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Recollecting Death, One Breath at a Time

AN 6.19, the Maraṇassati Sutta — set 3, Learning to Look at Your Own Mind

Reading time: about 5 min · 773 words

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Before you read

The Buddha asks a group of monks whether they practice recollection of death, and six of them answer.

Each one says the same thing in a different size. If only I might live for a night and a day, says the first, I would give my attention to the Buddha's teaching and get a great deal done. The next says a day. Then the time it takes to eat one meal, then four or five mouthfuls, then one mouthful, and finally the time it takes to breathe in after breathing out.

The Buddha does not reject any of them, but he sorts them. The first four are still heedless: they have left themselves enough time to put things off. Only the last two are heedful.

The point is not to dwell on death gloomily. It is to stop assuming there will be time later, and to do the work now.

Translation

The Setting

At one time the Buddha was staying at Nātika, in the brick house. There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus."

"Bhadante," the bhikkhus replied. The Buddha said this:

"Bhikkhus, when recollection of death is developed and cultivated, it bears great fruit and great benefit. It plunges into the deathless and ends in the deathless. Do you develop recollection of death?"

Six Bhikkhus Answer

When this was said, one bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for a night and a day, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Another bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I too develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for a day, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Another bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I too develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to eat one meal of alms food, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Another bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I too develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Another bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I too develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to chew and swallow one mouthful, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Another bhikkhu said to the Buddha: "Bhante, I too develop recollection of death."

"And how do you develop it, bhikkhu?"

"Bhante, I think: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to breathe in after breathing out, or to breathe out after breathing in, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.' That is how I develop recollection of death."

Heedless and Heedful

When this was said, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, there is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for a night and a day, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

There is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for a day, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

There is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to eat one meal of alms food, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

There is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

These bhikkhus, it is said, live heedlessly. They develop recollection of death slowly for the wearing away of the outflows.

But there is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to chew and swallow one mouthful, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

There is the bhikkhu who develops recollection of death like this: 'If only I might live for as long as it takes to breathe in after breathing out, or to breathe out after breathing in, I would attend to the Buddha's instruction. I would have done a great deal.'

These bhikkhus, it is said, live heedfully. They develop recollection of death keenly for the wearing away of the outflows.

So, bhikkhus, you should train like this: 'We will live heedfully. We will develop recollection of death keenly for the wearing away of the outflows.' That is how you should train."

The ninth discourse is finished.

Words used in this translation (8)
Bhante
A respectful way of addressing a senior monastic, roughly "venerable sir." Left untranslated because English has no natural equivalent.
bhikkhu
A Buddhist monk -- someone who has left household life to practise full time. Left untranslated because "monk" carries centuries of unrelated European associations.
bhikkhus
Buddhist monks -- those who have left household life to practise full time. The Buddha's usual way of addressing the assembly, roughly "friends" in force.
deathless
A name for nibbāna: what does not die, because it was never born.
heedful
Living with heedfulness: awake to what you are doing and keeping up the effort.
outflows
This project's rendering of "āsavā" -- deep-running habits that keep seeping out and driving behaviour, classically sensuality, becoming, and ignorance. Often translated "taints" or "defilements."
recollection of death
This project's rendering of "maraṇassati" -- keeping in mind that death can come at any time, so as not to put off the work of practice.
wearing away
The gradual using-up of something until it runs out completely. The texts use it especially for what has to run out before release.
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