VIMT. MINDFULNESS OF BODY

Q. What is mindfulness of body?

What is the practising of it?

What are its salient characteristic and function?

What are its benefits?

What is the procedure?

A. Mindfulness as regards the nature of the body is the practising of it. That mindfulness is mindfulness and right mindfulness. Thus is mindfulness of body to be understood. The undisturbed dwelling of the mind in this mindfulness is the practising of it. The becoming manifest of the nature of the body is its salient characteristic. The perception of disagreeableness is its function. The indication of the unreal is its manifestation.

1 What are its benefits?

A man who practises mindfulness of body can endure.

He can bear to see the fearful and he can bear heat, cold and the like.

He is endowed with the perception of impermanence, the perception of not-self, the perception of impurity and the perception of tribulation.

He attains to the four meditations, jhanas, with ease, gains a clear view of things, is pleased with his practice, fares well and approaches the ambrosial.

What is the procedure?

The new yogin enters a place of solitude, sits down and guards his thoughts. With mind undisturbed, he meditates on the nature of his body. How does he practise mindfulness of body?

THIRTY-TWO PARTS OF THE BODY

This body consists of head-hair, body-hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, liver, heart, spleen, lungs, bile, gorge, grease, fat, brain, midriff, intestines, mesentery, excrement, urine, pus, blood, phlegm, sweat, synovial fluid, tears, nasal mucus, saliva, and is impure.

(speech ceases in first jhana)

(SN 36.11 speech ceases in first jhana)

The new yogin at first should recite vocally these thirty-two parts of the body in the direct and in the reverse order.

He should always vocally recite well and investigate these (thirty-two parts).

Vocally reciting well he should investigate always.

(vitakka & vicara, are speech co-activities)

(MN 44 directed-thought & evaluation are speech co-activities)

Thereafter he should reflect on them only mentally in these four ways:

through colour,

through the formations,

the form,

the basis.

He may, with discrimination, take one or two [433] or more and grasp the crude sign.

Thus the yogin is able to cause the manifestation of three trends of thought,

namely, of colour,

of disliking

and of space.

When the yogin causes the arising of the sign through colour,

he is able to meditate with facility through the colour kasina.

When he causes the arising of the sign through disliking he is able to meditate with facility on impurity.

When the yogin causes the arising of the sign through space, he is able to meditate with facility on the elements.

(to get to 4th jhana)

If the yogin practises on the kasinas, he will get to the fourth meditation, jhana.

(to get to first jhana)

If the yogin practises on impurity, he will get to the first meditation, jhana.

(for access concentration only)

If he practises on the elements, he will get to access-concentration.

(depending on one's temperment)

Here a walker in hate causes the manifestation of the sign through colour;

a walker in passion, through disliking;

and a walker in wisdom, through the elements.

And again, a walker in hate should meditate through colour;

a walker in passion, through disliking

and a walker in wisdom, through the elements.

MINDFULNESS IN THIRTEEN WAYS

And again, one should recall to mind the nature of the body through thirteen ways: through seed, place, condition, oozing, gradual formation, worms, connection,

assemblage, loathsomeness, impurity, dependence, non- awareness of obligation, finitude.

Q. How should a man reflect on the nature of the body through "seed" ? A. As elaeagnus pungens, kosdtaki*,

and the like burn, so this body produced from the impure seed of parents also burns. This is impure. Thus one should recall to mind the nature of the body through "seed".

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "place" ? A. This body does not come out of uppala,*'

kumuda*

^ or pundarika** This comes out of the place where impurity, malodour and uncleanness are pressed together. This body lies across the womb from left to right. It leans against the back-bone of the mother, wrapped in the caul. This place is impure. Therefore the body is also impure. Thus should one recall the nature of the body through "place".

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "condi- tion"?

A, This body is not fed with gold, silver or gems. It does not grow up through being fed with candana*,

tagara*,

aloe-wood and the like. This body grows in the womb of the mother and is mixed with nasal mucus, saliva, slobber and the tears which the mother swallows. This body is nourished with foul-smelling food and drink produced in the mother's womb. Rice, milk,

beans, nasal mucus, saliva, slobber and phlegm which are swallowed by the mother form part of this body. On malodorous, filthy fluid is this brought up. Thus should one recall to mind the nature of the body through "condition".

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "oozing" ?

A. This body is like a bag of skin with many holes exuding filth and urine. This body is filled with filth and urine. This body is a conglomeration of drink and food taken in, of nasal mucus, saliva, filth and urine. These various impurities ooze from the nine openings.

