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ap-pamāda = assiduity = every moment you give the Dhamma everything you got


This is why "carefulness" and "heedfulness" are not the best translation for appamāda:
(the last paragraph in the sutta is where the crucial point is)

AN 9.12 Stream Entry

12. Saupādisesasutta
12. With Something Left Over
Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:
Then he thought:
“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya carituṃ,
“It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.
yannūnāhaṃ yena aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.
Why don’t I go to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths?”
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṃ sammodi.
Then he went to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths, and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.
Sammodanīyaṃ kathaṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi.
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.
Tena kho pana samayena tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ sannisinnānaṃ sannipatitānaṃ ayamantarākathā udapādi:
Now at that time while those wanderers who follow other paths were sitting together this discussion came up among them:
“yo hi koci, āvuso, saupādiseso kālaṃ karoti, sabbo so aparimutto nirayā aparimutto tiracchānayoniyā aparimutto pettivisayā aparimutto apāyaduggativinipātā”ti.
“Reverends, no-one who dies with something left over is exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.”
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ bhāsitaṃ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi.
Sāriputta neither approved nor dismissed that statement of the wanderers who follow other paths.
Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:
He got up from his seat, thinking:
“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṃ ājānissāmī”ti.
“I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṃ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:
Then Sāriputta wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from alms-round, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.
“Ke ca, sāriputta, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bālā abyattā, ke ca saupādisesaṃ vā ‘saupādiseso’ti jānissanti, anupādisesaṃ vā ‘anupādiseso’ti jānissanti.
“Sāriputta, these foolish, incompetent wanderers following other paths: who are they to know whether someone has something left over or not?
Navayime, sāriputta, puggalā saupādisesā kālaṃ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā.
There are these nine people who, dying with something left over, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Katame nava?
What nine?
Idha, sāriputta, ekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ paripūrakārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
There’s a person who has fulfilled ethics and undistractible-lucidity, but has limited wisdom.
So pañcannaṃ orambhāgiyānaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti.
With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re nirvana'd in-between one life and the next.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, paṭhamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (1)
This is the first person …
Puna caparaṃ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ paripūrakārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
Furthermore, there’s a person who has fulfilled ethics and undistractible-lucidity, but has limited wisdom.
So pañcannaṃ orambhāgiyānaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti … pe …
With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re nirvana'd upon landing.
asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti … pe …
With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re nirvana'd without extra effort. …
With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort. …
This is the third person …
This is the fourth person …
sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti … pe …
uddhaṃsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī.
With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, pañcamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (2–5.)
This is the fifth person …
Puna caparaṃ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
Furthermore, there’s a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited undistractible-lucidity and wisdom.
So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṃ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṃ lokaṃ āgantvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.
With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, chaṭṭho puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā … pe … parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (6)
This is the sixth person …
Puna caparaṃ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
Furthermore, there’s a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited undistractible-lucidity and wisdom.
So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṃyeva mānusakaṃ bhavaṃ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.
With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, sattamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā … pe … parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (7)
This is the seventh person …
Puna caparaṃ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
Furthermore, there’s a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited undistractible-lucidity and wisdom.
So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā kolaṅkolo hoti, dve vā tīṇi vā kulāni sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.
With the ending of three fetters, they go family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, aṭṭhamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā … pe … parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (8)
This is the eighth person …
Puna caparaṃ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṃ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī.
Furthermore, there’s a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited undistractible-lucidity and wisdom.
So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā sattakkhattuparamo hoti, sattakkhattuparamaṃ deve ca manusse ca sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.
With the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among gods and humans and then make an end of suffering.
Ayaṃ, sāriputta, navamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṃ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. (9)
This is the ninth person …
Ke ca, sāriputta, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bālā abyattā, ke ca saupādisesaṃ vā ‘saupādiseso’ti jānissanti, anupādisesaṃ vā ‘anupādiseso’ti jānissanti.
These foolish, incompetent wanderers following other paths: who are they to know whether someone has something left over or not?
Ime kho, sāriputta, nava puggalā saupādisesā kālaṃ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā.
These are the nine people who, dying with something left over, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Na tāvāyaṃ, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo paṭibhāsi bhikkhūnaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ upāsakānaṃ upāsikānaṃ.
Up until now, Sāriputta, I have not felt the need to give this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
Taṃ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Māyimaṃ dhammapariyāyaṃ sutvā pamādaṃ āhariṃsūti.
For I didn’t want those who heard it to introduce negligence.
Api ca mayā, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo pañhādhippāyena bhāsito”ti.
However, I have spoken it in order to answer your question.”

My preferred translation

 appamāda = assiduity, or assiduous-lucidity

assiduity = ass-sit-do-it-ee. You sit your ass down until you can do it (nirvana).
You give the Dhamma every thing you got, every moment, no stop, no let up, all day, all night, 24/7.

carefulness and heedfulness leads to heavenly rebirth, and at best stream entry.
Assiduity takes you to arahantship in this life, or at the moment of death,  or if you fail, non-return.

Another phrase that would work for appamāda:

balls to the wall. With maximum effort, energy, or speed, and without caution or restraint. The phrase most likely originated as an aviation term, referring to the throttle levers of military aircraft (which have a rounded ball on top) being pushed to their maximum limit (i.e., to the bulkhead, or "wall").


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