English
They do not know, 'We have grown in the jawbone.' Even the jawbone does not know, 'Teeth have grown on me.' These too are inanimate." "Skin does not know, 'The body is covered by me.' Even the body does not know, 'I am covered by skin.' This too is inanimate." "Flesh does not know, 'I have smeared the body.' Even the body does not know, 'I am smeared with flesh.' This too is inanimate." "Sinew does not know, 'I have bound and held the heap of bones.' Even the heap of bones does not know, 'I am bound by a network of sinews.' This too is inanimate." "The skull does not know, 'I am established on the neck bone.' Even the neck bone does not know, 'The skull is established on me.' The neck bone does not know, 'I am standing on the spine.' Even the spine, the hip bone, the thigh bone, the shin bone, the ankle bone do not know, 'I am established on the heel bone.' Even the heel bone does not know, 'I am standing, lifting up the ankle bone.'" ...even the neck bone does not know, "I am lifting the head bone." The bones are arranged in order, Connected in many places by joints; Bound by sinews, urged on by decay, Unconscious, like a wooden puppet. 'This too is unconscious. Bone marrow; kidney... ...brain matter is unconscious, undeclared, empty, stiff, matted, the earth element,' he reflects. 'Bile, phlegm... ...urine is unconscious, undeclared, empty, watery, the water element,' he reflects. As he comprehends these two great elements, in his stomach the heat element becomes evident, in his nose the air element becomes evident. As he comprehends these four great elements, derived matter becomes evident. The great element is defined by derived matter, derived matter by the great element. Just as sunlight is defined by shadow, shadow by sunlight; even so, the great element is defined by derived matter, derived matter by the great element. Then, as he thus comprehends, "The four great elements and the twenty-three derived matters are the aggregate of form," as he comprehends the aggregate of form, through the doors of the sense bases, the formless aggregates become evident. Thus, the comprehension of form and formlessness are the five aggregates, the five aggregates are the twelve sense bases, the twelve sense bases are the eighteen elements. Thus, like splitting a yamaka tuber, by dividing the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, he distinguishes name and form into two parts. He reflects, "This name and form did not arise without a cause, without a condition, but arose with a cause, with a condition. What then is its cause? What then is its condition?" Investigating, "Due to ignorance, due to craving, due to kamma, due to nutriment," he distinguishes its condition. "In the past, there were only conditions and conditioned phenomena, in the future, and even now, there are only conditions and conditioned phenomena. Beyond that, there is no being or person, only a pure mass of formations." Thus, he dispels doubt in the three times. This is This is called comprehension with understanding, the characteristic of formations in insight. For a monk who has thus discerned formations, it is said that the root is struck in the Teaching of the Ten-Powered One, it is said that a foundation is gained, it is said that he is a Lesser Stream-Enterer, of assured destiny. Having obtained such suitable climate, suitable person, suitable food, suitable hearing of the Dhamma, gone to a solitary seat, crossed-legged, applying the three characteristics, thoroughly examining formations in the order of insight, he attains arahantship. This is the conclusion, up to arahantship, for a monk who is attached to the elements. But if it does not appear to him as color, nor as repulsive, nor as empty, he should not dismiss the meditation subject, thinking, "It does not appear to me," but effort should be made in the parts meditation itself. It is said that the ancient elders said, "The parts meditation is the standard." For him, repeatedly reciting in terms of parts, the parts become fluent. When do they become fluent? When, as soon as he attends to "hair," the mind goes and settles on "brain membrane," the last part, and as soon as he attends to "brain membrane," the mind comes and settles on "hair," the first part. Then, just as for a man with sight, looking at a garland strung with thirty-two kinds of flowers, or looking back at thirty-two stepping stones placed in order, the thirty-two kinds of flowers or stepping stones appear in order, just so, the thirty-two parts appear, wandering beings, even animals or humans, do not appear, but the parts appear, it is as if edible food is being thrown into the midst of the parts. From the time the parts are fluent, he will be liberated through one of the three doors. The meditation subject appears as color, or as repulsive, or as empty. Just as a woman wanting to bake a cake, having kneaded Just like a pot placed on a stove, whatever one desires, that one cooks; or like a water-filled