Thus should one recall to mind the nature of the body through "oozing".

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "gradual formation"?

A. This body gradually forms itself according to its previous kamma. In the first week the kalala* is formed. In the second week the abbuda* is formed. In the third week the pesi* is formed. In the fourth week the ghana* is formed. In the fifth week five parts

are formed. In the sixth week four parts are formed. In the seventh week again four parts are formed. In the eighth week again twenty-eight parts are formed. In the ninth and tenth weeks the backbone is formed. In the eleventh week three hundred bones are formed. In the twelfth week eight hundred parts are formed. In the thirteenth week nine hundred parts are formed, In the fourteenth week one hundred lumps of flesh are formed. In the fifteenth week blood is formed. In the sixteenth week the midriff is formed. In the seventeenth week the skin is formed. In the eighteenth week the colour of the skin is formed. In the nineteenth week the wind according to kamma fills the body. In the twentieth week the nine orifices are formed. In the twenty-fifth week the seventeen thousand textures of the skin are In the twenty-sixth week the body is endowed with hardness. [formed. In the twenty-seventh week the body is endowed with the powers. In the twenty-eighth week the ninety-nine thousand pores are produced. In the twenty-ninth week the whole is completed. And again it is taught that in the seventh week the child's body is complete, that it leans back with hanging head in a crouching position. In the forty-second week, by the aid of the kamma-produced wind, it reverses its position, turns its feet upwards and its head down and goes to the gate of birth. At this time it is born. In the world it is commonly known as a being. Thus one should reflect on the nature of the body through "gradual formation".

THE WORMS THAT RELY ON THE BODY

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "worms" ?

A. This body is gnawn by eighty thousand worms. The worm that relies on the hair is called "hair-iron". The worm that relies on the skull is called "swollen ear". The worm that relies on the brain is called "maddener". In this class there are four kinds. The first is called ukurimba* The second is called shibara* The third is called daraka* The fourth is called daka- shira* The worm that relies on the eye is called "eye-licker". The worm that relies on the ear is called "ear-licker". The worm that relies on the nose is called "nose-licker". There are three kinds here. The first is called rukamuka* The second is called aruka.*

The third is called manarumuka* The worm that relies on the tongue is called muka.* The worm that relies on the root of the tongue is called motanta* The worm that relies on the teeth is called kuba.* The worm that relies on the roots of the teeth is called ubakuba.* The worm that relies on the throat is called abasaka* The worms that rely on the neck are of two kinds. The first is called rokara* The second is called virokara.* The worm that relies on the hair of the body

is called "body-hair licker". The worm that relies on the nails is called "nail- licker". The worms that rely on the skin are of two kinds. The first is called tuna.* The second is called tunanda* The worms that rely on the midriff are of two kinds. The first is called viramba.* The second is called maviramba* The worms that rely on the flesh are of two kinds. The first is called araba* The second is called raba* The worms that rely on the blood are of two kinds. The first is called bara.* The second is called badara.* The worms that rely on the tendons are of four kinds. The first is called rotara* The second is called kitaba* The third is called baravatara* The fourth is called ranavarana* The worm that relies on the veins is called karikuna* The worms that rely on the roots of the veins are of two kinds. The first is called sivara* The second is called ubasisira* The worms that rely on the bones are of four kinds. The first is called kachibida* The second is called anabida* The third is called chiridabida* The fourth is called kachigokara* The worms that rely on the marrow are of two kinds. The first is called bisha* The second is called bishashira* The worms that rely on the spleen are of two kinds. The first is called nira* The second is called bita* The worms that rely on the heart are of two kinds. The first is called sibita* The second is called ubadabita* The worms that rely on the root of the heart are of two kinds. The first is called manka.* The second is called sir a* The worms that rely on the fat are of two kinds. The first is called kara* The second is called karasira* The worms that rely on the bladder are of two kinds. The first is called bikara* The second is called mahakara* The worms that rely on the root of the bladder are of two kinds. The first is called kara* The second is called karasira* The worms that rely on the belly are of two kinds. The first is called rata* The second is called maharata* The worms that rely on the mesentery are of two kinds. The first is called sorata* The second is called maharata* The worms that rely on the root of the mesentery are of two kinds. The first is called {si-) ba* The second is called mahasiba* The worms that rely on the intestines are of two kinds. The first is called anabaka* The second is called kababaka* The worms that rely on the stomach are of four kinds. The first is called ujuka* The second is called ushaba* The third is called chishaba* The fourth is called senshiba* The worms that rely on the ripened womb are of four kinds. The first is called vakana* The second is called mahavakana* The third is called unaban* The fourth is called punamaka* The worm that relies on the bile is called hitasoka* The worm that relies on saliva is called senka* The worm that relies on sweat is called sudasaka* The worm that relies on oil is called jidasaka* The worms that rely on vitality are of two kinds. The first is called subakama* The second is called samakita* The worms that rely on the root of vitality are of three kinds. The first is called sukamuka* The second is called darukamuka* The third is called sanamuka* There are five

