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Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammâ Sambuddhassa!
A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO THE CONTEMPLATION ON BODY PARTS
- ASUBHA 1
©
R K Wijayaratne • Created: 10/03/09 • Modified: 24/06/09 •
Email:
dhammagroup@yahoo.com • Web:
www.DhammaGroup.tk
The
asubha
bhavana (foulness meditation)
aims to reduce
desire and
attachment
for the body,
along with all the associated problems that these give arise to such as aversion,
discontent, frustration, etc. It also aims to give one
insight into the true nature of
the body,
i.e. unpleasant, disgusting, ugly,
impermanent,
suffering
and not mine.
Once desire and lust for the
body
subsides, the mind tends to naturally calm down allowing for clear
insight
into the reality of the body and also all conditioned
things (i. all conditioned things are
impermanent
and subject to change,
ii. all conditioned things give rise
to much suffering
when one is attached
to them due to their changeability
and
iii. all things are beyond our control
(as they i.
change and give rise to
ii. suffering)
and thus cannot be considered as being ‘me’ or ‘mine’ but are actually
without a self, ‘me, myself or I’)2 putting one in a very
good position of attaining Nibbana.
The Lord Buddha
advised those who are ardent on attaining
Nibbana
to contemplate the body with its impurities at
all times;3 whether seated, standing, walking, or lying down. However
for the purposes of this article we shall only refer to doing this meditation in
a seated posture (feel free to use all postures). Sit in the full or half-lotus position with both palms resting on the lap, with the finger
nails facing towards the ground and the right palm on-top of the left palm (refer
to a
seated figure of the
Lord Buddha
for reference). Close your eyes and bring the mind to the present moment. Focus
your attention on the
in and out
breath for
a short while to calm the mind before starting this medition.4
An approach of visualizing
the “removal” of body parts one at a time will be used for this meditation, while
using words to help with the visualization, e.g. "Remove the head hair and put it
in front (of you)." This is in line with the Lord Buddha's instructions in the
Kayagata-sati
Sutta:5
“Herein, Bhikkhus & Friends, the
Bhikkhu contemplates the
body
from the soles of the
feet
upward, and from the top of the
hair
downward: This filthy
frame with skin
stretched over it, which is
filled with many impurities
consists of head-hairs,
body-hairs,
nails,
teeth,
skin,
flesh,
sinews,
bones,
marrow,
kidneys,
heart,
liver,
vomit,
diaphragm,
spleen,
lungs,
intestine,
membrane,
stomach,
excrement,
brain,
bile,
lymph,
pus,
blood,
sweat,
fat,
tears,
skin,
tallow,
spit,
snot,
joint-fluid,
and urine.
Just as if a man with good sight would
examine a sack with openings
at both ends, filled with various kinds
of grain; paddy, beans,
sesame, on opening it would recognize its
contents thus: That is
paddy, this is beans, that is sesame, this is
husked rice: Exactly
so does the
Bhikkhu investigate this body.”
You can say the following
words out loud or in your mind with your thoughts to help concentrate on and to
contemplate the foulness of the body while visualizing
it in your mind:6
(Head and Neck)
[Start of meditation.]
“Remove the head hair
and put it in front (of you).
Remove the
facial hair
and body hair
from the neck
and put it in front.
Remove the
skin,
sweat
and pus
on your face,
head
and neck
and put it in front.
Remove the
facial
fat,
neck fat
and tallow
and put it in front.
Remove the
flesh
and sinews
from the face,
head
and neck
and put it in front.
Take the flesh
and squeeze out the blood
and lymph
and put it in front.
Remove the
eyes
and tears
and put it in front.
Remove the
nose,
snot
and phlegm
and put it in front.
Remove the
lips,
teeth,
tongue
and spittle
and put it in front.
Remove the
ears
and earwax
and put it in front.
Remove the
skull
and joint
fluid and put it in front.
Split the
skull,
remove the brain
and put it in front.
Split open the
skull
remove the bone marrow
and put it in front.7
All these things are
disgusting to look at, let alone go near or touch. They have a disgusting smell.