pot placed on level ground, wherever it is pierced, water flows out; so too, from the time the sections are mastered, it will be released through one of the three doors. For one who desires beauty, for one who desires repulsiveness, for one who desires emptiness, the meditation subject will surely present itself. This is what is called the stage of initial grasp. Monks who have attained arahantship while dwelling in this stage of initial grasp are beyond calculation. But for one in whom the meditation subject does not present itself at the stage of initial grasp, having grasped the meditation subject, if the monastery where the teacher resides is suitable, that is skillful; if not, one should dwell in a suitable place. Dwelling there, avoiding the eighteen faults of a monastery, one should dwell in a lodging endowed with five qualities, and one should oneself be endowed with five qualities. Then, after the meal, having returned from alms-gathering, having entered a place for night or day, one should attend to the meditation subject. How? First, just as said below, one should attend to it in sequence, not skipping any. For one who attends to it in sequence, like a man ascending a palace by stepping on the thirty-two-step ladder in order, and experiencing the benefits of the palace, one who attends to the meditation subject in order, saying "hair, body hair," neither falls away from the meditation subject, nor experiences the nine supramundane qualities, like the benefits of a palace. And one who attends to it in sequence should attend to it neither too quickly nor too slowly. For one who attends to it too quickly, although the meditation subject is mastered, it is not distinct. The simile for that is the same as stated below. For one who attends to it too slowly, the meditation subject does not reach its conclusion, one has to give up in the middle. Just as a man who, having tucked up his robe at dusk, sets out on a three-yojana road, Having set out from the place of departure, he sees a cool shade and rests, he sees a delightful sandy bank and stretches out his back, he sees a forest pond and drinks and bathes, he sees a mountain and climbs it, beholding the mountain's beauty; in the meantime, a lion, tiger, or leopard kills him, or thieves plunder and kill him; just so, for one who reflects too slowly, the meditation subject does not reach completion, but must be abandoned midway. Therefore, not too quickly, not too slowly, thirty times a day should be reflected upon; in the morning, ten times, at midday, ten times, in the evening, ten times, the recitation should be done, it is not proper not to do it. Just as in the morning, it is not proper not to wash one's face, it is not proper not to eat or consume edibles and food; this, however, might be proper; this alone, by all means, is not proper not to do; doing it, one gains a great benefit and stands firm. Just as a man has three fields; one field yields eight kumbhas, one sixteen, one thirty-two; unable to tend all three fields, he should abandon two and tend only the one yielding thirty-two kumbhas; there, he should do plowing, sowing, weeding, and so on; that alone will provide him with the means to cultivate the other two; just so, abandoning the remaining tasks like washing the face, one should do this work alone, it is not proper not to do it. Doing it, one gains a great benefit and stands firm, thus far, the middle way has been spoken of. Even one who practices thus should ward off distraction. For, having abandoned the meditation subject, when the mind wanders outward, one falls away from the meditation subject, and cannot overcome the cycle of existence. Just as a man, having acquired a thousand coins, having obtained interest, sets out on a journey, but on the way, above a deep mountain ravine, filled with crocodiles, makaras, alligators, and ogres, Just as a man, crossing a single-log bridge, releasing his footing and looking here and there, falls and becomes food for crocodiles and the like, so too, one who abandons the meditation subject and lets the mind wander externally falls away from the meditation subject and is unable to overcome the cycle of rebirth. Here is a comparison: The time when this monk takes up the meditation subject from the teacher is like the time when a man earns a thousand coins and receives interest; the deep mountain ravine is like the cycle of rebirth; the time when he is bitten by crocodiles and the like is like the great sufferings that are the root of the cycle; this monk's path of recitation is like the single-log bridge; the time when that man, crossing the single-log bridge, releasing his footing and looking here and there, falls and becomes food for crocodiles and the like, is like the time when this monk, abandoning the meditation subject and with his mind scattered externally, falls away from the meditation subject and is unable to overcome the cycle of rebirth. Therefore, the hairs should be contemplated.