The Impure Body

Where do all the waste and wastewater generated by sentient beings on Earth throughout their lifetimes ultimately go? According to the law of conservation of matter or mass, these wastes and wastewater also have an origin—where do they come from? When beings are reborn on Earth in future lives, where do all the material things they consume come from? After being consumed and turning into waste, wastewater, and garbage, where does this garbage go?

Many people have germophobia and are very fond of cleanliness, but where does the water they use daily come from? What kind of water is it? Where does the food they eat daily come from? What are its components? Where does the leftover garbage go after consumption? Every country has sewage treatment plants and waste recycling stations—what happens to the water and garbage after being processed by these facilities? For example, if a basin of wastewater is poured onto the ground, how does this water disappear from the ground? Where does it disappear to? Wastewater and sewage can only partially evaporate; another portion remains on Earth, being recycled by humans and even consumed. The evaporated portion returns to Earth during rainfall and is reused. In short, these substances are reused by humans in various forms, entering into material forms.

Therefore, contemplating the impurity of the body is easily observable—both inside and outside the body is impure. Although many people have germophobia, not a single person is clean. Sentient beings all crave other material forms and even consume flesh—this is truly unreasonable, as the physical body is too filthy. How much garbage one generates in this lifetime will be consumed again when reborn on Earth in future lives, even forcing descendants to consume it together. Sentient beings all cherish life and greatly adore material forms and the six dusts, yet these are extremely filthy—what is there to like? Or perhaps they like a certain mind, but the mind is also dirty and defiled, filled with afflictions—what is there to like?