Cattāri Brahmavihārā

I have been recollecting death often in the past few das and, for whatever reason, I have been touching into it in a way that I had been unable to do for some time. Maranasati, the recollection of death, is one of classical guardian meditations and is often recommended by the Lord Buddha so, perhaps unsurprisingly, I was immediately drawn to the practice like a moth to flame. Nonetheless, I feel that for a long time my use of the contemplation was lacking in that I was using it as a cudgel. Without realizing it the contemplation became passe and lost its edge, leaving me with the words alone and a dim acknowledgement that, yes, I will die someday. Now that the recollection has regained its teeth I feel like I have an opportunity to enliven my practice but realize I need to handle it gingerly. In many ways I believe that maranasati and asubha contemplations lost their strength due to their overuse and a dwelling in unpleasant perceptions without balancing them out with their counter-points.

For those who are unfamiliar I am including a relevant sutta below:

have heard that at one time the Blessed One was staying at Nadika, in the Brick Hall. There he addressed the monks, “Monks!”

“Yes, lord,” the monks replied.

The Blessed One said, “Mindfulness of death, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit & great benefit. It gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its final end. Therefore you should develop mindfulness of death.”

When this was said, a certain monk addressed the Blessed One, “I already develop mindfulness of death.”

“And how do you develop mindfulness of death?”

“I think, ‘O, that I might live for a day & night, that I might attend to the Blessed One’s instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.’ This is how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, “I, too, already develop mindfulness of death.”

“And how do you develop mindfulness of death?”

“I think, ‘O, that I might live for a day, that I might attend to the Blessed One’s instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.’ This is how I develop mindfulness of death.”

Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, “I, too, develop mindfulness of death.” … “I think, ‘O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to eat a meal, that I might attend to the Blessed One’s instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.’ …”

Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, “I, too, develop mindfulness of death.” … “I think, ‘O, that I might live 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.’ …”

Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, “I, too, develop mindfulness of death.” … “I think, ‘O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food, that I might attend to the Blessed One’s instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal.’ …”

Then another monk addressed the Blessed One, “I, too, develop mindfulness of death.” … “I think, ‘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. I would have accomplished a great deal.’ This is how I develop mindfulness of death.”

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.

“Therefore you should train yourselves: ‘We will dwell heedfully. We will develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the effluents.’ That is how you should train yourselves.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.019.than.html

By lightly touching into the reality of the precarious state of our life and its concommitant preciousness may we always remain mindful of the quality of our actions and the intentions that underlie all we think, say and do.