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AN 6.20 fun pali lesson, Buddha makes a pun, intentional humor, marana leads to a-mata

5e - Deathless | GM Binder
The subject of this sutta, AN 6.20 is marana (death) sati (remembering)


In the sutta opening, the Buddha makes a pun, or a humorous play on the relationship between proper remembrance of death (death can come by many ways unexpectedly, so treat every moment of practice like your head is on fire, with urgency), and that doing the practice of marana-sati well results in a-mata (the deathless state, a synonym for nirvana).

maraṇas-sati kathaṃ bahulī-katā
{how is} death-remembering ****** abundantly-practiced,
mahap-phalā hoti mahā-nisaṃsā
{to be of} great-fruit **** (and) great-benefit,
a-mat'-ogadhā
(the) death-less-(it)-plunges-into,
a-mata-pariyosānā?
(the) death-less-(it)-culminates?

As you recall, the prefix 'a' is a negation, and 'mata' is just a conjugated or declined form of 'marana'. 

Both of those words from sanskrit [fr. mṛ;] death.


maraṇass-ati
maraṇa: death. (nt.)

Maraṇa (nt.) [fr. mṛ;] death, as ending this (visible) existence, physical death, in a narrower meaning than kālakiriyā; dying, in cpds. death. -- The customary stock definition of maraṇa runs; yaŋ tesaŋ tesaŋ sattānaŋ tamhā tamhā satta -- nikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaŋ maccu maraṇaŋ kālakiriyā, khandhānaŋ bhedo, kaḷebarassa nikkhepo M i.49; Nd1 123, 124 (adds "jīvit' indriyass' upacchedo"). Cp. similar defns of birth and old age under jāti and jarā. -- S i.121; D iii.52, 111 sq., 135 sq., 146 sq., 235, 258 sq. Sn 32, 318, 426 sq., 575 sq., 742, 806; Nd2 254 (=maccu) Pug 60; Vbh 99 sq.; VbhA 100 (defn and exegesis in det., cp. Vism 502), 101 (var. kinds of, cp. Vism 229) 156 (lahuka), 157; DhA iii.434; PvA 5, 18, 54, 64, 76 96; Sdhp 292, 293. -- kāla˚; timely death (opp. akāla˚) khaṇika˚; sudden death Vism 229.
-- anta having death as its end (of jīvita) Dh 148 (cp DhA ii.366: maraṇa -- sankhāto antako). -- ânussati mindfulness of death Vism 197, 230 sq. (under 8 aspects) -- cetanā intention of death DhA i.20. -- dhamma subject to death PvA 41. -- pariyosana ending in death (of jīvita, life) DhA iii.111, 170. -- pāra "the other side of death," Np. at Nd1 154 (vv. ll. BB purāpuraŋ; SS parammukhaŋ). -- bhaya the fear of death J i.203 vi.398; Vbh 367. -- bhojana food given before death the last meal J i.197; ii.420. -- mañca death -- bed Vism 47, 549; ˚ka J iv.132. -- mukha the mouth of d. PvA 97 (or should we read ˚dukkha?). -- sati the thought (or mindfulness) of death, meditation on death SnA 54; DhA iii.171; PvA 61, 66. -- samaya the time of death VbhA 157 -- 159 (in var. conditions as regards paṭisandhi).

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amat
2		-ogadhā c
amata: ambrosia; the deathless state. (nt.)

Amata1 (nt.) [a + mata = mṛta pp. of mṛ;, Vedic amṛta = Gr. a) -- m(b)rot -- o & a)mbrosi/a; = Lat. im -- mort -- a(lis] 1. The drink of the gods, ambrosia, water of immortality, (cp BSk. amṛta -- varṣa "rain of Ambrosia" Jtm 221).

2. A general conception of a state of durability & non -- change a state of security i. e. where there is not any more rebirth or re -- death. So Bdhgh at KhA 180 (on Sn 225) "na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati ti amatan ti vuccati", or at DhA i.228 "ajātattā na jiyyati na miyyati tasmā amatan ti vuccati". -- Vin i.7 = M i.169 (apārutā tesaŋ amatassa dvārā); Vin i.39; D ii.39, 217, 241; S i.32 (= rāgadosamoha -- khayo), 193; iii.2 (˚ena abhisitta "sprinkled with A."); iv.94 (˚assa dātā), 370; v.402 (˚assa patti); A i.45 sq.; iii.451; iv.455; v.226 sq., 256 sq. (˚assa dātā); J i.4 (v.25); iv.378, 386; v.456 (˚mahā -- nibbāna); Sn 204 225, 228 (= nibbāna KhA 185); Th 1, 310 (= agada antidote); It 46 = 62 (as dhātu), 80 (˚assa dvāra); Dh 114, 374 (= amata -- mahā -- nibbāna DhA iv.110); Miln 258 (˚dhura savanûpaga), 319 (agado amataŋ & nibbānaŋ amataŋ), 336 (amatena lokaŋ abhisiñci Bhagavā), 346 (dhamm;ɔ âmataŋ); DA i.217 (˚nibbāna); DhA i.87 (˚ŋ pāyeti); Dāvs ii.34; v.31; Sdhp 1, 209, 530, 571.
-- ogadha diving into the ambrosia (of Nibbāna) S v. 41, 54, 181, 220, 232; A iii.79, 304; iv.46 sq., 317 387; v.105 sq.; Sn 635; Th 1, 179, 748; Dh 411 ( amataŋ nibbānaŋ ogahetvā DhA iv.186); Vv 5020. -- osadha the medicine of Ambrosia, ambrosial medicine Miln 247 -- gāmin going or leading to the ambrosia (of Nibbāna S i.123; iv.370; v.8; A iii.329; Th 2, 222. -- dasa one who sees Amata or Nibbāna Th 1, 336. -- dundubhi the drum of the Immortal (Nibbāna) M i.171 = Vin i.8 (has ˚dudrabhi). -- dvāra the door to Nibbāna M i.353; S i. 137 = Vin i.5; S ii.43, 45, 58, 80; A v.346. -- dhātu the element of Ambrosia or Nibbāna A iii.356. -- patta having attained to Ambrosia A iv.455. -- pada the region or place of Ambrosia S i.212 ("Bourne Ambrosial" trsln. p. 274); ii.280; Dh 21 (= amatassa adhigama -- vupāyo vuttaŋ hoti DhA i.228). -- phala ambrosial fruit S i.173 = Sn 80. -- magga the path to Ambrosia DhA i.94.

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