How To Do Maranasati - Mindfulness Of Death!

The Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“How is ‘mindfulness of death’ developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial, to culminate in freedom from death and end in freedom from death?”

“Whether night or day, reflect: ‘I might die of many causes — a snake might bite me, or a scorpion or centipede might sting me; I might stumble off a cliff, get food poisoning, or suffer a disturbance of bile, phlegm, or piercing winds. If I died from any of that, it would be an obstacle to my progress. So, are there any bad, unskillful qualities I haven’t given up yet?’”

“If there are such bad, unskillful qualities, then act like your clothes or head were on fire and you were extinguishing it — applying that same intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness to give them up!”

“And if there are no such bad, unskillful qualities, then meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities!”

AN 6.20