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he sat on the seat prepared. And Venerable Sāriputta, risen from seclusion in the evening time, approached the service hall; having approached, having bowed to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. And Venerable Mahāmoggallāna... And Venerable Mahākassapa... And Venerable Mahākaccāyana... And Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika... And Venerable Mahācunda... And Venerable Mahākappina... And Venerable Anuruddha... And Venerable Revata... And Venerable Ānanda, risen from seclusion in the evening time, approached the service hall; having approached, having bowed to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. Then the Blessed One, having spent much of the night sitting, rose from his seat and entered his dwelling. And those venerable ones, soon after the Blessed One had departed, rose from their seats and went to their respective dwellings. But those monks there, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline, they slept, snoring, until sunrise. Then the Blessed One saw, with his divine eye, purified, surpassing human sight, those monks sleeping, snoring, until sunrise. Having seen, he approached the service hall; having approached, he sat on the seat prepared. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks – "Where now, monks, is Sāriputta? Where Mahāmoggallāna? Where Mahākassapa? Where Mahākaccāyana? Where Mahākoṭṭhika? Where Mahācunda? Where Mahākappina? Where Anuruddha? Where Revata? Where Ānanda? Where now, monks, have those elder disciples gone?" "Those venerable ones, Lord, soon after the Blessed One had departed, rose from their seats and went to their respective dwellings." "Why then, monks, did you not come, the elder monks...?" What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard – ‘a king, a crowned warrior, indulging as much as he likes in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sleep, the pleasure of slumber, living, ruling the kingdom for life, is dear and pleasing to the people’?” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, monks! Indeed, monks, I too have neither seen nor heard this – ‘a king, a crowned warrior, indulging as much as he likes in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sleep, the pleasure of slumber, living, ruling the kingdom for life, is dear and pleasing to the people’." “What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard – ‘a district chief… or… a town chief… a general… a village chief… a guild chief, indulging as much as he likes in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sleep, the pleasure of slumber, living, exercising the office of guild chief for life, is dear and pleasing to the guild’?” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, monks! Indeed, monks, I too have neither seen nor heard this – ‘a guild chief, indulging as much as he likes in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sleep, the pleasure of slumber, living, exercising the office of guild chief for life, is dear and pleasing to the guild’." “What do you think, monks, have you seen or heard – ‘a recluse or a brahmin, indulging as much as he likes in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sleep, the pleasure of slumber, with unguarded doors of the senses, without moderation in food, not devoted to wakefulness, without insight, not devoted to the development of wholesome states, of the factors of awakening, during the first and last watches of the night, living, having realized for himself with direct knowledge in this very life the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, free from defilements through the destruction of defilements’?” (Is it so?) "No, venerable sir." "Good, monks! Indeed, by me too, monks, it has neither been seen nor heard – 'that a recluse or a brahmin, devoted to the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of slumber, the pleasure of drowsiness to his heart's content, with unguarded sense doors, immoderate in food, not devoted to wakefulness, without insight into wholesome states, not devoted to the development of the factors of awakening in the first and last watches of the night, having, through the destruction of the taints, entered and abided in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life.'" "Therefore, monks, thus should you train yourselves – 'We will be guarded in our sense doors, moderate in food, devoted to wakefulness, with insight into wholesome states, (devoted to the development of) the factors of awakening in the first and last watches of the night, we will abide devoted to development.' Thus, monks, should you train yourselves." The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on the Fisherman 18. On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering in Kosala with a large community of bhikkhus. As the Blessed One was proceeding along the road, he saw in a certain place a fisherman, a fish-killer, killing fish and selling them. Having seen this, he left the road and sat down on a prepared seat at the root of a certain tree. