English
"grasping the bloated foul sign, one goes alone, without a second, with mindfulness established," all of that should be understood with the same explanatory intent as stated, by merely substituting the word "bloated" (uddhumātaka) in each respective place, according to each specific type, such as "grasping the livid foul sign," "grasping the festering foul sign." But this is the distinction: In the case of the livid (vinīlaka), the mental advertence should be directed as: "livid and repulsive, livid and repulsive." Here, the apprehension sign (uggahanimitta) appears as mottled in color. But the counter-sign (paṭibhāganimitta) appears as if swollen. In the case of the festering (vipubbaka), the mental advertence should be directed as: "festering and repulsive, festering and repulsive." Here, the apprehension sign appears as if oozing. The counter-sign, however, appears as still and settled. The dismembered (vicchiddaka) [corpse] is found in a battlefield, or in a robber's forest, or in a charnel ground, where kings have thieves dismembered. Or in the wilderness, in a place where a person has been torn apart by lions or tigers. Therefore, having gone to such a place, if, though fallen in various directions, it comes into view with a single glance, this is skillful. If it does not come, it should not be touched by one's own hand. For one who touches it develops familiarity. Therefore, it should be arranged in one place by a monastery attendant, or a novice, or someone else. If not available, it should be brought near, making a one-finger-width gap, with a stick or a rod. Having thus brought it near, the mental advertence "disgusting, perforated; disgusting, perforated" should be practiced. There, the learning sign appears like a hole in the middle. But the counterpart sign appears as complete. In the gnawed-at, the mental advertence "disgusting, gnawed-at; disgusting, gnawed-at" should be practiced. Here, the learning sign appears just like something gnawed-at here and there. The counterpart sign, however, appears as complete. Even in the scattered, the mental advertence "disgusting, scattered; disgusting, scattered" should be practiced, having made or caused to be made a finger-width gap, in the same way as stated for the perforated. Here, the learning sign appears more distinct. But the counterpart sign appears as complete. Even the hacked and scattered is found in the same kinds of places as stated for the perforated. Therefore, having gone there, the mental advertence "disgusting, hacked and scattered; disgusting, hacked and scattered" should be practiced, having made or caused to be made a finger-width gap, in the same way as stated. Here, the learning sign is like a discernible wound opening. The counterpart sign appears as complete. The bloody is found in battlefields and such, on hands and feet of those who have received blows, or when broken boils and sores and such are oozing from their openings. Therefore, having seen it, the mental advertence "disgusting, bloody; disgusting, bloody" should be practiced. Here, the learning sign is like a red cloth, as if struck by wind... It appears as if moving. But the counterpart sign appears as if settled. The worm-infested corpse, after two or three days, when worms pour out from the nine openings of the corpse. Moreover, it stands like a heap of boiled rice, being the size of the bodies of dogs, jackals, humans, cattle, buffaloes, elephants, horses, pythons, and so on. In those, wherever it may be, the contemplation "disgusting worm-infested, disgusting worm-infested" should be practiced. Indeed, for the Elder Cūḷapiṇḍapātikatissa, the sign appeared in an elephant corpse within the Kāḷadīghavāpi tank. Here, the learning sign appears as if moving. The counterpart sign appears as if settled, like a lump of boiled rice. The bone is described in various ways, according to the method "just as one might see a body discarded in a charnel ground, a chain of bones, with flesh and blood, connected by sinews," and so on (M.N. 3.154). There, wherever it is placed, one should go by the former method, and having made it a sign and an object of attention by means of surrounding stones and so on, and having recognized it as "this is a bone" by its inherent nature, the sign should be learned by eleven aspects such as color and so on. 119. But for one who looks at it as "white in color," it does not appear; there is a confusion with the white kasina. Therefore, it should be looked at only in terms of "bone" and "disgusting." "Characteristic" here means the name of hands and so on. Therefore, it should be distinguished by characteristic, by means of hands, feet, head, chest, arms, waist, thighs, and shins. But by shape, it should be distinguished by means of long, short, round, square, small, and large. Directions and spaces are just as stated. Having distinguished it by delimitation, by means of the boundaries of each particular bone, taking that which