[180] Now at that time a certain lay follower (upāsaka) was ill. His wife was beautiful, lovely to behold, pleasing. The group-of-six bhikkhus' minds were bound by attachment to that woman. Then it occurred to the group-of-six bhikkhus: "If, friends, that lay follower lives, we shall not obtain that woman. Come, friends, let us extol to that lay follower the beauty of death (maraṇavaṇṇa)." Then the group-of-six bhikkhus approached that lay follower, and having approached, they said to him: "You, lay follower, have done what is good, done what is wholesome, made a shelter for the frightened; you have done no evil, done nothing cruel, done nothing depraved. Good has been done by you; evil has not been done by you. What use to you is this wretched, miserable life? Death would be better for you than living. Having passed away from here, with the breaking up of the body, after death, you will be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world; there, endowed and furnished with the five cords of divine sensual pleasure, you will amuse yourself."
Then that lay follower [reflected]: "It is true what the masters say, for I have done what is good, done what is wholesome, made a shelter for the frightened; I have done no evil, done nothing cruel, done nothing depraved. Good has been done by me; evil has not been done by me. What use to me is this wretched, miserable life? Death is better for me than living. Having passed away from here, with the breaking up of the body, after death, I shall be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world; there, endowed and furnished with the five cords of divine sensual pleasure, I shall amuse myself." He ate unsuitable foods, chewed unsuitable chewables, tasted unsuitable delicacies, and drank unsuitable drinks. As he ate unsuitable foods, chewed unsuitable chewables, tasted unsuitable delicacies, and drank unsuitable drinks, a severe affliction arose in him. Of that very affliction he died.
His wife looked down upon them, criticized, and spread it about: "These ascetics, sons of the Sakyans, are shameless, immoral, speakers of falsehood. Indeed, these very ones will claim to be practicers of the Dhamma, practicers of what is peaceful, livers of the holy life, speakers of truth, virtuous, of good character. There is no asceticism in these; there is no brahminhood in these. Asceticism is lost to these; brahminhood is lost to these. Whence asceticism for these? Whence brahminhood for these? These have fallen away from asceticism; these have fallen away from brahminhood. These extolled the beauty of death to my husband; by these my husband has been killed."
Other people too looked down upon them, criticized, and spread it about: "These ascetics, sons of the Sakyans, are shameless, immoral, speakers of falsehood. Indeed, these very ones will claim to be practicers of the Dhamma, practicers of what is peaceful, livers of the holy life, speakers of truth, virtuous, of good character. There is no asceticism in these; there is no brahminhood in these. Asceticism is lost to these; brahminhood is lost to these. Whence asceticism for these? Whence brahminhood for these? These have fallen away from asceticism; these have fallen away from brahminhood. These extolled the beauty of death to a lay follower; by these the lay follower has been killed."
Bhikkhus heard those people looking down upon them, criticizing, and spreading it about. Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes … they looked down upon them, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the group-of-six bhikkhus extol the beauty of death to a lay follower?" Then those bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One. … "Is it true, as they say, bhikkhus, that you extolled the beauty of death to a lay follower?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "It is unbecoming, foolish men, unsuitable, improper, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How indeed can you, foolish men, extol the beauty of death to a lay follower? This, foolish men, is not for the confidence of those without confidence … And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule:
"Whatever bhikkhu should intentionally deprive a human being of life, or seek out for him one to bring the knife, or extol the beauty of death, or incite him to death, saying: 'Good man, what use to you is this wretched, miserable life? Death is better for you than living' — thus with mind and thought, with mental intention thus, should in many ways extol the beauty of death or incite him to death — he too is defeated (pārājika), not in communion."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.