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus – "Do you see, monks, that fisherman, that fish-killer, killing fish and selling them?" "Yes, venerable sir." "What do you think, monks, have you ever seen or heard – 'that a fisherman, a fish-killer, killing fish and selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, becomes one who rides elephants, or rides horses, or rides chariots, or rides vehicles, or enjoys wealth, or dwells amidst a great mass of wealth?'" "No, venerable sir." "Good, monks! Indeed, by me too, monks, it has neither been seen nor heard – 'that a fisherman, a fish-killer, killing fish..." who, having killed fish again and again, and selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, becomes one who rides elephants, or rides horses, or rides chariots, or rides vehicles, or enjoys wealth, or dwells in a great mass of wealth?” “For what reason?” “Because, monks, he looks upon those fish, doomed to be killed, with an evil mind. Therefore, he does not become one who rides elephants, nor rides horses, nor rides chariots, nor rides vehicles, nor enjoys wealth, nor dwells in a great mass of wealth.” “What do you think, monks? Have you ever seen or heard that a cattle butcher, having killed cattle again and again, and selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, becomes one who rides elephants, or rides horses, or rides chariots, or rides vehicles, or enjoys wealth, or dwells in a great mass of wealth?” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, monks! Indeed, monks, I too have neither seen nor heard that a cattle butcher, having killed cattle again and again, and selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, becomes one who rides elephants, or rides horses, or rides chariots, or rides vehicles, or enjoys wealth, or dwells in a great mass of wealth. For what reason? Because, monks, he looks upon those cattle, doomed to be killed, with an evil mind. Therefore, he does not become one who rides elephants, nor rides horses, nor rides chariots, nor rides vehicles, nor enjoys wealth, nor dwells in a great mass of wealth.” “What do you think, monks? Have you ever seen or heard that a sheep butcher… a pig butcher… a fowler… a hunter, having killed deer again and again, and selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, becomes one who rides elephants, or rides horses, or rides chariots, or rides vehicles, or enjoys wealth, or dwells in a great mass of wealth?” “No, venerable sir.” “Good, monks! Indeed, monks, I too have neither seen nor heard that a hunter, who, having killed and killed animals, selling them, by that action, by that livelihood, would be an elephant-rider, or a horse-rider, or a chariot-rider, or a vehicle-rider, or an enjoyer of wealth, or one who dwells in a great mass of wealth?” For what reason? “Because, bhikkhus, he looks upon those animals, destined for slaughter, led to be killed, with an evil mind. Therefore, he is neither an elephant-rider, nor a horse-rider, nor a chariot-rider, nor a vehicle-rider, nor an enjoyer of wealth, nor does he dwell in a great mass of wealth. Indeed, bhikkhus, he, looking upon those animals, born as animals, destined for slaughter, led to be killed, with an evil mind, will neither be an elephant-rider, nor a horse-rider, nor a chariot-rider, nor a vehicle-rider, nor an enjoyer of wealth, nor will he dwell in a great mass of wealth. What then of one who looks upon a human being, destined for slaughter, led to be killed, with an evil mind! That, bhikkhus, will be for his harm and suffering for a long time. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell.” The eighth. 9. The First Discourse on Mindfulness of Death 19. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Natika, in the Brick Hall. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “Mindfulness of death, bhikkhus, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit, of great benefit, plunging into the Deathless, ending in the Deathless. Do you, bhikkhus, develop mindfulness of death?” When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: “I, venerable sir, develop mindfulness of death.” “How then, bhikkhu, do you develop mindfulness of death?” “Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for a day and night, the Blessed One’s teaching I would keep the teaching in mind, much indeed would have been done by me. Thus, indeed, Venerable Sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death. And another monk, indeed, said this to the Blessed One: "I too, Venerable Sir, cultivate mindfulness of death." "But how, monk, do you cultivate mindfulness of death?" "Here, Venerable Sir, it occurs to me thus: 'Oh, if only I might live for a day, I would keep the teaching of the Blessed One in mind, much indeed would have been done by me.' Thus, indeed, Venerable Sir, I cultivate mindfulness of death." And another monk, indeed, said this to the Blessed One: