English
Then, in the group of six with urine, "Tears, fat, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine," saying this, then in reverse order again, "Urine, synovial fluid, snot, saliva, fat, tears, marrow, sweat, blood, pus, phlegm, bile, brain, feces, intestinal contents, intestinal worms, intestines, lungs, spleen, membranes, liver, heart, kidneys, bone marrow, bones, tendons, flesh, skin, teeth, nails, body hair, head hair," in this way, for a hundred times, a thousand times, or a hundred thousand times, recitation should be done by voice. For by vocal recitation, the meditation subject becomes mastered; the mind does not wander here and there; the body parts become distinct, they appear like a chain of hooks, and they appear like a row of lamps. And just as with voice, so too with mind, recitation should be done. For vocal recitation is a condition for mental recitation. Mental recitation is a condition for penetration of characteristics. Penetration of characteristics is a condition for penetration of the path and fruit. 'By color' means the color of the hairs and so on should be determined. 'By shape' means the shape of those same things should be determined. 'By direction' means in this body, above the navel is the upper direction, below is the lower direction. Therefore, "This body part is in this direction," direction should be determined. 'By location' means "This body part is situated in this location," in this way, the location of each should be determined. 'By delimitation' means there are two delimitations: delimitation by similarity and delimitation by dissimilarity. Therein, "This body part is delimited below, above, and across by this," in this way, delimitation by similarity should be understood. "Hairs are not body hair, and body hair is not hairs," in this way, delimitation by dissimilarity should be understood as unmixed. However, by one who explains the skill in grasping in seven ways, "This meditation subject is spoken of as repulsive in such and such a sutta, as elements in such and such a sutta," having known this, it should be explained. For this is in the Great Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness. That was spoken of as repulsive, like the Great Elephant Footprint Simile, and in the Great Discourse to Rāhula, and in the Analysis of the Elements, it was spoken of in terms of elements. But in the Discourse on Mindfulness of the Body, the four jhānas are distinguished in relation to whatever appears to one in terms of color. There, the meditation subject spoken of in terms of elements is insight meditation, and the meditation subject spoken of as repulsive is concentration meditation. This here is spoken of as concentration meditation, without distinction, in a way common to all. Having explained skill in grasping in seven ways in this manner, skill in attention should be explained in ten ways: "gradually, not too quickly, not too slowly, by repelling distraction, by transcending concepts, by gradually releasing, by absorption, and by three discourses." There, 'gradually' means that this should be attended to in due order, starting from recitation, not skipping any. For one who attends to it skipping any, just as an unskilled man climbing a thirty-two-step ladder skipping steps falls with a tired body and does not complete the climb, so too, failing to attain the pleasure that should be attained through accomplishment in meditation, he falls with a weary mind and does not complete the meditation. Even when attending to it gradually, it should be attended to 'not too quickly'. For one who attends to it too quickly, just as for a man who, having set out on a three-yojana journey, without considering the coming and going, makes seven journeys back and forth with quick speed, although the distance is exhausted, it still needs to be asked about before going; so too, the meditation subject merely reaches its end, but it is not clear, it does not bring about distinction. Therefore, it should be attended to not too quickly. Just as not too quickly, so too 'not too slowly'. For one who attends to it too slowly, just as on that very day, a three-yojana journey... For a man intending to travel, if he lingers among trees, mountains, and thickets along the way, the road does not come to an end, it must be completed in two or three days; just so, the meditation subject does not come to an end, it is not a condition for the attainment of distinction. "By repelling distraction": having dismissed the meditation subject, the mind's distraction to external, diverse objects should be repelled. For if it is not repelled, just as for a man embarking on a one-foot-wide precipice path, not noticing where to step, but looking here and there, the foothold slips, then he must fall into the hundred-man-deep precipice; just so, when there is external distraction, the meditation subject declines, it perishes. Therefore, it should be attended to by repelling distraction. "By transcending the designation": that designation, beginning with "hair, body hair," having transcended that, the mind should be established in repulsiveness. Just as when water is scarce, people in the forest, seeing a well, tie some kind of marker there, like a palm leaf, and coming by that marker, they bathe and drink, but when, by their frequent travel, the path of coming and going becomes clear, then there is no need for the marker, they go and bathe and drink whenever they wish; just so, in the preliminary stage, attending in terms of the designation "hair, body hair," the aspect of repulsiveness becomes clear. Then, having transcended the designation "hair, body hair," the mind should be established in the aspect of repulsiveness itself. "By gradually releasing": whichever section does not present itself, by releasing that, it should be attended to by gradually releasing. For to a beginner, when attending to "hair," the attention goes and stops only after striking this final section, "excrement." And when attending to "excrement," the attention goes and stops only after striking this initial section, "hair." Then, as he attends, some sections present themselves, some do not present themselves. Those One should work on each of those that appear, until of the two that appear, one appears much better. Then, repeatedly focusing on that which has appeared, one should generate absorption. Here is an analogy: Just as a hunter, wishing to catch a monkey living in a palm grove with thirty-two palms, would shoot an arrow through the leaf of the palm at the beginning and make a whooping sound; then that monkey, falling on each palm in succession, would go to the last palm; even there, when the hunter does the same, it would return to the first palm in the same way; thus repeatedly going in succession, it would rise only at the whooping sound, and again falling successively on one palm, it would firmly grasp the tender palm leaf needle in its middle, and even when shot, it would not rise; this should be seen as such an accomplishment. Here is the connection of the analogy: Just as there are thirty-two palms in the palm grove, so there are thirty-two parts in this body; the mind is like the monkey; the yogi is like the hunter; the monkey's dwelling in the thirty-two palm grove is like the yogi's mind wandering in the thirty-two part body according to the object; just as when the hunter shoots an arrow through the leaf of the palm at the beginning and makes a whooping sound, the monkey falls on each palm and goes to the last palm, so when the yogi begins to focus on 'hair,' the mind settles on the final part by going in succession; the same method applies when returning; just as the monkey repeatedly going in succession rises at the whooping sound, so the yogi repeatedly focusing, abandoning those that do not appear among those that appear, performs preliminary work on those that appear; just as falling successively on one palm and firmly grasping the tender palm leaf needle in its middle, it does not rise even when shot, so in the end, of the two that appear, the one that appears much better... It arises again and again, producing absorption by repeatedly focusing on that same one. Another simile: Just as a bhikkhu who lives depending on a village of thirty-two families, having obtained two alms in the first house, would discard one later; the next day, having obtained three, would discard two later; on the third day, having obtained a full bowl right from the start, would go to the refectory and consume it, this attainment should be seen in the same way. For the village of thirty-two families is like the thirty-two parts; the alms-seeker is like the yogi; his living depending on that village is like the yogi's preliminary work on the thirty-two parts; obtaining two alms in the first house and discarding one later, and similarly, obtaining three on the second day and discarding two later, is like discarding those that do not arise while focusing, and doing preliminary work on the parts that do arise, up to two parts; obtaining a full bowl right from the start on the third day and sitting in the refectory to consume it is like producing absorption by repeatedly focusing on that same one of the two that arises best. 'From absorption' means from the absorption-part. The meaning here is that absorption occurs in each part, such as hair, etc., and this should be understood. 'And three discourses' means these three discourses, namely, higher mind, coolness, and skill in the factors of enlightenment, should be understood as for the purpose of applying effort and concentration. Therein: "A bhikkhu devoted to higher mind, bhikkhus, should from time to time attend to three signs... from time to time he should attend to the sign of concentration, from time to time he should attend to the sign of exertion, from time to time he should attend to the sign of equanimity.