Even if they are left here for a day they will begin to decay, fester and rot. They
are subject to change,
ageing, decay, disease, death and cause much
suffering when
clung
to and thought of as ‘me, myself,
I, mine or as belonging to me.’
They are impermanent,
causing much suffering
when clung
to, are not within my control and therefore
cannot be considered as ‘me, myself, I, mine or as belonging
to me.’ This
is the reality of the body which I did not see before that I see now.
(Arms, Forearms and Hands)
Remove the
body hair
from both arms,
forearms,
and hands
and put it in front (of you).
Remove the
skin,
sweat
and pus
and put it in front.
Remove the
nails
from both hands
and put it in front.
Remove the
body fat
and tallow
and put it in front.
Remove the
flesh
and sinews
and put it in front.
Take the flesh
and squeeze out the blood
and lymph
and put it in front.
Remove the
bones
and joint
fluid and put it in front.
Split open the
bones,
remove the bone marrow
and put it in front.7
All these things are
disgusting to look at, let alone go near or touch. They have a disgusting smell.
Even if they are left here for a day they will begin to decay, fester and rot. They
are subject to change,
ageing, decay, disease, death and cause much
suffering when
clung
to and thought of as ‘me, myself,
I, mine or as belonging to me.’
They are impermanent,
causing much suffering
when clung
to, are not within my control and therefore
cannot be considered as ‘me, myself, I, mine or as belonging
to me.’ This
is the reality of the body which I did not see before that I see now.
(Body Trunk)
Remove the
body hair
from the body trunk
(torso) and put it in front (of you).
Remove the
skin,
sweat
and pus
and put it in front.
Remove the
body fat
and tallow
and put it in front.
Remove the
flesh
including the diaphragm and
sinews
and put it in front.
Take the flesh
and squeeze out the blood
and lymph
and put it in front.
Remove all organs including
the heart,
lungs,
spleen,
stomach,
kidneys,
liver,
bladder,
intestines
(bowel) and membrane
and put it in front.
Split open the
heart,
lungs,
spleen,
kidneys
and liver
and remove the blood
and put it in front.
Split open the
stomach,
remove the bile
and vomit
(half-digested food) and put it in front.
Split open the
intestines,
remove the faeces
(excrement) and put it in front.
Split open the
bladder,
empty out the urine
and put it in front.
Remove the
collar bones,
rib cage,
spine,
hip
bones and joint
fluid and put it in front.
Split open the
bones,
remove the bone marrow
and put it in front.7
All these things are
disgusting to look at, let alone go near or touch. They have a disgusting smell.
Even if they are left here for a day they will begin to decay, fester and rot. They
are subject to change,
ageing, decay, disease, death and cause much
suffering when
clung
to and thought of as ‘me, myself,
I, mine or as belonging to me.’
They are impermanent,
causing much suffering
when clung
to, are not within my control and therefore
cannot be considered as ‘me, myself, I, mine or as belonging
to me.’ This
is the reality of the body which I did not see before that I see now.
(Thighs, Legs, Ankles and Feet)
Remove the
body hair
from both the thighs,
legs
and feet
and put it in front (of you).
Remove the
skin,
sweat
and pus
and put it in front.
Remove the
nails
from both feet and put it in front.
Remove the
body fat
and tallow
and put it in front.
Remove the
flesh
and sinews
and put it in front.
Take the flesh
and squeeze out the blood
and lymph
and put it in front.
Remove the
bones
and joint
fluid and put it in front.
Split open the
bones,
remove the bone marrow
and put it in front.7
All these things are
disgusting to look at, let alone go near or touch. They have a disgusting smell.
Even if they are left here for a day they will begin to decay, fester and rot. They
are subject to change,
ageing, decay, disease, death and cause much
suffering when
clung
to and thought of as ‘me, myself,
I, mine or as belonging to me.’
They are impermanent,
causing much suffering
when clung
to, are not within my control and therefore
cannot be considered as ‘me, myself, I, mine or as belonging
to me.’ This
is the reality of the body which I did not see before that I see now.
This whole
body is filthy, disgusting
and filled with many impurities. There is no single part in the
body
that can be considered beautiful, pleasant, charming or as having a pleasant smell.
