Heedfulness (Appamāda Vagga)
Verse 21
Pāli Source
Appamādo amatapadaṃ pamādo maccuno padaṃ; appamattā na mīyanti ye pamattā yathā matā.
English Translation
Heedfulness is the path to the deathless; heedlessness is the path to death. Those who are heedful do not die in the way the heedless already are — as if dead while still alive.
Way to Enlightenment draft translation — not yet reviewed for accuracy.
Editorial Note
The opening verse of the Appamāda Vagga (Heedfulness), a chapter devoted entirely to the theme of alert, careful attention as the foundation of practice.
Source
Pali critical edition: O. von Hinüber & K.R. Norman (Pali Text Society, 1995), digitized by the Dhammakaya Foundation via GRETIL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0