3.
The First Discourse on Recollection of Death
73.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nātikā in the brick house.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"Recollection of death, monks, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit, grounded upon the Deathless, having the Deathless as its final goal.
Do you develop recollection of death, monks?"
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One - "I, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for a night and day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for a day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for half a day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I eat one meal of almsfood, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I eat half a meal of almsfood, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I chew and swallow four or five morsels, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for that interval during which I masticate and swallow one morsel, I would attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
Another monk also said this to the Blessed One - "I too, venerable sir, develop recollection of death." "In what way, then, monk, do you develop recollection of death?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which having breathed in I breathe out or having breathed out I breathe in, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' Thus, venerable sir, I develop recollection of death."
When this was said, the Blessed One said this to those monks - "Whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for a night and day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for a day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for half a day, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I eat one meal of almsfood, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I eat half a meal of almsfood, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for the interval during which I chew and swallow four or five morsels, may I attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me' - these are called, monks, 'monks who dwell heedlessly, who develop recollection of death slowly for the elimination of mental corruptions.'"
"But whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for that interval during which I masticate and swallow one morsel, I would attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me.' And whoever, monks, is this monk who develops recollection of death thus - 'Oh, may I live for that interval during which having breathed in I breathe out or having breathed out I breathe in, I would attend to the Blessed One's teaching, much indeed would be done by me' - these are called, monks, 'monks who dwell heedfully, who develop recollection of death keenly for the elimination of mental corruptions.'"
"Therefore, monks, you should train thus - 'We will dwell heedfully, we will develop recollection of death keenly for the elimination of mental corruptions.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train." The third.