English
fat, sweat, blood, pus, phlegm, bile, brain, feces, stomach, intestinal mesentery, intestines, lungs, spleen, membranes, liver, heart, kidneys, bone-marrow, bones, sinews, flesh, skin, teeth, nails, body-hairs, hairs, this should be said. Then, in the six parts of the urine: saying: tears, grease, saliva, snot, joint-fluid, urine, then again in reverse: urine, joint-fluid, snot, saliva, grease, tears, fat, sweat, blood, pus, phlegm, bile, brain, feces, stomach, intestinal mesentery, intestines, lungs, spleen, membranes, liver, heart, kidneys, bone-marrow, bones, sinews, flesh, skin, teeth, nails, body-hairs, hairs, this should be said. Thus, for a hundred times, a thousand times, even a hundred thousand times, the recitation should be done aloud. For by oral recitation... The meditation subject becomes familiar, the mind does not wander here and there. The parts become clear, they appear like a chain of hands, or like a row of trees. Just as by word, so too by mind, recitation should be done. For recitation by word is a condition for recitation by mind. Recitation by mind is a condition for the penetration of characteristics. By way of color, the color of the hairs and so on should be determined. By way of shape, their very shape should be determined. By way of direction, for in this body, upwards from the navel is the upper direction, downwards is the lower direction, therefore, "this part is in this direction" – thus the direction should be determined. By way of location, "this part is situated in this location" – thus the location of each should be determined. By way of delimitation, there are two delimitations: delimitation by similar parts and delimitation by dissimilar parts. Therein, "this part is delimited below, above, and across by this" – thus the delimitation by similar parts should be understood. "Hairs are not body-hairs, and body-hairs are not hairs" – thus the delimitation by dissimilar parts should be understood by way of non-mixture. However, when explaining the skill in apprehension in these seven ways, it should be explained, knowing that "this meditation subject is taught by way of repulsiveness in such and such a Sutta, and by way of elements in such and such a Sutta." For this is taught by way of repulsiveness in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Dī. Ni. 2.377). In the Mahāhatthipadopama (M. Ni. 1.300 ff.), Mahārāhulovāda (M. Ni. 2.113 ff.), and Dhātuvibhaṅga (M. Ni. 3.342 ff.) Suttas, it is taught by way of elements. But in the Kāyagatāsati Sutta (M. Ni. 3.153), referring to that which appears by way of color, the four jhānas are divided. Therein, what is taught by way of elements is a vipassanā meditation subject. What is taught by way of repulsiveness is a samatha meditation subject. And this here is indeed a samatha meditation subject. 181. Having thus explained the skill in apprehension in seven ways, gradually, not too quickly, not too slowly, by preventing distraction... from transcending the designation, from gradual release, from absorption, and from the three suttantas— thus, ten kinds of skill in attention should be explained. Therein, "gradual" means that from the start of recitation, it should be attended to in sequence, not skipping. For one who attends by skipping, just as an unskilled person climbing a thirty-two-step ladder by skipping steps becomes weary and falls, failing to ascend, even so, failing to attain the delight that should be reached through the accomplishment of development, he falls with a weary mind, failing to accomplish development. Even when attending gradually, it should not be attended to too quickly. For one who attends too quickly, just as a person who, having set out on a three-yojana journey, without noticing the stopping and resting, goes and returns a hundred times with swift speed— although the journey is completed, yet it must be asked about— even so, the meditation subject merely reaches its end, but it is not clear, it does not bring about distinction. Therefore, it should not be attended to too quickly. And just as not too quickly, so also not too slowly. For one who attends too slowly, just as for a person who wishes to go a three-yojana journey on that very day, but lingering along the way at trees, mountains, and ponds, the journey does not come to an end, it has to be completed in two or three days— even so, the meditation subject does not come to an end, it is not a condition for attaining distinction. "From repelling distraction" means that having released the meditation subject, the mind's distraction towards various external objects should be repelled. For if it is not repelled, just as a person who has set out on a one-foot-wide precipice path, without noticing the step to be taken, looking here and there, misses his footing, and then must fall into a hundred-man-deep precipice— even so, when there is external distraction, the meditation subject declines and perishes. Therefore, repelling