Commentary on the Samādhi Meditation Sūtra
Chapter Three: The Dharma Gate for Subduing Greed and Desire
Original Text: Those with excessive lust should practice the contemplation on impurity. From the feet to the hair, contemplate that [the body] is entirely filled with impurity. Hair, body hair, nails, teeth, thin skin, thick skin, blood, flesh, sinews, vessels, bone marrow, liver, lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, feces, urine, mucus, saliva, sweat, tears, grime, dust, pus, brain, placenta, bile, water, subtle skin fat, fat, brain membrane—within the body, such are the various kinds of impurity. Furthermore, the gradual method of impurity contemplation: contemplate the body as bluish and putrid, swollen and ruptured, blood flowing and smeared everywhere, emitting foul-smelling pus, not fully consumed by scavengers, bones scattered, burned and charred. This is called the contemplation on impurity.
Explanation: Those with excessive lust should diligently practice the contemplation on impurity. The method of contemplation is to contemplate from the feet to the hair, observing that [the body] is entirely filled with impurity, utterly filthy, with not a single part clean. Such as: hair, body hair, fingernails and toenails, teeth, thin and thick skin, blood, flesh, sinews, vessels, bone marrow, heart, liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys, large intestine, small intestine, feces, urine, saliva, sweat, tears, brain matter, fat, brain membrane, etc.—all components of the entire body have various kinds of impurity and are filthy. The contemplation on impurity further progressively contemplates the body as livid and bruised, swollen, rotten and putrid, oozing blood everywhere, emitting a foul, fishy odor, bones scattered, dismembered, burned to a crisp by fire, and so on—all these phenomena are aspects of impurity.
The contemplation on impurity can be practiced while sitting in meditation, or when seeing people, contemplating that both others and oneself are similarly filthy, impure, and unclean. When contemplated for a certain period, a mind of renunciation will arise, no longer liking the body, and the desire for excessive lust will diminish. When contemplation reaches its culmination, the samadhi of skeleton contemplation is achieved. With eyes open or closed, one can see one's own and others' material bodies as skeletons. This belongs to the form produced by concentration (dhyana-fruit form), which others cannot see; only the person who has cultivated this samadhi state can see it. Such a state of concentration is achieved through the long-term contemplation of the mental consciousness, which successfully influences the manas (defiled mind). The manas then comes to perceive the material body as having the appearance of a skeleton. Consequently, the tathagatagarbha manifests the skeleton appearance, and the mental consciousness can see the skeleton appearance anytime, anywhere. Thus, the contemplation is accomplished.
Therefore, all states of concentration and samadhi are the result of the mental consciousness contemplating and successfully influencing and transforming the manas. The mental consciousness easily accepts various theories, but the manas, due to its profound ignorance and strong habitual tendencies, is difficult to influence. This creates the difficulty in practice. The degree of ignorance and habitual tendencies in the manas differs for each sentient being. The thinner the ignorance, the faster the practice, the easier it is to attain meditative absorption (dhyana), the easier it is to enter samadhi, and the easier it is to realize the Dharma. When skeleton contemplation is achieved, first, the view of the body as self (satkāyadṛṣṭi) is severed, denying the body as the self. Greed and desire are subdued, the severe attachment to the body ceases, and a degree of liberation is attained. Secondly, it can sever the view of self (ātmagrāha), realizing the fourth fruition of Arhatship, liberating from the bonds of afflictions in the three realms.
Original Text: Furthermore, those with excessive lust have seven kinds of attachment: either attached to beauty, or attached to dignified appearance, or attached to deportment, or attached to voice, or attached to smoothness [of skin], or attached to sentient beings, or attached to all [aspects]. If attached to beauty, one should practice the contemplation method of the bluish and putrid. Contemplation of yellow [decay] and red [blood] impure colors, etc., should also be done likewise. If attached to dignified appearance, one should practice the contemplation method of the swollen and scattered body.
