Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
46. Bojjhanga Saṃyutta
8. Nirodha Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
46. Kindred Sayings on the Limbs of Wisdom
8. Cessation
Sutta 68
Maraṇa Suttaṃ
Death
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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I. Great the Fruit and Great the Profit
[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Monks, the idea of death,[1]
if cultivated and made much of,
is of great fruit and great profit.
And how cultivated and made much of
is the idea of death
of great fruit and great profit?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
Thus cultivated, monks,
thus made much of,
the idea of death
is of great fruit and great profit."
II. Realization or No Return
Monks, from the cultivation and making much of the idea of death,
of two fruits
one may be looked for
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
the state of non-return.
How should it be cultivated, monks,
how should it be made much of
that of two fruits
one may be looked for
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
the state of non-return?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
If the idea of death
be thus cultivated,
thus made much of,
one may look for one of two fruits
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
at any rate the state of non-return.
III. Great Benefit
Monks, the idea of death,
if cultivated and made much of,
conduces to great benefit.
From the cultivation and making much of
the idea of death,
of two fruits
one may be looked for
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
the state of non-return.
How should the idea of death,
be cultivated, monks,
how should it be made much of
that of two fruits
one may be looked for
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
the state of non-return?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
If the idea of death
be thus cultivated,
thus made much of,
one may look for one of two fruits
even in this very life,
to wit:
realization,
or, if there be any substrate left,
at any rate the state of non-return.
IV. Great Peace from Bondage
"Monks, the idea of death,
if cultivated and made much of,
conduces to great peace from bondage.
And how cultivated and made much of
does the idea of death
conduce to great peace from bondage?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
Thus cultivated, monks,
thus made much of,
the idea of death
conduces to great peace from bondage."
V. A Great Thrill
Monks, the idea of death,
if cultivated and made much of,
conduces to a great thrill.
And how cultivated and made much of
does the idea of death
conduce to a great thrill?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
Thus cultivated, monks,
thus made much of,
the idea of death
conduces to a great thrill."
VI. Great Pleasantness of Living
Monks, the idea of death,
if cultivated and made much of,
conduces to great pleasantness of living.
And how cultivated and made much of
does the idea of death
conduce to great pleasantness of living?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is mindfulness,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is investigation of the Norm,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is energy,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is zest,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is tranquillity,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is concentration,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom
that is death,
accompanied by the idea of death,
which is based on seclusion,
on dispassion,
on cessation,
which ends in self-surrender.
Thus cultivated, monks,
thus made much of,
the idea of death
conduces great pleasantness of living."
[1] Comy. 'By thinking: Surely my life must end, my life is bound to death.'