distrac It should be attended to by warding off defilements. From transcending designation: This designation of 'hairs, body-hairs', and so on, having transcended that, the mind should be established on 'repulsive'. Just as, in a time when water is scarce, people in the forest, having seen a well, tie some sign there, like a palm leaf or something, and coming by that sign, they bathe and they drink. But when, for them, by frequent coming and going, the path of coming and going becomes clear, then there is no need for the sign. They go at any desired moment, and bathe and drink. Just so, in the initial stage, for one attending by way of the designation 'hairs, body-hairs', the repulsive aspect becomes clear. Then, having transcended the designation 'hairs, body-hairs', the mind should be established only on the repulsive aspect. From gradually letting go: Whichever part does not appear (to mind), by letting go of that, that part, it should be attended to by gradually letting go. Indeed, for the beginner, for one attending to 'hairs', the attention goes and rests only on this final part, 'urine'. And for one attending to 'urine', the attention goes and rests only on this initial part, 'hairs'. Then, as he attends and attends, some parts appear, some do not appear. Therefore, whichever ones appear, on those, work should be done for a while. Until, when two appear, one of them appears much more clearly. But by repeatedly attending to that very one which has thus appeared, absorption should be produced. Here is an analogy: Just as a hunter, wishing to catch a monkey living in a palm grove of thirty-two palms, might shoot an arrow at a leaf of the palm tree standing at the beginning, and make a loud cry. Then that monkey, jumping from palm to palm in sequence, would go to the very last palm. And having gone there, when the hunter did the same, it would come back to the first palm in the same way. That one, thus going back and forth repeatedly, would eventually alight on one palm at the very spot where the cries were made. having gone to its very middle, and having firmly grasped a needle of a budding palm leaf, even if pierced, it would not rise. This should be understood in a similar way. Here is a comparison of similes: Just as in a palm grove there are thirty-two palm trees, so too in this body there are thirty-two parts. The mind is like a monkey. The meditator is like a hunter. Just as a monkey dwells in a palm grove of thirty-two palm trees, so too the meditator's mind wanders through the thirty-two parts of the body by way of objects. Just as when the hunter pierces the leaf of the first palm tree with an arrow and makes a cry, the monkey jumps from tree to tree until it reaches the last palm tree, so too when the meditator begins the contemplation of 'hairs', the mind goes in order and settles only on the last part. The same method applies to returning. Just as the monkey, repeatedly moving in order, rises at the place of the cry, so too the meditator, repeatedly contemplating, abandons those that do not appear among those that appear here and there, and performs preliminary work on those that do appear. Just as, having gradually fallen onto one palm tree, and having firmly grasped a needle of a budding palm leaf in its middle, it does not rise even when pierced, so too at the end, among the two that appear, whichever appears better, that one is repeatedly contemplated to produce absorption. Another simile: Just as a bhikkhu on alms round, dwelling near a village of thirty-two families, having received two alms-foods from the very first house, would then discard one. On the next day, having received three, he would then discard two. On the third day, having received a bowlful from the very beginning, he would go to the sitting hall and consume it. This should be understood in a similar way. Indeed, the thirty-two-family village is like the thirty-two aspects. The bhikkhu on alms round is like the meditator. His dwelling near that village is like the meditator performing preliminary work on the thirty-two aspects. Just as having received two alms-foods from the first house and then discarding one, so too on the second day having received three and then of two And like dismissing, attending and attending, dismissing those that do not appear, and performing preparatory work on those that do appear, up to two parts. On the third day, having received a full bowl from the very beginning, like consuming while seated in the dining hall, of the two, whichever appears better, attending to that again and again, and generating absorption. By 'absorption' it should be understood that absorption occurs in each part, such as hair and so on, from the absorption part. This is the meaning here. And the three suttas are: higher mind, cooling, and skill in the factors of awakening. These three suttas should be understood for the purpose of applying energy and concentration. This is the meaning here. Therein: “Monks,