Sutta Nipata III.2 Padhana Sutta Exertion Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. For free distribution only. Death is in your presence. Death has 1,000 parts of you. Only one part is your life.
Life is better.
Alive, you can do acts of merit. Your living the holy life, performing the fire sacrifice, will heap up much merit. Saying these verses, Mara stood in the Awakened One's presence. In me are conviction, austerity, persistence, discernment. This wind could burn up even river currents.