Mindfulness of Death - Pathama Marana Sati Sutta (25-11-2018)

​Namo  Tassa  Bhagavato  Arahato  Samma  Sambuddhassa !
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Supremely Enlightened One !
Pathama Marana Sati Sutta  -  Mindfulness of Death (1st)
At one time the Buddha was staying at Nādika in the brick house. There the Buddha addressed the monks: “ Dear monks ! ” -  “ Venerable sir, ” they replied. The Buddha said this:  “ Dear monks, when mindfulness of death is developed and cultivated, it’s very fruitful and beneficial. It culminates in the deathless and ends with the deathless. But do you develop mindfulness of death?”
( 1 ) When he said this, one of the monks said to the Buddha: “ Sir, I develop mindfulness of death. ” - “ But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ In this case, sir, I think:  ‘ 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. ’  That’s how I develop mindfulness of death. ”

​( 2 ) Another monk said to the Buddha:  “ Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” - “ But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ In this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death. ”
( 3 ) Another monk said to the Buddha:  “ Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death. ” - “But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ I n this case, sir, I think: ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat a meal of alms-food, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.”
( 4 ) Another monk said to the Buddha:  “ Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death. ” - “ But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ In this case, sir, I think: ‘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.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death. ”
( 5 ) Another monk said to the Buddha:  “ Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death. ” - “ But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ In this case, sir, I think: ‘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.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death. ”
( 6 ) Another monk said to the Buddha:  “ Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death. ” - “ But monk, how do you develop it ? ” - “ In this case, sir, I think: ‘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.’ That’s how I develop mindfulness of death. ”
When this was said, the Buddha said to those monks:  “ The monks who develop mindfulness of death by wishing to live for a day and night, or to live for a day, or to live as long as it takes to eat a meal of alms-food, or to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, are called monks who live negligently. They slackly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements. - But the monks, who develop mindfulness of death by wishing to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful, or to live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, are called monks who live diligently. They keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.
So you should train like this:  ‘ We will live diligently. We will keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.’  That’s how you should train.”
Sādhu ! Sādhu !! Sādhu !!!  
Taken from suttacentral.net translated by Bhikkhu Sujato ( Some words are edited )

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