If attached to deportment, one should contemplate a newly dead body with blood flowing, smearing the bones. If attached to voice, one should practice the contemplation method of a choked and lifeless throat. If attached to smoothness, one should practice the contemplation of bones and the contemplation of a withered, diseased body. If attached to sentient beings, one should practice the six kinds of contemplation. If attached to all [aspects], one should contemplate everything comprehensively. Sometimes, perform various [contemplations]; further, perform different contemplations. This is called the contemplation on impurity.
Explanation: Furthermore, those with excessive lust have seven kinds of attachment: either liking pleasing form, i.e., beauty; or liking dignified form; or liking others' deportment and appearance; or liking others' voices; or liking others' smooth skin; or liking the appearances of all sentient beings; or being attached to everything.
If one is attached to and fond of beautiful form, one should practice the contemplation method of the body being livid, swollen, rotten, and putrid, or contemplate the material body with yellow pus, red blood, and other various impurities. If one is attached to dignified facial features, one should practice the contemplation method of the body swelling and disintegrating.
If one is attached to external deportment, one should practice the contemplation method of visualizing a recently deceased person covered in flowing blood, smearing the bones. If attached to beautiful voices, one should practice the contemplation method of a throat blocked, choked, and lifeless.
If one is attached to smooth skin, one should practice skeleton contemplation and the contemplation method of the body afflicted by a withered disease, gradually drying up. If one is attached to all aspects of sentient beings' appearances, one should practice the above six contemplation methods. If one is attached to all appearances of the body, then comprehensively contemplate all impure aspects of the material body; each one must be contemplated without omission. Or, contemplate all appearances of the body as transformed, contemplating their unattractive post-mortem appearances.
These contemplation methods are explained quickly, but during actual practice, it may take several months, a year or two, or even longer to subdue greed and attachment, no longer craving the material body, and to reduce the mind of desire. Ordinarily, one should pay attention to contemplating the dirty, filthy aspects of each part of the body, the blood-smeared aspect, the swollen and rotten aspect, the broken and decayed aspect—then the mind of attachment will lessen. When seeing a liked person, mentally substitute them with the appearance of the filthiest, ugliest person; then the mind will like them less.
Original Text: Question: If the body is impure like a stinking, rotten corpse, how could attachment arise? If one is attached to a clean body, one should also be attached to a stinking, rotten body. If one is not attached to the stinking body, one should also not be attached to the clean body, as both bodies are the same. If one seeks the true purity of both, it is ultimately unobtainable.
The human mind is wildly deluded, covered by inverted views. It perceives non-purity as pure. If this inverted mind is broken, one attains the contemplation of the true reality (dharma). Then one knows the impurity [of the body] is false and unreal. Furthermore, a corpse has no warmth, no life faculty, no consciousness, and no faculties. When a person discerns this clearly, the mind does not generate attachment. Because the body has warmth, a life faculty, consciousness, and complete faculties, the inverted mind becomes confused and attached when observing it.
Explanation: Question: If the material body is impure like a stinking, rotten corpse, then why does attachment arise? If one is still attached to a clean material body, one should also be attached to a stinking, rotten material body; if one is not attached to the stinking, rotten material body, one should also not be attached to the clean material body, as both bodies are the same. If one seeks the true pure aspect of both bodies, it is ultimately unobtainable, because both are conditioned and subject to birth and cessation.
The human mind is wildly confused, obscured by its own inverted views, perceiving the impure material body as pure. If the inverted mind is broken, one attains the contemplation of the true reality (dharma), and then knows that the impure aspect is false and unreal. Moreover, a corpse has no warmth (fire element), no life faculty, no conscious mind, and no six faculties. When a person observes this carefully, the mind does not generate attachment. Because the body has warmth, a life faculty, a conscious mind, and complete faculties, when observing it, the mind gives rise to inverted confusion and attachment.
Original Text: Furthermore, when the mind is attached to form, it perceives it as pure. When the mind of craving ceases, then one knows it is impure. If it were truly pure, it should be constantly pure. But now it is not so. Like a dog eating feces, it perceives it as pure. From a human perspective, it is extremely impure. This body, internally and externally, has not a single pure place. If one is attached to the body's exterior, the thin skin covering the body, if one were to take it off the whole body, one would obtain only something like bark. This too is impure, let alone the thirty-six impure components inside the body.