appears clearly there, absorption should be attained. But by means of the low places and high places of each particular bone, it should be distinguished by low and by high. Also by means of locality: "I am standing in a low place, the bone is on high ground; I am on high ground, the bone is in a low place." it should be distinguished. But two bones should be distinguished by the place where they are joined together. Bones should be distinguished by the space between them, by the opening. In all cases, knowledge should be applied, and in this place, this is the bone, it should be distinguished all around. Even if the sign does not appear in this way, the mind should be fixed on the frontal bone. 120. As it is here, so this eleven-fold grasping of the sign should be observed as applicable in the previous putrid stages. And this meditation subject is accomplished with a single bone in the entire chain of bones. Therefore, in any of them, the sign should be grasped in eleven ways, and the contemplation "repulsive bone, repulsive bone" should be practiced. It is said that here the learning sign and the counterpart sign are the same, which is applicable to a single bone. But in the chain of bones, when the learning sign appears, there is an opening. In the counterpart sign, completeness is applicable. Even in a single bone, the learning sign should be ugly, disgusting, and terrifying. The counterpart sign should generate joy and happiness, because it leads to access concentration. For in this context, what is said in the commentaries is said by giving a door. For there, after saying, "In the four divine abodes and the ten foul objects, there is no counterpart sign. For in the divine abodes, the breaking of boundaries is the sign. And in the ten foul objects, when the repulsive aspect is seen without conceptualization, that is called the sign," it is immediately said again, "Here there are two kinds of signs: the learning sign and the counterpart sign. The learning sign appears as ugly, disgusting, and terrifying," and so on. Therefore, what we have considered and said is appropriate here. Moreover, the appearance of the entire female body as a mass of bones merely by observing the tooth bone of the Elder Mahātissa, and so on, are examples here. Thus, a Beautiful, with beautiful qualities, Whose fame a thousand eyes praised; Which the Ten-Powered One declared, As causes for each jhāna. Thus, knowing these and their Method of development, Concerning these, moreover, This miscellaneous discourse should be understood. Miscellaneous Discourse 121. Among these, indeed, wherever one has attained jhāna, having thoroughly suppressed lust, one acts as if free from lust, without craving. Even so, this division of the foul (asubha) that has been stated should be understood as due to the nature of the body and due to the distinction of the lust-character. For a corpse, when it becomes repulsive, might be in the state of being bloated, or in the state of being discolored, etc., or some other state. Thus, whatever kind one is able to obtain, in that kind, the bloated repulsive, the discolored repulsive—in this way, the sign should be taken. Thus, the ten-fold division of the foul is said to be according to the nature of the body. Especially here, the bloated (corpse), by revealing the ruin of the body's form, is suitable for one with lust for form. The discolored (corpse), by revealing the ruin of skin-lust, is suitable for one with lust for body-color. The festering (corpse), by revealing the foul smell associated with the body's wound, is suitable for one with lust for body-odor, aroused by garlands, perfumes, etc. The cut-up (corpse), by revealing the internal hollowness, is suitable for one with lust for the body's solidity. The gnawed (corpse), by revealing the destruction of the accumulation of flesh, is suitable for one with lust for the accumulation of flesh in body parts like the breasts. The scattered (corpse), by revealing the disarray of limbs and minor limbs, is suitable for one with lust for the grace of limbs and minor limbs. The hacked and scattered (corpse), by revealing the broken and distorted state of the body's composition, is suitable for one with lust for the perfection of the body's composition. The bloody (corpse), by revealing the repulsive state smeared with blood, is suitable for one with lust for beauty arising from adornments. The worm-infested (corpse), by revealing the body's commonality with many families of worms, is suitable for one with lust for possessiveness towards the body. The skeletal (corpse), by revealing the repulsive state of the body's bones, (is suitable for one with lust for) the perfection of teeth... those with passion are suitable. Thus, it should be understood that the ten kinds of foulness are taught based on the division of those with passionate temperaments. Because in all these ten kinds of foulness, just as a boat on a swift-flowing, unconfined river