Death (EA2.10)

Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “One should cultivate one thing and disseminate one thing. Then, they will achieve spiritual knowledge, dispel their confused ideas, win the fruits of the ascetic, and bring about nirvāṇa themselves. What’s that one thing? It’s called recollecting death. One should cultivate and widely disseminate it. Then, they will achieve spiritual knowledge, dispel their confused ideas, win the fruits of the ascetic, and bring about nirvāṇa themselves.

“Therefore, monks, you should cultivate this one thing and widely disseminate this one thing. Thus, monks, should you train.”

When the monks heard what the Buddha taught, they rejoiced and approved.

Summary Verse

Recollection of the Buddha, Dharma, and noble Saṅgha; Recollection of precepts, generosity, and gods; Recollection of peace and breathing; And recollection of the body and death are last.

This sūtra is part of the Dharma Pearls translation project.

Prepared by Charles Patton for SuttaCentral.