Furthermore, analyzing the causes and conditions of the body, [it is formed from] various impurities. Parental semen and blood, impure substances, combine to form it. Once formed as a body, it constantly emits impurities. Clothes and bedding also become smelly and impure. How much more so the state of death? Therefore, one should know that both internally and externally, in life and death, it is all impure.
Explanation: Furthermore, when the mind is attached to the material body, it perceives the body as pure; when the mind of craving ceases, one then knows the body is impure. If the body were truly pure, it should be constantly pure, but now it is not so; therefore, the body is indeed impure. For example, a dog eats feces and perceives it as pure, but from a human perspective, feces are extremely impure. The body, internally and externally, has not a single pure place. If one is attached to the thin skin on the outside of the body, and one were to remove all the skin from the body, one would find the body's skin is like a piece of bark, also impure. How much more so the thirty-six impure components inside the body?
Furthermore, analyzing the causes and conditions forming the material body, there are various impure aspects. It is formed by the combination of the impure substances of father's semen and mother's blood. After combining to form the body, it constantly emits various impure substances. Clothes and bedding also become smelly and impure. How much more so at the time of death, when it is extremely filthy. Therefore, one should know that during life and death, internally and externally, it is all impure.
Original Text: Furthermore, contemplation also has three grades: beginners, those already practicing, and those long-practiced. For beginners, teach them: Generate the thought of the skin being removed. Eliminate the impurities and contemplate a red skeleton. Fix the mind on the contemplation, not allowing external thoughts. If external thoughts arise to various objects, gather the thought and bring it back. For those already practicing, teach them: Imagine the skin and flesh removed, completely contemplating the skull, not allowing external thoughts. If external thoughts arise to various objects, gather the thought and bring it back.
Explanation: Furthermore, the contemplation on impurity is also divided into three grades: 1) beginners just starting to practice contemplation; 2) those who have been practicing for some time; 3) those who have been practicing for a long time. If it is a beginner first learning the contemplation on impurity, teach them to visualize the body as having the skin peeled off, eliminating the impure aspects within the body, and contemplate a naked skeleton. Contemplate single-mindedly, not allowing the mind to scatter outwardly, thinking of other things. If the mind-thoughts grasp at other dharmas, gather the mind and pull the thoughts back. If it is someone who has been practicing for some time, teach them to visualize the body with skin and flesh removed, contemplating the skull with full concentration, not allowing thoughts to grasp outwardly. If they grasp outwardly, pull the thoughts back.
Original Text: For those long-practiced, teach them: Within the body, one inch [inward], mentally remove the skin and flesh. Fix the mind on five places: the crown [of the head], the forehead, the space between the eyebrows, the tip of the nose, and the heart region. Dwell the mind on these five places, contemplating the bones, not allowing external thoughts. If external thoughts arise to various objects, gather the thought and bring it back. Constantly be mindful of observing the mind. When the mind goes out, restrain and control it.
If the mind becomes extremely fatigued, dwell the thought on the object of contemplation. Abandon external [objects] and guard the dwelling. Like a monkey tied to a post, [it struggles] intensely, then finally rests. The object of contemplation is like the post; mindfulness is like the rope and lock; the mind is like the monkey. It is also like a wet nurse constantly watching an infant, not letting it fall. The practitioner observing the mind is also like this. Gradually subdue the mind, causing it to dwell on the object of contemplation. If the mind dwells for a long time, this accords with the dhyana method.
Explanation: If it is someone long-practiced in the contemplation on impurity, teach them to visualize one inch within the body, mentally removing all skin and flesh, fixing the mind on five locations: the crown of the head, the forehead, the space between the eyebrows, the tip of the nose, and the heart region. The mind-thought dwells in these five places, contemplating the bones there, not allowing the mind-thought to grasp outwardly and scatter. If the mind scatters outwardly, one must gather the mind-thought and pull it back. The mind-thought is constantly focused on observing the mind; if the mind scatters, one must forcefully gather and control it.
