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I would attend to the Teacher’s Dispensation, much would have been done by me.” These, monks, are called “monks who dwell heedlessly, who cultivate mindfulness of death slowly for the destruction of the taints.” But again, monks, when a monk cultivates mindfulness of death thus: “Oh, if only I would live for the time it takes to chew and swallow one mouthful, I would attend to the Teacher’s Dispensation, much would have been done by me.” And again, monks, when a monk cultivates mindfulness of death thus: “Oh, if only I would live for the time it takes to breathe in after breathing out, or breathe out after breathing in, I would attend to the Teacher’s Dispensation, much would have been done by me.” These, monks, are called “monks who dwell heedfully, who cultivate mindfulness of death sharply for the destruction of the taints.” Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: “We will dwell heedfully, we will cultivate mindfulness of death sharply for the destruction of the taints.” Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. The Third. 4. The Second Discourse on Mindfulness of Death 74. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Nātika, in the Brick Hall. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Mindfulness of death, monks, when cultivated and made much of, is of great fruit, of great benefit, culminating in the Deathless, ending in the Deathless. ending. “And how, monks, is mindfulness of death developed, how is it made much of, so that it is of great fruit, of great benefit, steeped in the Deathless, ending in the Deathless? Here, monks, a monk, when the day has departed and the night has come, thus reflects: ‘Many indeed are the causes of my death – a snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, a centipede might bite me; thereby might be my demise. That would 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 sharp winds might be disturbed, or humans might attack me, or non-humans might attack me; thereby might be my demise. That would be an obstacle for me.’ Then, monks, that monk should thus reflect: ‘Are there any evil unwholesome states in me that are unabandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight?’” “If, monks, a monk, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are evil unwholesome states in me that are unabandoned, which would be an obstacle for me if I were to die tonight,’ then, monks, that monk should put forth extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness and clear comprehension for the abandonment of those very evil unwholesome states. “Just as, monks, if one’s clothes were on fire or one’s head were on fire, one would put forth extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness and clear comprehension for the extinguishing of those very clothes or head; even so, monks, that monk should put forth extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness and clear comprehension for the abandonment of those very evil unwholesome states. “But if, monks, a monk, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are no evil unwholesome states not abandoned by me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die at night,’ then, monks, that monk should dwell with that joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome states. “But here, monks, when the night has passed, and the day has come, a monk 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 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, or humans might attack me, or non-humans might attack me; that would be my death. That would be an obstacle to me.’ Then, monks, that monk should reflect thus: ‘Are there any evil unwholesome states not abandoned by me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day?’ “If, monks, a monk, reflecting, thus knows: ‘There are evil unwholesome states not abandoned by me, which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day,’ then, monks, that monk should apply an extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness, and clear comprehension for the abandonment of those evil unwholesome states. “Just as, monks, if one’s clothes were on fire or one’s head were on fire, one would apply an extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness, and clear comprehension to extinguish those clothes or head; even so, monks, that monk should apply an extraordinary desire, effort, exertion, endeavor, unflagging mindfulness, and clear comprehension for the abandonment of those evil unwholesome states. “But if, monks, a monk, reflecting, and thus knows: 'There are no evil unwholesome states in me unabandoned which would be an obstacle to me if I were to die during the day.' By that monk, O monks, with that very joy and gladness should he dwell, training himself day and night in wholesome states. Thus developed, O monks, is mindfulness of death, thus often practiced, it is of great fruit, of great benefit, plunging into the Deathless, ending in the Deathless." The Fourth. 5. The First Discourse on Accomplishments 75. "These, O monks, are eight accomplishments. Which eight? Accomplishment in diligence, accomplishment in protection, good friendship, balanced livelihood, accomplishment in faith, accomplishment in virtue, accomplishment in generosity, accomplishment in wisdom – these, O monks, are the eight accomplishments." Diligent in his work, heedful, resourceful; he maintains a balanced livelihood, and protects what he has gathered. Faithful, endowed with virtue, courteous, free from stinginess; he always purifies the path, for well-being in the future. Thus these eight qualities, for the faithful householder; are declared by the name of truth, bringing happiness in both worlds. For the benefit in this life, and for happiness in the future; thus for householders, generosity increases merit. The Fifth. 6. The Second Discourse on Accomplishments 76. "These, O monks, are eight accomplishments. Which eight? Accomplishment in diligence, accomplishment in protection, good friendship, balanced livelihood, accomplishment in faith, accomplishment in virtue, accomplishment in generosity, accomplishment in wisdom. And what, O monks, is accomplishment in diligence? Here, O monks, a householder by whatever occupation he makes his living – whether by farming, or by trade, or by cattle-keeping, or by archery, or by royal service, or by any other craft – he is skillful and not lazy in it, he is endowed with a discerning inquiry into its means, he is able to do it, able to arrange it. This, O monks, is called accomplishment in diligence. And what, O monks, is accomplishment in protection? Here, O monks, a householder has wealth acquired by energetic striving, acquired by the strength of his arms, by the sweat of his brow, righteous, righteously gained, he makes them protected by guardianship: 'Lest kings carry off my possessions, lest thieves carry them off, lest fire burn them, lest water sweep them away, lest unloved heirs carry them off.' This is called, monks, the accomplishment of protection. And what, monks, is good friendship? Here, monks, a son of good family, in whatever village or town he dwells, there, those householders or sons of householders, whether young, mature in virtue, or old, mature in virtue, accomplished in faith, accomplished in virtue, accomplished in generosity, accomplished in wisdom— with them he associates, converses, engages in discussion; as those accomplished in faith, he emulates their accomplishment in faith, as those accomplished in virtue, he emulates their accomplishment in virtue, as those accomplished in generosity, he emulates their accomplishment in generosity, as those accomplished in wisdom, he emulates their accomplishment in wisdom. This is called, monks, good friendship. And what, monks, is balanced livelihood? Here, monks, a son of good family, knowing his income from possessions, and knowing his expenses for possessions, maintains a balanced livelihood, not too extravagant, not too meager: 'Thus my income will exceed my expenses, and my expenses will not exceed my income.' Just as, monks, a scale-bearer or an apprentice scale-bearer, holding up the scale, knows: 'By so much it is lowered, by so much it is raised'; even so, monks, a son of good family, knowing his income from possessions, and knowing his expenses for possessions, maintains a balanced livelihood, not too extravagant, not too meager: 'Thus my income will exceed my expenses, and my expenses will not exceed my income.' If, monks, this son of good family, having little income, maintains an extravagant livelihood, then there are those who say of him: 'This son of good family consumes his wealth like one eating figs.' But if, monks, this son of good family, having great income... who lives a difficult life, there are those who say: 'This young man of good family will die before his time.' But when, monks, this young man of good family, knowing the income of his wealth and knowing the outgo of his wealth, lives a balanced life, neither too extravagant nor too meager, thinking: 'Thus my income will cover my outgo, and my outgo will not exceed my income.' This, monks, is called balanced living. And what, monks, is accomplishment in faith? Here, monks, a young man of good family is faithful, he has faith in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is… teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.' This, monks, is called accomplishment in faith. And what, monks, is accomplishment in virtue? Here, monks, a young man of good family