Kāyagatāsatisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 119

Mindfulness of the Body · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

there is‘atthi in thisimasmiṁ bodykāye head hairskesā body hairslomā nailsnakhā teethdantā skintaco fleshmaṁsaṁ sinewsnhāru bonesaṭṭhi bone marrowaṭṭhimiñjaṁ kidneysvakkaṁ hearthadayaṁ liveryakanaṁ diaphragmkilomakaṁ spleenpihakaṁ lungspapphāsaṁ intestinesantaṁ mesenteryantaguṇaṁ stomachudariyaṁ feceskarīsaṁ bilepittaṁ phlegmsemhaṁ puspubbo bloodlohitaṁ sweatsedo fatmedo tearsassu greasevasā spitkheḷo snotsiṅghāṇikā synovial fluidlasikā urinemuttan’ti.
of one who isTassa thusevaṁ diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa dwellingviharato thoseye tied to domestic lifegehasitā memories and thoughtssarasaṅkappā theyte are given uppahīyanti.
theirTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internally onlyajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
tooEvampi, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu mindfulness of the bodykāyagatāsatiṁ developsbhāveti.

As they meditate like this—diligent, keen, and resolute—memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

againPuna and + furthercaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu this + veryimameva bodykāyaṁ as·placedyathāṭhitaṁ as·directedyathāpaṇihitaṁ by way of elementsdhātuso examinespaccavekkhati:
there is‘atthi in thisimasmiṁ in the bodykāye earth·elementpathavīdhātu water·elementāpodhātu fire·elementtejodhātu air elementvāyodhātū’ti.
as + justSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, cleverdakkho cow·killergoghātako orvā cow·butcher + apprenticegoghātakantevāsī orvā a cowgāviṁ having killedvadhitvā four·great·roadcatumahāpathe piece by piecebilaso apart·dividevibhajitvā down + seatednisinno would beassa;
just + soevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu this + veryimameva bodykāyaṁ as·placedyathāṭhitaṁ as·directedyathāpaṇihitaṁ by way of elementsdhātuso examinespaccavekkhati:
there is‘atthi in thisimasmiṁ in the bodykāye earth·elementpathavīdhātu water·elementāpodhātu fire·elementtejodhātu air elementvāyodhātū’ti.
of that oneTassa thusevaṁ of the diligent oneappamattassa forth + ardentātāpino of the resolute onepahitattassa of the one dwellingviharato whichye domestic + tiedgehasitā memory·thoughtsarasaṅkappā thosete forth + are abandonedpahīyanti.
of thoseTesaṁ forth + abandoningpahānā internal + justajjhattameva mindcittaṁ together + standssantiṭṭhati together + sitssannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
thus + alsoEvampi, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu body·gone·mindfulnesskāyagatāsatiṁ developsbhāveti.

Furthermore, a mendicant examines their own body, whatever its placement or posture, according to the elements: ‘In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.’ It’s as if a deft butcher or butcher’s apprentice were to kill a cow and sit down at the crossroads with the meat cut into chops. In the same way, a mendicant examines their own body, whatever its placement or posture, according to the elements: ‘In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.’ As they meditate like this—diligent, keen, and resolute—memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

againPuna and furthercaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu as·justseyyathāpi would seepasseyya a corpsesarīraṁ in a charnel groundsivathikāya discardedchaḍḍitaṁ dead for one dayekāhamataṁ orvā two·day·deaddvīhamataṁ orvā three·day·deadtīhamataṁ orvā bloateduddhumātakaṁ lividvinīlakaṁ festering·becomevipubbakajātaṁ.
heSo this·veryimameva bodykāyaṁ near·together·carryupasaṁharati:
this·also‘ayampi indeedkho bodykāyo thus·natureevaṁdhammo thus·kindevaṁbhāvī cannot go beyond thatevaṁanatīto’ti.
for himTassa thusevaṁ not·negligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa meditatingviharato thoseye domestic·tied togehasitā memory·thoughtsarasaṅkappā thosete are given uppahīyanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internal·justajjhattameva mindcittaṁ settlessantiṭṭhati becomes stilledsannisīdati one·unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
thus·alsoEvampi, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu body·gone to·mindfulnesskāyagatāsatiṁ developsbhāveti.