If the mind, after grasping for a long time, feels extremely fatigued, it will cause the thoughts to dwell on the contemplated bones, no longer grasping outwardly. The mind then settles and rests on the dharmas contemplated, unmoving, abandoning external conditions and guarding the place of contemplation. For example, a monkey tied to a post struggles until fatigued and then finally settles down, no longer jumping around wildly. The dharmas contemplated are like the post; mindfulness is like the rope; the mind is like the monkey. It is also like a wet nurse constantly watching over an infant, not letting it fall.
The practitioner contemplating the mind is also like this, gradually subduing the mind-thought, causing it to dwell on the dharmas being contemplated. If the mind can dwell stably for a long time, meditative absorption (dhyana) will manifest.
Original Text: If one attains dhyana absorption, there are three characteristics: 1) The body is harmonious and pleasant, soft, pliant, light, and at ease. The skeleton emits flowing light, like white conch shell. The mind attains tranquil abiding. This is contemplation of purity. At this time, one attains the mind of the form realm. This is called the initial dhyana method attaining the mind of the form realm. The mind accords with the dhyana method, which is the dharmas of the form realm. The mind attaining this dharma, while the body remains in the desire realm, the four great elements become extremely soft, pliant, happy, and joyful. The complexion is pure, clean, lustrous, moist, harmonious, and pleasant. This is called joyful bliss.
2) In the previous skeleton contemplation, within the appearance of white bones, light shines everywhere, pure and white in color.
3) The mind abides in one place; this is called pure contemplation. Because it contemplates the bones by removing the flesh, it is called pure contemplation. The above three characteristics are all known to oneself; others cannot see them. Regarding the three grades above: Beginners have not yet generated the intention [for realization]. Those already practicing have practiced for three or four lifetimes. Those long-practiced have studied for a hundred years in the human body.
Explanation: If one attains dhyana absorption, three states appear: 1) The body is moist, the complexion harmonious and pleasant, soft, pliant, light, and at ease. The mind manifests the appearance of flowing light from white bones; the bones are like white shells. The mind becomes tranquil. This is the contemplation on impurity. When the contemplation is achieved, the mind accords with the form realm, enters the form realm, becomes the mind of the form realm, and the first dhyana of the form realm manifests. This is the mind of the form realm attained by the initial dhyana method. The mind accords with the dhyana of the form realm, which is the dharmas of the form realm. The mind attains the dharmas of the form realm, yet the body still dwells in the human desire realm. The four-elements material body becomes extremely large, soft, pliant, and joyful. The skin color is clean, fresh, and lustrous; the mind is harmonious, elegant, and blissful. This is the first characteristic of joyful bliss, the mind's joyful aspect. 2) The previously practiced skeleton contemplation, within the appearance of flowing light from white bones, emits light shining everywhere, all transforming into pure white. 3) The mind rests in one place, without scattered thoughts or false thoughts; this is pure contemplation. Because it removes skin and flesh to contemplate the bones, it is called pure contemplation.
The three characteristics mentioned above can only be known by the practitioner who has achieved them; they can see it themselves, others cannot see it. The three grades mentioned above are: 1) Beginners first practicing the contemplation on impurity, who have not yet realized the fruition; 2) Those who have begun practice and realized the first fruition, who need to practice in the human realm for three or four more lifetimes to attain nirvana; 3) Those who have practiced for a long time in this present hundred-year human body, who, after practicing, can attain nirvana.
Contemplating the skeleton, the mind-thought must imagine the appearance of the skeleton, maintain that state, then transform that state, until finally the contemplated image constantly appears in the mind, unchanging forever. When finally achieved, one does not need to deliberately contemplate; the image naturally appears in the mind, and one can see it with eyes open or closed. This is samadhi, this is dhyana absorption. When greed and desire are subdued, the first dhyana naturally manifests. Because the mind of the desire realm disappears, the mind of the form realm naturally appears. When the mind is in the dharmas of the desire realm, it cannot reach the dharmas of the form realm; when the mind is in the dharmas of the form realm, it cannot reach the dharmas of the formless realm. Having a lower state mind, one cannot have a higher state mind. Therefore, one must still relinquish first to attain later; without relinquishment, there is no attainment. This is the crucial point, the secret place in the practice of the Buddha Dharma. We must grasp it and learn to apply it.
