2.4 The Section about Reflecting on Impurity - Paṭikkūlamanasikārapabbaṃ

2.4.1 Reflection on the thirty-one parts of the Body.1
Puna ca paraṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imam-eva kāyaṃ -
Mendicants, at another time the meditator reflects on this body in this way -
uddhaṃ pādatalā, adho kesamatthakā, tacapariyantaṃ,
Upward from the sole of the feet, and down from the hair of the head, covered in skin,2
pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati:
full of many kinds of smaller impure things - reflecting thus:
“Atthi imasmiṃ kāye:
“There exists in this body:3
(1) kesā, lomā, nakhā, dantā, taco;
head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin,4
(2) maṃsaṃ, nahāru, aṭṭhi, aṭṭhimiñjaṃ, vakkaṃ,
muscles, sinus, bones, bone marrow, spleen,
(3) hadayaṃ, yakanaṃ, kilomakaṃ, pihakaṃ, papphāsaṃ,
heart, liver, pleura5, kidneys, lungs,
(4) antaṃ, antaguṇaṃ, udariyaṃ, karīsaṃ, (matthake matthaluṅgaṃ,)
large intestines, small intestines, the stomach and its contents, faeces, (brain)6 & 7
(5) pittaṃ, semhaṃ, pubbo, lohitaṃ, sedo, medo,
gall8, phlegm9, pus, blood, sweat, fat,
(6) assu, vasā, kheḷo, siṅghāṇikā, lasikā, muttan”-ti.
tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid10, urine.”11

2.4.2 Simile
“Seyyathā pi, bhikkhave, ubhatomukhā mutoli pūrā nānāvihitassa dhaññassa,
“Mendicants, just as though there was a bag with openings at both ends, full of various kinds of grain,
seyyathīdaṃ: sālīnaṃ vīhīnaṃ muggānaṃ māsānaṃ tilānaṃ taṇḍulānaṃ;
such as: hill rice, paddy rice, green peas, kidney beans, sesame seeds, chickpeas;
tam-enaṃ cakkhumā puriso muñcitvā paccavekkheyya:
and someone with good vision having opened it, were to reflect on the contents:
“Ime sālī, ime vīhī, ime muggā, ime māsā, ime tilā, ime taṇḍulā” ti;
“This is hill rice, this is paddy rice, these are green peas, these are beans, these are sesame seeds, and these are chick peas;”

2.4.3 Refrain
evam-eva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imam-eva kāyaṃ -
Mendicants, indeed it is a meditator who reflects in this way on the body -
uddhaṃ pādatalā, adho kesamatthakā, tacapariyantaṃ,
Upward from the sole of the feet, and down from the hair of the head, covered in skin.
pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati:
full of many kinds of smaller impure things - reflecting thus:
“Atthi imasmiṃ kāye:
“There exists in this body:
(1) kesā, lomā, nakhā, dantā, taco;
head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin,
(2) maṃsaṃ, nahāru, aṭṭhi, aṭṭhimiñjaṃ, vakkaṃ,
muscles, sinus, bones, bone marrow, spleen,
(3) hadayaṃ, yakanaṃ, kilomakaṃ, pihakaṃ, papphāsaṃ,
heart, liver, pleura, kidneys, lungs,
(4) antaṃ, antaguṇaṃ, udariyaṃ, karīsaṃ, (matthake matthaluṅgaṃ,)
large intestines, small intestines, the stomach and its contents, faeces, (brain,)
(5) pittaṃ, semhaṃ, pubbo, lohitaṃ, sedo, medo,
gall, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat,
(6) assu, vasā, kheḷo, siṅghāṇikā, lasikā, muttan”-ti.
tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid, urine.”


2.4.4 Insight Refrain
Iti ajjhattaṃ vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati,
You should also abide contemplating the body as a collection of parts regarding yourselves (internally,) or
bahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the body as a collection of parts regarding others (externally,) or
ajjhattabahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the body as a collection of parts regarding yourselves (internally,) and others (externally,) or
samudayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination regarding the body, or
vayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of cessation regarding the body, or
samudayavayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination, and cessation regarding the body,
“atthi kāyo” ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti
or else mindfulness is that “there is a body,” is present
yāvad-eva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya,
For the purpose of fully developing knowledge and mindfulness,
anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.
abide not dependent on or grasping for something in the world (yourselves.)
Evam-pi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati.
Mendicants, it is a meditator who abides contemplating the body as a collection of parts just so.

1
This section maybe related to the third stage of ānāpānasati practice, that of “You should train yourselves experiencing (becoming sensitive to) the whole body with the in/out-breath.” This would expand the practice of the instruction to the observation and reflection of the individual parts of the body. This is a perception of unattractiveness practice, which has the benefits of turning the mind away from sexual completion and establishment of equanimity or disgust toward the body to the recognition of its true appearance (as a sum of parts.) the practice is essentially reflecting on the bodies parts and the process of ageing and seeing that being, no matter how attractive, are no more than ageing, sickly, & dying beings, so is a recognition of the non-beautiful side of the body.

2
In the Madhya Āgama version has “a mendicant examines this body according to how it is, good or bad, from head to foot, seeing it filled with all kinds of impurities gross and subtle, covered by skin.” Translated from the Chinese by NJ Smith, 10/2001.

3
Interestingly these lists omit references to genitalia, which suggest this is a generic form for any meditator to use.

4
These first five are given as the meditation instruction during the novice ordination, the pabbajjā.

5
Membrane around the lungs.

6
Not found in the sutta, although included here as a point of reference as some variant readings do include the brain, and Ānandajoti Bhikkhu notes in his translation that this addition is from the medieval period. The commentary tradition provides the reason for this omission by including the brain with bone marrow.

7
MN62.8 describes these first four lines as the earth element.

8
Digestive fluid found in the small intestine from the liver via the gall bladder.

9
Mucus of the respiratory passage.

10
Fluid lubricating the joints.

11
MN62.8 describes lines five & six as the water element.