Furthermore, suppose a mendicant were to see a corpse discarded in a charnel ground. And it had been dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering. They’d compare it with their own body: ‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’ As they meditate like this—diligent, keen, and resolute—memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

Or suppose they were to see a corpse discarded in a charnel ground being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, herons, hounds, tigers, leopards, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures. They’d compare it with their own body: ‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’ That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

Furthermore, suppose they were to see a corpse discarded in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews … A skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood, and held together by sinews … A skeleton rid of flesh and blood, held together by sinews … Bones rid of sinews scattered in every direction. Here a hand-bone, there a foot-bone, here an ankle bone, there a shin-bone, here a thigh-bone, there a hip-bone, here a rib-bone, there a back-bone, here an arm-bone, there a neck-bone, here a jaw-bone, there a tooth, here the skull. …

againPuna and·furthercaparaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu as·justseyyathāpi might seepasseyya a bodysarīraṁ in a charnel groundsivathikāya discardedchaḍḍitaṁ—
bonesaṭṭhikāni whitesetāni shell·color·counterpartsaṅkhavaṇṇapaṭibhāgāni …pe……pe…
bonesaṭṭhikāni pile·madepuñjakitāni beyond a year·year oldterovassikāni …pe……pe…
bonesaṭṭhikāni rottedpūtīni powder·becomecuṇṇakajātāni.
heSo this·veryimameva bodykāyaṁ to·with·bringupasaṁharati:
this too‘ayampi indeedkho bodykāyo thus·natureevaṁdhammo thus·becomingevaṁbhāvī thus·not·gone beyondevaṁanatīto’ti.
of that oneTassa thusevaṁ diligentappamattassa ……
pe…pe…
thus·tooevampi, O monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu body·gone to·mindfulnesskāyagatāsatiṁ developsbhāveti.

White bones, the color of shells … Decrepit bones, heaped in a pile … Bones rotted and crumbled to powder. They’d compare it with their own body: ‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’ As they meditate like this—diligent, keen, and resolute—memories and thoughts tied to lay life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

againPuna and furthercaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu quite secludedvivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi ……pe… firstpaṭhamaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ having enteredupasampajja dwellsviharati.
heSo this veryimameva bodykāyaṁ seclusion·bornvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena over·flowabhisandeti around·flowparisandeti around·fillparipūreti spreadsparippharati, for him there is notnāssa anykiñci of the wholesabbāvato of the bodykāyassa seclusion·bornvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena not spreadapphuṭaṁ ishoti.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a deftdakkho bathroom attendantnhāpako orvā apprenticenhāpakantevāsī orvā in a bronze dishkaṁsathāle bath powdernhānīyacuṇṇāni having pouredākiritvā with waterudakena little by littleparipphosakaṁ little by littleparipphosakaṁ would kneadsanneyya, thissāyaṁ ball of bath powdernhānīyapiṇḍi soakedsnehānugatā saturatedsnehaparetā spread through inside and outsantarabāhirā spreadphuṭā with moisturesnehena notna andca oozing outpagghariṇī;
in the same wayevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu this veryimameva bodykāyaṁ seclusion·bornvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena over·flowabhisandeti around·flowparisandeti around·fillparipūreti spreadsparippharati; for him there is notnāssa anykiñci of the wholesabbāvato of the bodykāyassa seclusion·bornvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena not spreadapphuṭaṁ ishoti.
of himTassa thusevaṁ diligentappamattassa ……
…pe…
also in this wayevampi, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu mindfulness of the bodykāyagatāsatiṁ developsbhāveti.

Furthermore, a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. They drench, steep, fill, and spread themselves with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. It’s like when a deft bathroom attendant or their apprentice pours bath powder into a bronze dish, sprinkling it little by little with water. They knead it until the ball of bath powder is soaked and saturated with moisture, spread through inside and out; yet no moisture oozes out. In the same way, a mendicant drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads their body with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. As they meditate like this—diligent, keen, and resolute—memories and thoughts tied to lay life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version