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"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 the time it takes to eat one alms-meal, 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: "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 the time it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, 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: "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 the time it takes to chew and swallow one mouthful, 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." I cultivate mindfulness of death.” And another monk said to the Blessed One: “I too, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.” “How then, monk, do you cultivate mindfulness of death?” “Here, venerable sir, it occurs to me: ‘Oh, if only I might live for the time it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me.’ That is how I, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of death.” When this was said, the Blessed One said to those monks: “That monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for a day and a night, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me’— “And that monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for a day, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me’— “And that monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for the time it takes to eat one meal, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me’— “And that monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for the time it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me.’ These, bhikkhus, are called monks who dwell heedlessly, who cultivate mindfulness of death slowly for the destruction of the taints. “But that monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death thus: ‘Oh, if only I might live for the time it takes to chew and swallow one mouthful, I would attend to the Teaching of the Blessed One; much indeed would have been done by me’— “And that monk, bhikkhus, who cultivates mindfulness of death cultivates He thinks: 'Oh, may I live for the time between an in-breath and an out-breath, or an out-breath and an in-breath, to reflect on the teaching of the Blessed One. Much indeed would be accomplished by me!' These, monks, are called monks who dwell heedfully, who cultivate keen mindfulness of death for the destruction of the taints. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: 'We will dwell heedfully. We will cultivate keen mindfulness of death for the destruction of the taints.' Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. The Ninth. 10. The Second Discourse on Mindfulness of Death 20. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Nātika, in the Brick House. There, indeed, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Mindfulness of death, monks, when cultivated and frequently practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit, culminating in the Deathless, ending in the Deathless. And how, monks, is mindfulness of death cultivated, how is it frequently practiced, so that it is of great fruit, of great benefit, culminating in the Deathless, ending in the Deathless? Here, monks, a monk, when the day has passed and the night has set in, reflects thus: 'Many indeed are the causes of my death: A snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, a centipede might bite me. That might be my death, that might be an obstacle for me. Or I might stumble and fall, or the food I have eaten might disagree with me, or my bile might be disturbed, or my phlegm might be disturbed, or my piercing winds might be disturbed. That might be my death, that might be an obstacle for me.' Then, monks, that monk should reflect thus: 'Are there any evil, unwholesome qualities not yet abandoned in me, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight?' If, monks, a monk, while reviewing, knows thus: 'There are evil, unwholesome qualities in me not yet abandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight,' then, monks, that monk should put forth effort for the abandoning of those evil, unwholesome qualities. For the abandoning of evil things, exceeding desire and effort and zeal and enthusiasm and unflaggingness and mindfulness and clear comprehension should be done. Just as, bhikkhus, if one's garment were on fire or one's head were on fire, for the extinguishing of that very garment or head, one would make exceeding desire and effort and zeal and enthusiasm and unflaggingness and mindfulness and clear comprehension; even so, bhikkhus, by that bhikkhu, for the abandoning of those very evil, unwholesome states, exceeding desire and effort and zeal and enthusiasm and unflaggingness and mindfulness and clear comprehension should be done. But if, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are no evil, unwholesome states unabandoned in me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die at night,’ then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should dwell in that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome states. Here, bhikkhus, when the night has passed and the day has appeared, a bhikkhu thus reflects: ‘Many indeed are the causes of my death – a snake might bite me, or a scorpion might bite me, or a centipede might bite me; by that there would be my death, that would be an obstacle to me. Or I might stumble and fall, or the food I have eaten might upset me, or my bile might be disturbed, or my phlegm might be disturbed, or sharp winds might be disturbed in me; by that there would be my death, that would be an obstacle to me.’ Then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should thus reflect: ‘Are there any evil, unwholesome states unabandoned in me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day?’ If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are evil, unwholesome states unabandoned in me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day,’ then, bhikkhus, by that bhikkhu, for the abandoning of those very evil, unwholesome states, exceeding desire and effort and zeal and enthusiasm... and zeal, and unflagging effort, and mindfulness, and clear comprehension should be done. Just as, monks, one whose clothes are burning or whose head is burning, would make excessive desire, and effort, and exertion, and zeal, and unflagging effort, and mindfulness, and clear comprehension for the extinguishing of those very clothes or head; even so, monks, by that monk, for the abandoning of those very evil, unwholesome qualities, excessive desire, and effort, and exertion, and zeal, and unflagging effort, and mindfulness, and clear comprehension should be done. But if, monks, a monk, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are no evil, unwholesome qualities unabandoned in me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day,’ then, monks, by that monk, he should dwell with that very joy and delight, training day and night in wholesome qualities. For thus developed, monks, is mindfulness of death, thus often practiced, it is of great fruit, of great benefit, having the Deathless as its ground, having the Deathless as its culmination. The Tenth. The Chapter on Amiable Qualities, the Second. Its summary – Two on amiable qualities, on removal, on the good, on not regretting; Nakula, and sleepiness and heedlessness, there are two on mindfulness of death.