Maranasati

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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befriend
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Maranasati

Post by befriend »

I'd like to include maranasati mindfulness of death into my daily Dhamma practice. But am unsure how often does one consider the fragility of life and that death can come anytime? Thanks!
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
Srilankaputra
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Re: Maranasati

Post by Srilankaputra »

Experienced forest rangers don't lose their sense of direction, even when they travel deep inside the forest. If it were me I would probably get lost straight away, but it's possible with training.

Mendicants, these five things, when developed and cultivated, have freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom as their fruit and benefit.
_Pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā bhāvitā bahulīkatā cetovimuttiphalā ca honti cetovimuttiphalānisaṁsā ca, paññāvimuttiphalā ca honti paññāvimuttiphalānisaṁsā ca.

What five?

A mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death.
_Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī, maraṇasaññā kho panassa ajjhattaṁ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti.
https://suttacentral.net/an5.71/en/sujato

Wish you all success in all your endeavours. Goodbye!
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DooDoot
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Re: Maranasati

Post by DooDoot »

My cousin passed away from cancer 3 days ago. Was not very old. :geek:
“Here, monks, when the day is ending and the night is returning, a monk considers: ‘There are many causes of death: A snake might bite me, or a scorpion might sting me, or a centipede might sting me, and I might die as a result – that would be inconvenient for me. Or I might stumble and fall, or a meal I have eaten might make me sick, or my bile could become disturbed, or my phlegm might become disturbed, or knife-like winds might disturb me, and I might die as a result – that would be inconvenient for me.’ Monks, that monk should consider, ‘Are there any harmful, unwholesome phenomena in me that have not been abandoned, and which would be obstructive to me if I were to die tonight?’

“Monks, when a monk is reflecting in this way, if he knows, ‘There are harmful, unwholesome phenomena in me that have not been abandoned and which would be obstructive to me if I were to die tonight,’ then, monks, that monk should produce extraordinary interest, effort, exertion, and striving, with unfailing mindfulness and awareness, in order to abandon those harmful, unwholesome phenomena

http://bhantesuddhaso.com/teachings/sut ... ati-sutta/
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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pegembara
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Re: Maranasati

Post by pegembara »

befriend wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 2:41 pm I'd like to include maranasati mindfulness of death into my daily Dhamma practice. But am unsure how often does one consider the fragility of life and that death can come anytime? Thanks!
One meal at a time -> the last meal on death row.
One mouthful at a time or
One breath at a time -->https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/258 ... ecomes-air
Everyone succumbs to finitude. I suspect I am not the only one who reaches this pluperfect state. Most ambitions are either achieved or abandoned; either way, they belong to the past. The future, instead of the ladder toward the goals of life, flattens out into a perpetual present. Paul Kalanithi
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/pau ... thi-quotes
It's going, going, gone.
When this was said, the Blessed One addressed the monks. "Whoever develops mindfulness of death, thinking, 'O, that I might live for a day & night... for a day... for the interval that it takes to eat a meal... for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up four morsels of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal' — they are said to dwell heedlessly. They develop mindfulness of death slowly for the sake of ending the effluents.

"But whoever develops mindfulness of death, thinking, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food... for the interval that it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal' — they are said to dwell heedfully. They develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the effluents.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
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bodom
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Re: Maranasati

Post by bodom »

I use whatever comes up in the course of the day to reflect on death.. whether it is news reports of accidental deaths, murders, suicides or roadkill when walking down the street, even leaves falling from the trees..there is always an opportunity to bring home the truth of our inevitable destination.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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mjaviem
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Re: Maranasati

Post by mjaviem »

befriend wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 2:41 pm ... am unsure how often does one consider the fragility of life and that death can come anytime...
I would say all the time.
AN 6.19 Thanissaro wrote:‘O, that I might live… for the interval that it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Blessed One’s instructions...’
EDIT: I mean, that's the whole point of being mindful, isn't it? You have to always keep in mind that you can die and to attend to the Blessed One's instructions.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
Ontheway
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Re: Maranasati

Post by Ontheway »

Recently, I tried develop this Maranasati meditation too, following Visuddhimagga's explanation. So far, it works for me on reducing fear of death.
One who wants to develop this should go into solitary retreat and exercise attention wisely in this way: “Death will take place; the life faculty will be interrupted,” or “Death, death.”

If he exercises his attention unwisely in recollecting the [possible] death of an agreeable person, sorrow arises, as in a mother on recollecting the death of her beloved child she bore; and gladness arises in recollecting the death of a disagreeable person, as in enemies on recollecting the death of their enemies;
and no sense of urgency arises on recollecting the death of neutral people, as happens in a corpse-burner on seeing a dead body; and anxiety arises on recollecting one’s own death, as happens in a timid person on seeing a murderer with a poised dagger.

In all that there is neither mindfulness nor sense of urgency nor knowledge. So he should look here and there at beings that have been killed or have died, and advert to the death of beings already dead but formerly seen enjoying good things, doing so with mindfulness, with a sense of urgency and with knowledge, after which he can exercise his attention in the way beginning, “Death will take place.”

By so doing he exercises it wisely . He exercises it as a [right] means, is the meaning. When some exercise it merely in this way, their hindrances get suppressed, their mindfulness becomes established with death as its object, and the meditation subject reaches access.

[Eight Ways of Recollecting Death]

But one who finds that it does not get so far should do his recollecting of death in eight ways, that is to say: (1) as having the appearance of a murderer, (2) as the ruin of success, (3) by comparison, (4) as to sharing the body with many , (5) as to the frailty of life, (6) as signless, (7) as to the limitedness of the extent, (8) as to the shortness of the moment.

......

A bhikkhu devoted to mindfulness of death is constantly diligent. He acquires perception of disenchantment with all kinds of becoming (existence). He conquers attachment to life. He condemns evil. He avoids much storing. He has no stain of avarice about requisites. Perception of impermanence grows in him, following upon which there appear the perceptions of pain and not-self.

But while beings who have not developed [mindfulness of] death fall victims to fear, horror and confusion at the time of death as though suddenly seized by wild beasts, spirits, snakes, robbers, or murderers, he dies undeluded and fearless without falling into any such state. And if he does not attain the deathless here and now, he is at least headed for a happy destiny on the breakup of the body .

Now, when a man is truly wise,
his constant task will surely be
this recollection about death,
blessed with such mighty potency.
But it was said that Maranasati couldn't reach Jhanas but only access concentration.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
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