[170] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nādika, in the Brick House (Giñjakāvasatha). There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, mindfulness of death (maraṇassati), when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit, merging in the Deathless, with the Deathless as its consummation. Do you, bhikkhus, develop mindfulness of death?"
When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live for a night and a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live for a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live for half a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to eat a single meal of almsfood, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to eat half a meal of almsfood, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five morsels of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to chew and swallow a single morsel of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
Another bhikkhu too said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, I too develop mindfulness of death." "But how, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' It is thus, venerable sir, that I develop mindfulness of death."
When this was said, the Blessed One said to those bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, the bhikkhu who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live for a night and a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live for a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live for half a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to eat a single meal of almsfood, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to eat half a meal of almsfood, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five morsels of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' — these, bhikkhus, are called bhikkhus who dwell heedless; they develop mindfulness of death sluggishly for the destruction of the taints (āsava).
"But the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to chew and swallow a single morsel of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!'; and the bhikkhu, bhikkhus, who develops mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, that I might live just so long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Blessed One's teaching — much indeed would be accomplished by me!' — these, bhikkhus, are called bhikkhus who dwell heedful; they develop mindfulness of death for the destruction of the taints. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: 'We will dwell heedful; we will develop mindfulness of death for the destruction of the taints.' It is thus, bhikkhus, that you should train."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.