English
Even he entered death's dreadful mouth, Like a deer into a lion's mouth; He entered with his psychic powers, What then to speak of those like me? Thus, one should reflect on the greatness of psychic power. How, by the greatness of wisdom? Except for the Lord of the World (Buddha), And all other beings that exist; They are not worth a sixteenth part, Of Sāriputta's wisdom. Such a greatly wise one, The first chief disciple; Fell under the sway of death, What then to speak of those like me? Thus, one should reflect on the greatness of wisdom. How, by the Paccekabuddhas? Even those who, by their own knowledge, energy, and strength, crushed all defilement-enemies, attained Paccekabodhi, like rhinoceros horns, self-enlightened ones, even they were not freed from death. How then could I be freed? Relying on various signs, The great sages contemplating; By the power of self-enlightened knowledge, Those who attained the destruction of defilements. Dwelling in solitary conduct, Resembling a rhinoceros horn; Even they did not overcome death, What then to speak of those like me? Thus, from a Paccekabuddha, it should be recollected. How from a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One? Even that Blessed One, whose body was adorned with eighty minor characteristics and thirty-two major marks of a great man, whose Dhamma-body was rich with jewel-like qualities of perfectly pure virtue and so on, who had reached the far shore of great fame, great merit, great strength, great power, and great wisdom, incomparable, unequalled, a peerless individual, an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, even he, like a great mass of fire extinguished by a downpour of water, was completely extinguished by the downpour of death. To one of such great power, to this great sage, not from fear, not from shame, death came under its sway. Shameless, devoid of modesty, crushing all beings; this [death] will surely overcome a being like me, how will it not? Thus, from a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, it should be recollected. Having thus compared oneself with others endowed with such greatness of fame and so on, and having brought oneself to the commonality of death, for one who recollects: "Just as for those distinguished beings, so too for me, death will occur," the meditation subject reaches access concentration. Thus, by such comparison, death should be recollected. 172. (The body is common to many) This body is common to many. It is common to eighty families of worms. Therein, creatures dwelling in the skin eat the skin, those in the hide eat the hide, those in the flesh eat the flesh, those in the sinews eat the sinews, those in the bones eat the bones, those in the marrow eat the marrow. Therein they are born, grow old, and die, they excrete feces and urine. The body itself is their birthplace, their sickroom, their cemetery, their latrine, and their urinal. And this [body] certainly meets death through the agitation of even those families of worms. Just as for the eighty families of worms, so too for hundreds of internal diseases, and for external causes of death like snakes, scorpions, and so on, it is common. Just as indeed, at a target placed at a crossroads, coming from all directions, arrows, spears, javelins, stones, and so on fall upon it. so too, upon the body all misfortunes fall. And by the falling of these misfortunes, death is certainly reached. Therefore, the Blessed One said: “Here, monks, when the day has passed and night has come, a monk thus reflects: ‘Many indeed are the causes of my death. A snake might bite me, a scorpion might bite me, a centipede might bite me. Then would be my demise, that would be an obstruction 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 sharp winds might be disturbed in me. Then would be my demise, that would be an obstruction for me.’” Thus (A.N. 6.20), death should be recollected due to the body's many common vulnerabilities. 173. Due to the weakness of life: Life, indeed, is weak, feeble. For the life of beings is dependent on in-breaths and out-breaths, dependent on postures, dependent on cold and heat, dependent on the great elements, and dependent on food. This life continues only when the in-breaths and out-breaths maintain their balance. But when the breath that has gone out through the nose does not enter, or when that which has entered does not go out, one is said to be dead. The four postures also continue only when they maintain their balance. But by the excess of any one of them, the life-constituents are cut off. Cold and heat also continue only when they maintain their balance. But when overcome by excessive cold or excessive heat, one perishes. The great elements also continue only when they maintain their balance. But by the disturbance of the earth element or the water element, etc., even a strong person becomes stiff-bodied, or putrid and wet due to dysentery, etc., or afflicted by great burning, or with joints and bonds breaking apart, and thus reaches the end of life. Life continues only for one who receives solid food at the proper time; but for one who does not receive food, it comes to an end. Thus, death should be recollected due to the weakness of life. to be done. 174. "Animittato" means indeterminate, meaning without fixed limits. For beings, indeed— Life, illness, time, the laying down of the body, destiny; These five in the world of living beings are indeterminate, not known. Among these, life, first, is indeterminate because there is no fixed limit like "only this much is to be lived, not beyond this." For beings die even in the kalala stage, and in the stages of abbuda, pesi, ghana, and in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, tenth months. Even at the time of emerging from the womb. Beyond that, they die within or outside a hundred years. Illness, too, is indeterminate because there is no fixed limit like "beings die only from this illness, not from another." For beings die even from eye disease, or from any of the ear diseases and so on. Time, too, is indeterminate because there is no fixed limit like "one must die at this time, not at another." For beings die even in the forenoon, or at any other time like midday and so on. The laying down of the body, too, is indeterminate because there is no fixed limit like "the body of those dying here must fall here, not elsewhere." For the body of those born in the village falls even outside the village. And of those born outside the village, even in the village. Similarly, it should be elaborated in many ways, like those born on land in water, or those born in water on land. Destiny, too, is indeterminate because there is no fixed limit like "having passed away from here, one must be reborn here." For those passed away from the deva world are reborn even among humans, and those passed away from the human world are reborn anywhere in the deva worlds and so on. Thus, the world revolves in the five destinies like an ox yoked to a machine. Thus, death should be recollected as indeterminate. 175. "Addhānaparicchedato" means due to the limited duration. Indeed, the lifespan of humans now is short. Whoever lives long, lives a hundred years, or a little more. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Short, monks, is the life of humans, the journey to the other world is to be made, good is to be done, the holy life is to be lived, there is no not dying for one who is born. Whoever, monks, lives long, lives a hundred years, or a little more." Or more. Humans have short lives, A good person should despise it; He should live like one whose head is aflame, There is no escape from death. And further it is said – "Formerly, monks, There was a teacher named Araka." The entire discourse, Adorned with seven similes, Should be elaborated. And further it is said – "Monks, when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could live For a day and a night, I would attend to the teaching Of the Blessed One, Much indeed would be accomplished by me!' And when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could live For a day, I would attend to the teaching Of the Blessed One, Much indeed would be accomplished by me!' And when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could live For the time It takes to eat One alms-meal, I would attend to the teaching Of the Blessed One, Much indeed would be accomplished by me!' And when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could 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 be accomplished by me!' These, monks, Are called monks Who dwell heedlessly, They cultivate mindfulness of death slowly For the destruction of the taints. But, monks, when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could 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 be accomplished by me!' And when a monk Cultivates mindfulness of death thus: 'Oh, if only I could live For the time It takes to breathe in And breathe out, Or breathe out And breathe in, I would attend to the teaching Of the Blessed One, Much indeed would be accomplished by me!' These, monks, Are called monks Who dwell heedfully, They cultivate keen mindfulness of death For the destruction of the taints." Thus. that the span of life is merely four or five decades, untrustworthy and short, thus should death be recollected by way of the limitation of the lifespan. 176. By way of the shortness of a moment: For in the ultimate sense, the life-moment of beings is extremely short, lasting only for a single thought-occurrence.