English
Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kurus, at Kammāsadhamma, a town of the Kurus. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One spoke thus: The Summary “This is the one-way path, bhikkhus, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and distress, for the attainment of the right method, for the realization of Nibbāna, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness. “Which four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and distress concerning the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and distress concerning the world. He dwells contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and distress concerning the world. He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and distress concerning the world. The Summary is finished. The Section on Contemplation of the Body: Mindfulness of Breathing “And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating the body in the body? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in long, he understands: ‘I breathe in long.’ Breathing out long, he understands: ‘I breathe out long.’ Breathing in short, he understands: ‘I breathe in short.’ Breathing out short, he understands: ‘I breathe out short.’ He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in tranquilizing the bodily formation.’ He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out tranquilizing the bodily formation.’ “Just as, bhikkhus, Monks, just as a skilled turner or a turner's apprentice, drawing a long turn, knows, 'I am drawing a long turn,' or drawing a short turn, knows, 'I am drawing a short turn,' even so, monks, a monk, breathing in long, knows, 'I am breathing in long,' or breathing out long, knows, 'I am breathing out long,' or breathing in short, knows, 'I am breathing in short,' or breathing out short, knows, 'I am breathing out short.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe in tranquilizing the bodily formations.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out tranquilizing the bodily formations.' Thus he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body externally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He dwells contemplating the nature of arising in the body, or he dwells contemplating the nature of passing away in the body, or he dwells contemplating the nature of both arising and passing away in the body. Or else his mindfulness is established with the thought, 'There is a body,' to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and bare mindfulness. And he dwells unattached, and grasps at nothing in the world. Thus, monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body. The section on mindfulness of breathing is finished. Contemplation of the Body: The Postures Section Furthermore, monks, a monk, when walking, knows, 'I am walking.' When standing, knows, 'I am standing.' When sitting, knows, 'I am sitting.' When lying down, knows, 'I am lying down.' Or however his body is disposed, he knows it accordingly. Thus he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body externally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He dwells contemplating the nature of arising in the body, or he dwells contemplating the nature of passing away in the body, or he dwells contemplating the nature of both arising and passing away or he dwells observing the body. Or his mindfulness is established: 'There is a body,' just enough for knowledge, just enough for recollection. He dwells unattached, and grasps nothing in the world. Thus, monks, a monk dwells observing the body in the body. The section on postures is finished. The section on clear comprehension in the observation of the body 376. "Furthermore, monks, when going forward, when going back, a monk acts with clear comprehension. When looking ahead, when looking around, he acts with clear comprehension. When bending, when stretching, he acts with clear comprehension. When wearing the outer robe, the bowl, and the inner robe, he acts with clear comprehension. When eating, drinking, chewing, tasting, he acts with clear comprehension. When defecating, when urinating, he acts with clear comprehension. When walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, being silent, he acts with clear comprehension. Thus, internally... ...Thus, monks, a monk dwells observing the body in the body. The section on clear comprehension is finished. The section on reflection on repulsiveness in the observation of the body 377. "Furthermore, monks, a monk reflects on this very body, from the soles of the feet upwards, from the top of the hair downwards, enclosed by skin, full of various kinds of impurities: 'In this body there are hairs, body-hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, intestinal mesentery, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, joint-fluid, urine.' "Just as, monks, a double-mouthed provision bag full of various kinds of grain, that is, rice, paddy, mung beans, kidney beans, sesame, husked rice. A keen-sighted man, having untied it, would reflect: 'These are rice, these are paddy, these are mung beans, these are kidney beans, these are sesame, these are husked rice.' Even so, monks, a monk reflects on this very body, from the soles of the feet upwards, from the top of the hair downwards, enclosed by skin." filled with various impurities, he reflects on it thus: ‘In this body there are hairs, body-hairs… pus, urine.’ Thus he dwells observing the body in the body internally… Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in the body. The section on the contemplation of repulsiveness is finished. The section on the contemplation of the elements in the observation of the body 378. “Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body, however it is placed, however it is disposed, by way of its elements: ‘In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element.’ “Just as, bhikkhus, a skillful butcher or a butcher’s apprentice, having slaughtered a cow, and having divided it into portions at a crossroads, might be seated, even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body, however it is placed, however it is disposed, by way of its elements: ‘In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element.’ “Thus he dwells observing the body in the body internally… Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in the body. The section on the contemplation of the elements is finished. The section on the nine charnel ground contemplations in the observation of the body 379. “Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu might see a body discarded in a charnel ground, one day dead, two days dead, three days dead, bloated, discolored, decomposing. He applies this to his own body: ‘This body too is of such a nature, will become like that, is not exempt from that.’ “Thus he dwells observing the body in the body internally… Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in the body. “Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu might see a body discarded in a charnel ground, being eaten by crows, or being eaten by hawks, or being eaten by vultures, or being eaten by herons, or being eaten by dogs, or being eaten by tigers, or being eaten by leopards, or being eaten by jackals, being eaten by various or being eaten by various creatures. He applies this very body to himself: ‘This body, too, is of such a nature, is of such a kind, is not exempt from this.’ Thus, internally... ...so too, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body. Again, bhikkhus, just as a bhikkhu might see a body cast away in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews... ...a skeleton without flesh, smeared with blood, held together by sinews... ...a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together by sinews... ...bones separated from their connections, scattered in all directions, here a hand bone, there a foot bone, there an ankle bone, there a shin bone, there a thigh bone, there a hip bone, there a rib bone, there a back bone, there a shoulder bone, there a neck bone, there a jaw bone, there a tooth bone, there a skull. He applies this very body to himself: ‘This body, too, is of such a nature, is of such a kind, is not exempt from this.’ Thus, internally... ...he dwells. Again, bhikkhus, just as a bhikkhu might see a body cast away in a charnel ground, bones white, like the color of a conch shell... ...bones piled up, more than a year old... ...bones rotted, crumbled into dust. He applies this very body to himself: ‘This body, too, is of such a nature, is of such a kind, is not exempt from this.’ Thus, internally or he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body externally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He dwells contemplating the nature of origination in the body,