Kāyagatāsatisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 119

Mindfulness of the Body · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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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.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, cleverdakkho butchergoghātako orvā butcher's apprenticegoghātakantevāsī orvā a cowgāviṁ having killedvadhitvā at the crossroadscatumahāpathe piece by piecebilaso having dividedvibhajitvā 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 of the ardent oneātāpino of the resolute onepahitattassa of the one dwellingviharato whichye tied to domestic lifegehasitā memories and thoughtssarasaṅkappā thosete are given uppahīyanti.
of thoseTesaṁ through the abandoningpahānā internally justajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stillsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
also thusEvampi, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu mindfulness of the bodykāyagatāsatiṁ 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 just as ifseyyathāpi would seepasseyya a corpsesarīraṁ in a charnel groundsivathikāya discardedchaḍḍitaṁ dead for one dayekāhamataṁ orvā dead for two daysdvīhamataṁ orvā dead for three daystīhamataṁ orvā bloateduddhumātakaṁ lividvinīlakaṁ festeringvipubbakajātaṁ.
heSo this veryimameva bodykāyaṁ comparesupasaṁharati:
this‘ayampi indeedkho bodykāyo of this natureevaṁdhammo of this kindevaṁbhāvī cannot go beyond thatevaṁanatīto’ti.
for himTassa thusevaṁ diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa meditatingviharato thoseye tied to domestic lifegehasitā memories and thoughtssarasaṅkappā thosete are given uppahīyanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internallyajjhattameva mindcittaṁ settlessantiṭṭhati becomes stilledsannisīdati unifiesekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
and soEvampi, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu mindfulness of the bodykāyagatāsatiṁ 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 furthermorecaparaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu just as ifseyyathāpi might seepasseyya a bodysarīraṁ in a charnel groundsivathikāya discardedchaḍḍitaṁ—
bonesaṭṭhikāni whitesetāni like the color of shellssaṅkhavaṇṇapaṭibhāgāni …pe……pe…
bonesaṭṭhikāni heaped in a pilepuñjakitāni more than a year oldterovassikāni …pe……pe…
bonesaṭṭhikāni rottedpūtīni crumbled to powdercuṇṇakajātāni.
heSo this veryimameva bodykāyaṁ comparesupasaṁharati:
this too‘ayampi indeedkho bodykāyo of this same natureevaṁdhammo of this same kindevaṁbhāvī cannot go beyond thatevaṁanatīto’ti.
of that oneTassa thusevaṁ diligentappamattassa ……
pe…pe…
thus tooevampi, O monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu mindfulness of the bodykāyagatāsatiṁ 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 born of seclusionvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena drenchesabhisandeti steepsparisandeti fillsparipūreti spreadsparippharati, for him there is notnāssa anykiñci of the wholesabbāvato of the bodykāyassa born of seclusionvivekajena 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 born of seclusionvivekajena with rapture and blisspītisukhena drenchesabhisandeti steepsparisandeti fillsparipūreti spreadsparippharati; for him there is notnāssa anykiñci of the wholesabbāvato of the bodykāyassa born of seclusionvivekajena 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.

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