In short: mindfulness of death (maraṇassati, AN 6.19) is the practice of remembering that life could end at any time. The Buddha praised those who reflect on the shortest span, the time of one breath, because it makes each moment count.
The Buddha asked his monks how they practiced mindfulness of death. One reflected, "if I'd only live for another day and night". Others named a day, a meal, a few mouthfuls. The Buddha praised the ones who reflected on the shortest time:
Oh, if I'd only live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, I'd focus on the Buddha's instructions and I could really achieve a lot.
A gentle practice
Mindfulness of death is not morbid; it sharpens what matters. The Buddha says it "has freedom from death as its objective and culmination".
- Sit and take one slow breath.
- Reflect: "This breath is a gift; I don't know how many remain."
- Ask: "What matters most today?" Do that first.
See the Five Remembrances and who is not afraid to die.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (AN6.19). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. | At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. |
| Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: | There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, |
| “bhikkhavo”ti. | “Mendicants!” |
| “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. | “Venerable sir,” they replied. |
| Bhagavā etadavoca: | The Buddha said this: |
| “maraṇassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. | “Mendicants, when mindfulness of death is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. It has freedom from death as its objective and culmination. |
| Bhāvetha no tumhe, bhikkhave, maraṇassatin”ti? | But do you develop mindfulness of death?” |
| Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, |
| “ahaṁ kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day and night, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Another mendicant said to the Buddha, |
| “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live for another day, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Another mendicant said to the Buddha, |
| “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to eat a meal of almsfood, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Another mendicant said to the Buddha, |
| “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ cattāro pañca ālope saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Another mendicant said to the Buddha, |
| “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Aññataropi kho bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: | Another mendicant said to the Buddha, |
| “ahampi kho, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | “Sir, I too develop mindfulness of death.” |
| “Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhāvesi maraṇassatin”ti? | “But mendicant, how do you develop it?” |
| “Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: | “In this case, sir, I think: |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā vā passasāmi passasitvā vā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | ‘Oh, if I’d only live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, I’d focus on the Buddha’s instructions and I could really achieve a lot.’ |
| Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhāvemi maraṇassatin”ti. | That’s how I develop mindfulness of death.” |
| Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā te bhikkhū etadavoca: | When this was said, the Buddha said to those mendicants: |
| “yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | “As to the mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | to live for a day and night … |
| Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ divasaṁ jīveyyaṁ, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | or to live for a day … |
| Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekapiṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | or to live as long as it takes to eat a meal of almsfood … |
| Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ cattāro pañca ālope saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | or to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow four or five mouthfuls— |
| Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, bhikkhū pamattā viharanti dandhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya. | these are called mendicants who live negligently. They slackly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements. |
| Yo ca khvāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | But as to the mendicants who develop mindfulness of death by wishing |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ ekaṁ ālopaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | to live as long as it takes to chew and swallow a single mouthful … |
| Yo cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāveti: | |
| ‘aho vatāhaṁ tadantaraṁ jīveyyaṁ yadantaraṁ assasitvā vā passasāmi passasitvā vā assasāmi, bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasi kareyyaṁ, bahu vata me kataṁ assā’ti. | or to live as long as it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out— |
| Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, bhikkhū appamattā viharanti tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāventi āsavānaṁ khayāya. | these are called mendicants who live diligently. They keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements. |
| Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: | So you should train like this: |
| ‘appamattā viharissāma, tikkhaṁ maraṇassatiṁ bhāvessāma āsavānaṁ khayāyā’ti. | ‘We will live diligently. We will keenly develop mindfulness of death for the ending of defilements.’ |
| Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. | That’s how you should train.” |
| Navamaṁ. |
Try it
Begin with a 3-minute practice, or make your teaching card for today.
Questions people ask
What is maranasati?
Mindfulness of death. In AN 6.19 the Buddha praises reflecting that one may live only as long as one breath, so as to practise with urgency and focus on what matters.