Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.74
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 8.74
8. Yamakavagga
8. Pairs
Dutiyamaraṇassatisutta
Mindfulness of Death (2nd)
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.
At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi …pe…
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:
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 culminates in freedom from death and ends in freedom from death.
Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, maraṇassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā?
And how is mindfulness of death developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial, to culminate in freedom from death and end in freedom from death?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu divase nikkhante rattiyā patihitāya iti paṭisañcikkhati:
As day passes by and night draws close, a mendicant reflects:
‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa—
‘I might die of many causes.
ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya;
A snake might bite me, or a scorpion or centipede might sting me.
tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo.
And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.
Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ, manussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ, amanussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ;
Or I might stumble off a cliff, or get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. Or I might be attacked by humans or non-humans.
tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo’ti.
And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.’
Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ:
That mendicant should reflect:
‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.
‘Are there any bad, unskillful qualities that I haven’t given up, which might be an obstacle to my progress if I die tonight?’
Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that
‘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.
there are such bad, unskillful qualities. Then in order to give them up they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya;
Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
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.
In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply intense enthusiasm …
Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that
‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu rattiṁ kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.
there are no such bad, unskillful qualities. Then that mendicant should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.
Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu rattiyā nikkhantāya divase patihite iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Or else, as night passes by and day draws close, a mendicant reflects:
‘bahukā kho me paccayā maraṇassa—
‘I might die of many causes.
ahi vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, vicchiko vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya, satapadī vā maṁ ḍaṁseyya;
A snake might bite me, or a scorpion or centipede might sting me.
tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo.
And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.
Upakkhalitvā vā papateyyaṁ, bhattaṁ vā me bhuttaṁ byāpajjeyya, pittaṁ vā me kuppeyya, semhaṁ vā me kuppeyya, satthakā vā me vātā kuppeyyuṁ, manussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ, amanussā vā maṁ upakkameyyuṁ;
Or I might stumble off a cliff, or get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. Or I might be attacked by humans or non-humans.
tena me assa kālakiriyā. So mama assa antarāyo’ti.
And if I died from that it would be an obstacle to my progress.’
Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā iti paṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ:
That mendicant should reflect:
‘atthi nu kho me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti.
‘Are there any bad, unskillful qualities that I haven’t given up, which might be an obstacle to my progress if I die today?’
Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that
‘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.
there are such bad, unskillful qualities. Then in order to give them up they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya;
Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
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.
In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply intense enthusiasm …
Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that
‘natthi me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīnā ye me assu divā kālaṁ karontassa antarāyāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṁ ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.
there are no such bad, unskillful qualities. Then that mendicant should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.
Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, maraṇassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā”ti.
Mindfulness of death, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial. It culminates in freedom from death and ends in freedom from death.”
Catutthaṁ.