Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Second Edition) (Newly Revised)
Chapter Two: Mindfulness of the Body
Section Three: Observing the Impurity of the Physical Body
Original Text: Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu observes this body, covered by skin and filled with various impure substances, from the top of the hair down to the soles of the feet. He knows that within this body there are head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, and urine.
Explanation: To continue, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu observes this body covered by skin and filled with various impure substances. Observing from the hair on top down to the bones at the soles of the feet, he will know that this body contains head hair, body hair, eyebrows, hands, feet, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine, and so on.
This passage of scripture is crucial for cultivating the contemplation of the body's impurity. The Bhagavān explained it in great detail so that we may follow the text and enter into contemplation, observing with thoroughness. Except for the hair, all these components are wrapped by the skin. The skin may appear clean, but what it envelops is extremely filthy and impure, filled with various foul stenches, bloody smells, and mucus—a murky mass. Taken out individually or with the skin peeled away, anyone would find it repulsive and disgusting. These impure substances constitute the physical body. Sentient beings, however, cling tenaciously to such a filthy physical body; this is truly foolish.
Original Text: Bhikkhus, it is like a bag with two openings filled with various grains, such as rice, non-glutinous rice, mung beans, beans, sesame seeds, and unpolished rice. One who opens it may observe: this is rice, this is non-glutinous rice, this is mung beans, this is beans, this is sesame seeds, this is unpolished rice.
Explanation: Bhikkhus, the physical body filled with the aforementioned substances is like a bag with two openings. Many, many grains are stuffed into this bag. When the bag is opened and examined, each item can be counted out: this is rice, this is non-glutinous rice, this is mung beans, this is beans, this is sesame seeds, this is unpolished rice—one can see with the eyes what beans are inside. Similarly, when the body is opened and the skin peeled away, one knows what is inside the body; each item can be counted out and observed.
This physical body is like a bag. With its two openings tied—the crown of the head being one sealed end and the soles of the feet the other—the outside is skin, and inside are various substances. After the skin is peeled away, inside are flesh, blood, various fluids, internal organs, bone marrow, and so forth. Contemplation of the body's impurity can begin by observing the skin's surface. If observed under a microscope, one would find the skin's surface covered entirely with bacteria. There are bacteria in the eyes, in tears, in nasal mucus, saliva—every surface of the skin is covered with bacteria. The bacteria in each location vary in shape, size, and quantity.
There is a specific type of meditative contemplation aimed precisely at observing these bacteria and microscopic organisms on the body to eradicate the view of self and the view of the body. Some of these bacteria have three heads and six arms, others are multi-colored, some bare fangs and brandish claws—they are extremely grotesque and terrifying. They fight and kill each other. After such battles, the balance of their numbers and types is disrupted, leading to illness in the body, such as skin diseases or gastrointestinal problems, all caused by an imbalance in the quantity and types of bacteria. When the stomach feels hungry, it is because the bacteria want to eat. When desires arise within the body, it is also the result of disturbances caused by these bacteria. The food and drink consumed into the stomach rely entirely on bacteria for decomposition and digestion. Once food enters the stomach, bacteria break it down into a paste, which the body can then partially absorb into the bloodstream. The body depends on these bacteria for metabolism, and the bacteria depend on the physical body to survive. Sentient beings rely on bacteria to live, and bacteria rely on the sentient being's physical body to survive. All this is what the Buddha saw and taught. The Buddha's eye is infinitely more subtle than a microscope, thus He could perceive these bacteria.
There are also bacteria in the air; they exist everywhere. These bacteria are also sentient beings who can attain Buddhahood in the future; they also possess a conscious mind, manas, and tathagatagarbha. When sentient beings fall ill and take medicine, the medicine may work initially and cure the illness, but after prolonged use, it becomes ineffective; this is called drug resistance. Why does this happen? Because taking medicine is meant to counteract bacteria. After the bacteria consume it and find it unpleasant, they avoid it thereafter, rendering the same medicine ineffective. This shows that bacteria also possess discriminatory consciousness.
Observing the surface of the body's skin reveals extreme filth. Looking more closely inside, bacteria are found in the blood, muscles, sinews, bones, bone marrow—various mucus also contains bacteria. The inside of the body is also extremely filthy. By observing the physical body truthfully and meticulously in this way, one gradually ceases to cling to it. Suppose one sees a beautiful woman. Start by contemplating the bacteria on the surface of her skin. After that, peel away the skin and contemplate the impure substances inside, the foul odors emanating from within and without—nowhere is clean. Later, it will also be explained that a beautiful woman, after being dead for a few days, will bloat, bruise, change color, alter shape, then discharge pus... one can imagine the rest.
The physical body that sentient beings cling to is actually extremely filthy and impure. For example, the food consumed grows from the soil, which contains everything. No matter how well washed, it remains dirty. Food chewed a few times and then spat out—observe its state. Or food swallowed into the stomach and vomited out—see what state it is in, smell its odor. In truth, the body is a mobile toilet, a sack of filth, also called a foul sack. Upon careful reflection, there is nothing about the body, food, and so forth worthy of attachment.
Original Text: Bhikkhus, thus a bhikkhu observes this body, covered by skin and filled with various impure substances, from the top of the hair down to the soles of the feet. He knows that within this body there are head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, and urine.
