{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn119/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn119","id":"suttacentral_mn119","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn119/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. Then after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall and this discussion came up among them. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, reverends, it\u2019s amazing, how the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha has said that mindfulness of the body, when developed and cultivated, is very fruitful and beneficial.\u201d But their conversation was left unfinished. Then the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out and addressed the mendicants: \u201cMendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?\u201d So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about. The Buddha said: \u201cAnd how, mendicants, is mindfulness of the body developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial? It\u2019s when a mendicant\u2014gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut\u2014sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. Breathing in heavily they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing in heavily.\u2019 Breathing out heavily they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing out heavily.\u2019 Breathing in lightly they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing in lightly.\u2019 Breathing out lightly they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing out lightly.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in stilling the physical process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out stilling the physical process.\u2019 As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That\u2019s how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, when a mendicant is walking they know: \u2018I am walking.\u2019 When standing they know: \u2018I am standing.\u2019 When sitting they know: \u2018I am sitting.\u2019 And when lying down they know: \u2018I am lying down.\u2019 Whatever posture their body is in, they know it. As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, a mendicant acts with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent. As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, a mendicant examines their own body, up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs, wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth. \u2018In this body there is head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine.\u2019 It\u2019s as if there were a bag with openings at both ends, filled with various kinds of grains, such as fine rice, wheat, mung beans, peas, sesame, and ordinary rice. And a person with clear eyes were to open it and examine the contents: \u2018These grains are fine rice, these are wheat, these are mung beans, these are peas, these are sesame, and these are ordinary rice.\u2019 In the same way, a mendicant examines their own body, up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs, wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth. \u2026 As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, a mendicant examines their own body, whatever its placement or posture, according to the elements: \u2018In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.\u2019 It\u2019s as if a deft butcher or butcher\u2019s 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: \u2018In this body there is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.\u2019 As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. 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\u2019d compare it with their own body: \u2018This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.\u2019 As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. 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\u2019d compare it with their own body: \u2018This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.\u2019 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 \u2026 A skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood, and held together by sinews \u2026 A skeleton rid of flesh and blood, held together by sinews \u2026 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. \u2026 White bones, the color of shells \u2026 Decrepit bones, heaped in a pile \u2026 Bones rotted and crumbled to powder. They\u2019d compare it with their own body: \u2018This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.\u2019 As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to lay life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. 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\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. It\u2019s 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\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to lay life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. They drench, steep, fill, and spread themselves with rapture and bliss born of immersion. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with rapture and bliss born of immersion. It\u2019s like a deep lake fed by spring water. There\u2019s no inlet to the east, west, north, or south, and the heavens would not properly bestow showers from time to time. But the stream of cool water welling up in the lake drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads throughout the lake. There\u2019s no part of the lake that\u2019s not spread through with cool water. In the same way, a mendicant drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads themselves with rapture and bliss born of immersion. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with rapture and bliss born of immersion. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a mendicant enters and remains in the third absorption. They meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, \u2018Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.\u2019 They drench, steep, fill, and spread themselves with bliss free of rapture. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with bliss free of rapture. It\u2019s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of them sprout and grow in the water without rising above it, thriving underwater. From the tip to the root they\u2019re drenched, steeped, filled, and soaked with cool water. There\u2019s no part of them that\u2019s not soaked with cool water. In the same way, a mendicant drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads themselves with bliss free of rapture. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with bliss free of rapture. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, a mendicant enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. They sit spreading their body through with pure bright mind. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with pure bright mind. It\u2019s like someone sitting wrapped from head to foot with white cloth. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread over with white cloth. In the same way, they sit spreading their body through with pure bright mind. There\u2019s no part of the body that\u2019s not spread with pure bright mind. As they meditate like this\u2014diligent, keen, and resolute\u2014memories and thoughts tied to domestic life are given up. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in sam\u0101dhi. That too is how a mendicant develops mindfulness of the body. Anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body includes all of the skillful qualities that play a part in realization. Anyone who brings into their mind the great ocean includes all of the streams that run down into it. In the same way, anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body includes all of the skillful qualities that play a part in realization. When a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity. Suppose a person were to throw a heavy stone ball at a mound of wet clay. What do you think, mendicants? Would that heavy stone ball find an entry into that mound of wet clay?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity. Suppose there was a dried up, withered log. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, mendicants? By drilling the stick against that dried up, withered log, could they light a fire and produce heat?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity. Suppose a water jar was placed on a stand, empty and hollow. Then a person comes along with a load of water. What do you think, mendicants? Could that person pour water into the jar?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity. When a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra cannot find a vulnerability and doesn\u2019t get an opportunity. Suppose a person were to throw a light ball of string at a door-panel made entirely of hardwood. What do you think, mendicants? Would that light ball of string find an entry into that door-panel made entirely of hardwood?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra cannot find a vulnerability and doesn\u2019t get an opportunity. Suppose there was a green, sappy log. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, mendicants? By drilling the stick against that green, sappy log on dry land far from water, could they light a fire and produce heat?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra cannot find a vulnerability and doesn\u2019t get an opportunity. Suppose a water jar was placed on a stand, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it. Then a person comes along with a load of water. What do you think, mendicants? Could that person pour water into the jar?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, M\u0101ra cannot find a vulnerability and doesn\u2019t get an opportunity. When a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, they extend the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; and they are capable of realizing those things, since each and every one is within range. Suppose a water jar was placed on a stand, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it. If a strong man was to pour it on any side, would water pour out?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, they extend the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; and they are capable of realizing those things, since each and every one is within range. Suppose there was a square, walled lotus pond on level ground, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it. If a strong man was to open the wall on any side, would water pour out?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, they extend the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; and they are capable of realizing those things, since each and every one is within range. Suppose a chariot stood harnessed to thoroughbreds at a level crossroads, with a goad ready. A deft horse trainer, a master charioteer, might mount the chariot, taking the reins in his right hand and goad in the left. He\u2019d drive out and back wherever he wishes, whenever he wishes. In the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, they extend the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; and they are capable of realizing those things, since each and every one is within range. You can expect ten benefits when mindfulness of the body has been cultivated, developed, and practiced, made a vehicle and a basis, kept up, consolidated, and properly implemented. They prevail over desire and discontent, and live having mastered desire and discontent whenever they arose. They prevail over fear and dread, and live having mastered fear and dread whenever they arose. They endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; rude and unwelcome criticism; and put up with physical pain\u2014sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. They get the four absorptions\u2014blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind\u2014when they want, without trouble or difficulty. They wield the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again \u2026 They control the body as far as the realm of divinity. With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far. \u2026 They understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having encompassed them with their own mind. \u2026 They recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn\u2014inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. You can expect these ten benefits when mindfulness of the body has been cultivated, developed, and practiced, made a vehicle and a basis, kept up, consolidated, and properly implemented.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"Mindfulness of the Body","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":3008}