Buddha,

“ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

“Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti?

“But mendicant, how do you develop it?”

“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

“In this case, sir, I think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā passasāmi, passasitvā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti.

That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca:

When this was said, the Buddha said to those mendicants:

“yvāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

“The mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing

‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

to live for a day and night …

Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti;

or to live for a day …

yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

‘aho vatāhaṁ upaḍḍhadivasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

or to live for half a day …

Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti;

or to live as long as it takes to eat a meal of almsfood …

yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ upaḍḍhapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

or to live as long as it takes to eat half a meal of almsfood …

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

or to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls …

ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhū pamattā viharanti, dandhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya’.

These are called mendicants who live negligently. They slackly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.

Yo ca khvāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

But the mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti.

to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful …

Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti:

‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā passasāmi, passasitvā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti

or to live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out …

ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhū appamattā viharanti, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya’.

These are called mendicants who live diligently. They keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

So you should train like this:

‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvayissāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti.

‘We will live diligently. We will keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

That’s how you should train.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Recollection of death

Recollection of death

Keeping in view the certainty and nearness of death. Recollection of death ignites wholesome desire for awakening and sustains uphill vigour against habitual tendencies.

Also known as: mindfulness of death
Pāli: maraṇassati
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026