Explanation: Bhikkhus, thus a bhikkhu observes this physical body covered and wrapped by skin, filled with various impure substances, from the crown of the head down to the soles of the feet. He knows that within this physical body there are head hair, body hair, fingernails, toenails, and teeth; there are skin, flesh, sinews, and bone marrow; there are kidneys, heart, and liver; there are pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, and mesentery; there are stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, and sweat; there are fat, tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, and urine.
The Buddha instructs the bhikkhus to continue observing the impurity of the physical body, from the crown of the head all the way down to the soles of the feet. Through genuine observation, one discovers that the physical body is so filthy and foul, like an embroidered pillow—outwardly it may seem somewhat presentable, but inside it is filled with dirty things, nothing clean. Observing it over and over, one will develop revulsion towards one's own physical body and will no longer be overly concerned with it or cling to it.
Original Text: Thus, he dwells observing the body internally as body, or dwells observing the body externally as body, or dwells observing the body both internally and externally as body. Or he dwells observing the arising phenomena in the body, or dwells observing the ceasing phenomena in the body, or dwells observing both the arising and ceasing phenomena in the body.
Explanation: After observing the impurity of the physical body, the mind either dwells on observing the internal body, or dwells on observing the external body, or dwells on observing both the internal and external body simultaneously. Or it dwells on observing the arising phenomena of the physical body, or dwells on observing the ceasing phenomena of the physical body, or dwells on observing both the arising and ceasing phenomena of the physical body simultaneously.
As for the substances within the physical body described above, continue observing them meticulously. First, observe the arising phenomena on the body—what is gradually being produced on the body, such as the growth of nails and hair, boils emerging from the skin, cysts and stones forming in the internal organs, the generation of various diseases, and so on. Then observe the ceasing phenomena on the body—what disappears from the body, such as the removal or extraction of internal organs, the disappearance or cessation of various diseases, and so forth. Then observe both the arising and ceasing phenomena of the physical body simultaneously.
Original Text: Furthermore, mindfulness of the body is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. He dwells independent and clings to nothing in the world. Bhikkhus, thus a bhikkhu dwells observing the body as body.
Explanation: Through continuous observation, wisdom arises, and mindfulness of the body also arises. Thus, thoughts concerning the body fill the mind constantly. At this time, the practitioner should dwell without relying on the body, able to view it objectively, not tightly connecting the body with oneself, and the mind should not cling to anything in the world. Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should dwell observing the body as body in this way.
After completing the contemplation of all these contents, thoughts of the body fill the mind, yet one does not dwell on the body itself. The mind does not depend on the body because it is empty, devoid of self, impermanent, and subject to change. One must eliminate the notion of the body as "I" from the mind, emptying the physical body. Only by relinquishing the body can one enter a state of emptiness and concentration, giving rise to the wisdom of realization, thereby severing the view of self (the notion that the physical body is the self) and the view of the body. Moreover, regarding any other thing in the world, the mind should not dwell on it or cling to it; everything should be emptied, as none of it is real. If even the body is not the self, how much less so are things outside the body. By this stage of practice, one may still not accept this concept. One must wait until the contemplation is genuinely completed, wisdom is fully developed, and all other conditions for realizing the path are fulfilled. Then the mind's perspective can truly shift, one can genuinely sever the view of self, and the three fetters will also be severed, ensuring one never again falls into the three lower realms.
Accepting this principle is not easy. Currently, it is only the conscious mind that knows; the manas has not yet accepted it, nor has it reached that level of awakening. Once it is reached, and manas accepts it, the entire state of body and mind will change completely; the mind's perspective will shift, turning upside down. The superficial knowing of the conscious mind lacks significant force. If manas does not accept it, once one acts, manas will still make decisions based on its previous perceptions and concepts, not according to the conscious mind's understanding. This is because bodily, verbal, and mental actions are not governed by the conscious mind; they are controlled and decided by the deeper manas.
For example, promising to give one hundred yuan to someone—if this thought does not genuinely arise from the depths of the heart, even if verbally agreed to, it is only the conscious mind feeling that one should give the money. If manas is not truly willing, not understanding the benefit of giving one hundred yuan, there will be reluctance when parting with the money. Therefore, when we study the Dharma, we must enter deeply into meditation, striving to let manas contemplate the Dharma itself. Once manas contemplates and understands, it will comprehend the principle, and both thoughts and behavior will transform. This Dharma of contemplating the body's impurity should be contemplated, reflected upon deeply, meticulously, and comprehensively within meditation. Do not assume, "I know this, it's simple, it's just like that," and then disdain further profound contemplation.
The content explained above constitutes dwelling while observing the body as body. This concludes the explanation of the contemplation of the body's impurity within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Contemplation of the body begins with observing the breath—knowing the in-breath and the out-breath, knowing long breaths and short breaths. Be clear about the body's condition while breathing; be clear about the condition of the entire body during a long breath. Know the phenomena arising within the body, know the phenomena ceasing within the body—know all phenomena of arising and ceasing, know phenomena both internal and external to the body, and contemplate how impure the physical body is. Once the contemplation is complete, and the concept of the physical body is firmly established in the mind, then empty the physical body, discard the notion of the body as "me" or as real. The mind should be empty—not only emptying the physical body but also emptying all phenomena. Do not cling to any phenomenon. In this way, one can sever the view of the body and the view of self.