worms: those that rely on the front of the body and gnaw the front of the body; those that rely on the back of the body and gnaw the back of the body; those that rely on the left side of the body and gnaw the left side of the body; those that rely on the right side of the body and gnaw the right side of the body. These worms are called candasira* sinkasira* hucura* and so forth. There are three kinds of worms that rely on the two lower orifices. The first is called kurukulayuyu* The second is called sarayu* The third is called kandupada.* Thus one should recall to mind the nature of the body through "worms".

Q. How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "connec- tion"?

A. The shin-bone is connected with the foot-bone; the shin-bone is connected with the thigh-bone; the thigh-bone is connected with the hip-bone; the hip-bone is connected with the backbone; the backbone is connected with the shoulder-blade; the shoulder-blade is connected with the humerus; the humerus is connected with the neck-bone; the neck-bone is connected with the skull; the skull is connected with the cheek-bones. The cheek-bones are connected with the teeth. Thus by the connection of the bones and the covering of the skin, this unclean body is kept in position and is complete. This body is born of kamma. Nobody makes this. Thus should one recall the nature of the body through "connection".

BONES OF THE BODY

How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "assemblage"? There are nine bones of the head, two cheek bones, thirty-two teeth, seven neck-bones, fourteen ribs, twenty-four side-bones, eighteen joints of the spine, two hip-bones, sixty-four hand-bones, sixty-four foot-bones, and sixty-four soft-bones which depend on the flesh. These three hundred bones and eight or nine hundered tendons are connected with each other. There are nine hundred muscles, seventeen thousand textures of the skin, eight million hairs of the head, ninety-nine thousand hairs of the body, sixty interstices, eighty thousand worms. Bile, saliva and brain are each a palata* in weight — in Ryo this is equal to four ryo — and blood is one attha* in weight — in Ryo this is equal to three sho. All these many and varied forms are only a heap of filth, a collection of urine and are called body. Thus should one recollect on the nature of the body through "assemblage".

How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "loathsomeness" ?

A man esteems purification most. The things which a man holds dear are such means of adorning himself as sweet perfume, unguents and pastes and beautiful clothes, and bedspreads, pillows, mats and cushions used for sleeping and sitting, bolsters, blankets, canopies, bedding, and various kinds of food and drink, dwelling-places and gifts. A man manifests much attachment to

these (at first) and afterwards dislikes them. Thus one should reflect on the nature of the body through "loathsomeness".

SOME DISEASES

How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "dependence"? Depending on a pond, flowers are produced. Depending on a garden, fruits are produced. In the same way, depending on this body, various defilements and diseases are produced. Thus ache of eye, ear, nose tongue, body, head, mouth and teeth, throat-ailments, shortness of the breath, heat and cold, abdominal ache, heart-disease, epilepsy, flatulence, diarrhoea and vomiting, leprosy, goitre, vomiting of blood, itch, smallpox, skin-disease, ague, contagious diseases, gonorrhoea, chills and others give endless trouble to this body. Thus one should reflect on the nature of the body through "dependence".

How should one reflect on the nature of the body through the "non- awareness of obligation" ?

Now, a man prepares tasty food and drink and takes them for his body's sake. He bathes and perfumes his body and clothes it with garments for sleeping and sitting. Thus he tends his body. But on the contrary, ungratefully, this body which is like a poisonous tree goes to decay, to disease and to death. The body is like an intimate friend who does not know his obligations. Thus one should reflect on the nature of the body through the "non-awareness of obligation".

How should one reflect on the nature of the body through "finitude"?

This body will be consumed by fire or devoured (by animals) or go to waste. This body is finite. Thus should one reflect on the nature of the body through "finitude".

This yogin, through these ways, practises mindfulness of body. Through the acquisition of facility in mindfulness and wisdom, his mind becomes un- disturbed. When his mind is undisturbed, he is able to destroy the hindrances, cause the arising of the meditation {jhana) factors and attain to the distinction for which he yearns.

Mindfulness of body has ended.

4👑☸ Cattāri Ariya-saccaṃ 四聖諦

kāya-gatā-sati 🏃‍