Bhaddakasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

A mendicant who lives well and doesn’t waste time will have a good death.

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!”

“Reverend,” they replied.

Sāriputta said this:

“A mendicant lives life so as to not have a good death.

And how do they live life so as to not have a good death?

Take a mendicant who relishes work, talk, sleep, company, closeness, and proliferation. They love these things and like to relish them.A mendicant who lives life like this does not have a good death.

This is called a mendicant who enjoys substantial reality, who hasn’t given up substantial reality to rightly make an end of suffering.

A mendicant lives life so as to have a good death.

And how do they live life so as to have a good death?

Take a mendicant who doesn’t relish work, talk, sleep, company, closeness, and proliferation. They don’t love these things or like to relish them.

A mendicant who lives life like this has a good death.

This is called a mendicant who delights in extinguishment, who has given up substantial reality to rightly make an end of suffering.

A beast who likes to proliferate,
enjoying proliferation,
fails to win extinguishment,
the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

But one who gives up proliferation,
enjoying the state of non-proliferation,
wins extinguishment,
the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”

Relishing is another word for craving, eagerness, delighting, excitement.

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