This body
is subject to constant change, old age, decay, sickness
and death. It is impermanent,
causing much suffering
when clung
to, are not within my control and therefore
cannot be considered as ‘me, myself, I, mine or as belonging
to me.’ This
is the reality of the body which I did not see before
that I see now.”
Now scan the body up
and down from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet and back up again.
Examine the various bodily impurities that exist within the body that were just
contemplated. Do this for as long as required and then end the meditation.
[End of meditation.]
May you gain
insight
and understanding into the true reality of the
body
and may it enable you to attain the lasting peace of
Nibbana!
THE BODY
There are just bones,
flesh and waste,
tied together by skin;
this is all the body
is.
As a whole attractive,
taken apart disgusting,
behold its true nature,
with its 32 parts;
a disgusting bundle of
waste.
All parts impermanent,
subject to disease,
decay (old age),
and death.
Notes
1. The latest version of this document can be found in
HTML format here
http://tinyurl.com/bzs6h2
(or http://sites.google.com/site/dhammagroupweb/pubs/asubhaparts) and in PDF
format here
http://tinyurl.com/d7z5bs
(or
http://sites.google.com/site/dhammagroupweb/pubs/A_Buddhist_Approach_to_the_Contemplation_on_Body_Parts-Asubha.pdf).
2.
i.Sabbe sankhara
aniccati,
ii.sabbe sankhara
dukkhati
and
iii.sabbe dhamma
anattati,
viz. i. all conditioned things are
impermanent
and subject to change,
ii. all conditioned things give rise
to much suffering when one is
attached to them due to their
changeability and iii.
all things are beyond our control (as
they i.
change and give rise to
ii. suffering) and thus cannot be considered as being ‘me’ or
‘mine’ but are actually without a self, me, myself
or I. According to the
Lord
Buddha, it is by contemplating these three universal
characteristics/truths that all beings who attained
Nibbana in the past, present and yet to attain it in the future
will do so. This indicates the importance of these three for constant recollection
(especially when the mind is very calm and capable of realizing things quickly after
meditation for example) for anyone who is intent on
Nibbana.
3. Refer to
Establishing the Awareness of Body as Body! here
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/The_32_Parts.htm and
Appendix A: Establishing the Awareness of Body as Body! below where the
Lord Buddha describes this:
“Exactly so does the
Bhikkhu investigate
this body...While always thus aware &
clearly comprehending, & thus removing any lust, urge, envy, frustration &
discontent rooted in this world, the intelligent
Bhikkhu keeps contemplating &
regarding any & all body as an remote carcass of filthy foul form. As something
bound to emerge, decay & vanish...
Not as mine, belonging
to me or my self!”
4. You can to start (this)
asubha meditation after calming
your mind with the
anapanasati,
metta or another such meditation;
experiment and see what works best for you.
5. Refer to
Establishing the Awareness of Body as Body! here
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/The_32_Parts.htm and
Appendix A: Establishing the Awareness of Body as Body! below where the
Lord Buddha describes this.
6. Some body parts have been
logically grouped together in one sentence for conciseness. Feel free to separate
these out to distinct sentences as required.
7.
You will notice that there are body parts in addition to the ones
mentioned by the Lord Buddha in the discourses. The
main point of this meditation is to see the true nature of the body. So feel free
to add any other body parts to this as required. However some prefer to just focus
on a few or even just one body part (e.g. bones) while going into great detail about
them for the whole meditation. Experiment and see what works best for you.
Appendix A:
Establishing the Awareness of Body as Body!
Source:
www.what-buddha-said.net
URL:
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/The_32_Parts.htm
How, Friends, does one view any Body only as a Form?
Herein, Bhikkhus
& Friends, the Bhikkhu
contemplates the body
from the soles of the
feet upward, and from the top of the hair
downward: This filthy
frame with skin stretched over it, which is
filled with many impurities
consists of head-hairs, body-hairs, nails,
teeth, skin, flesh, sinews,
bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, vomit
diaphragm, spleen, lungs,
intestine, membrane, stomach, excrement,
brain, bile, lymph, pus,
blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin, tallow, spit,
snot, joint-fluid, and
urine. Just as if a man with good sight would
examine a sack with openings
at both ends, filled with various kinds
of grain; paddy, beans,
sesame, on opening it would recognize its
contents thus: That is
paddy, this is beans, that is sesame, this is
husked rice: Exactly
so does the Bhikkhu
investigate this body...
