Questions and Answers on the Contemplation of the Four Satipatthanas: 23

Question: Regarding the contemplation of the thirty-six impure components in the practice of skeleton contemplation and impurity contemplation, when I contemplate them within my own body, wherever I focus my contemplation, that area relaxes. I feel that wherever I direct this contemplation, the mind's grasping toward that part diminishes, leading to relaxation. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes. The state of physical tension arises precisely from mental grasping. Wherever the mind grasps, that part of the body becomes tense and rigid. Therefore, physical states are also caused by emotions. Eliminate the emotions, relax the mind, and the body will relax accordingly. When contemplating the thirty-six components within the body, observe with an objective mindset—as if contemplating something other than your own body—without grasping. Then the body will loosen and soften; the emptier the mind, the softer the body becomes.

The suffering experienced by body and mind all arises from the grasping of the mental faculty. Without grasping, there is no suffering. The knots and bonds in the mind are also produced by grasping. A bond is like a rope; where bonds exist, there is obstruction and stagnation. Without grasping, the mental state becomes spacious and unimpeded, allowing one to roam freely according to one’s will. When suffering arises, one should reflect: What have I grasped, in the past or present, that caused such suffering? All suffering has a cause. Only by identifying the cause and resolving it can the fruit of suffering be extinguished.