While always thus aware
& clearly comprehending, & thus removing
any lust, urge, envy,
frustration & discontent rooted in this world,
the intelligent
Bhikkhu
keeps contemplating & regarding any & all
body as an remote carcass
of filthy foul form. As something bound
to emerge, decay &
vanish... Not as mine,
belonging to me or my self!
Not as lasting, stable
& safe! Not as pleasant beauty or happiness!
In this way the intelligent
Bhikkhu
keeps reviewing any & all body
whether internal or external
and he notes the cause of its arising
and the cause of its
ceasing, or he just know: There is this body!
In this way he comes
to live not clinging to & independent of body!
This is the way to contemplate
the body only as a transient
shell...
Source Text: Majjhima Nikaya 119: Kayagata-Sati
Sutta
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Meditation_On_the_Body_Kayagata-Sati.htm
The reward is Fearlessness
of Death & thereby Fearlessness of All!
Without fear there is
the mental elevation of gladness and free joy!
It detaches and relinquishes
from body & form and frees thereby...
See also: Bag of Bones: A Miscellany on the Body
compiled by Bhikkhu Khantipalo:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel271.htm
Just a painted puppet!
A chain of bones plastered
by skin with 9 oozing holes!
A heap of sores &
rotten excrement with evil intentions!
Related
Suttas
(Discourses)
1.
Majjhima Nikaya
119,
Kayagata-sati Sutta, Mindfulness Immersed in the Body
see
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html and
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Meditation_On_the_Body_Kayagata-Sati.htm
2.
Digha Nikaya
22,
Maha-satipatthana Sutta, The Great Frames of Reference see
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html
Related Buddhsim
(Dhamma)
Articles
1.
Daily Dana - On giving and generosity,
see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=dailydana
2.
Five Precepts
- Developing virtue through the five precepts, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=pansil
3.
Buddhist Positive Thinking - Positive thinking
from a Buddhist perspective, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=posthink
4.
Mental Purity - Five ways prescribed by
the
Buddha for subduing
mental defilements, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=vitakkasantana
5.
A Buddhist Approach to Disillusionment
- A Buddhist approach to seeing past the trickery and into reality, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=disill
6.
A Buddhist Approach to Disenchantment -
A Buddhist approach to becoming disenchanted with all that gives rise to
stress, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=disench
7.
An Introduction to Buddhist Meditation
- Basic instructions for doing the mediations of loving kindness (metta),
awareness of breath (ana-pana-sati) and foulness of the body (asubha)
, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=intromed
8.
A Buddhist Approach to Revulsion - Asubha
- A Buddhist approach to bodily revulsion (asubha),
see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=revul
9. A
Buddhist Approach to the Awareness of In-and-Out Breath Meditation - Anapanasati - A Buddhist approach to the awareness of breath meditation
(anapanasati), see
http://tinyurl.com/d6uwxr or http://sites.google.com/site/dhammagroupweb/pubs/anapanasati
10.
Attachment - An analysis of how attachment
leads to unsatisfactoriness, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=attachment
11.
One Hour of Unsatisfactoriness - The unsatisfactoriness
that can be felt within the space of an hour, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=onehour
12.
A Buddhist Approach to Mental Health -
A Buddhist perspective and approach to mental health, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mentalhealth
13. Four
Noble Truths - The essence of Buddhism,
see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths
14.
Noble Eightfold Path - The path for ending
stress and suffering, see
http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath
Online Resources
1. AccessToInsight.org
here http://www.accesstoinsight.org
2.
What-Buddha-Said.net here
http://what-buddha-said.net
3. What-Buddha-Taught.net
here http://what-buddha-taught.net
4.
Buddhanet.net here
http://www.buddhanet.net
5.
Vihara.org.au here
http://www.vihara.org.au
6.
DhammaGroup.tk here
http://www.dhammagroup.tk
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