Dhamma Letter No. 108

Satipatthana 32 : Kayanupassana 21: The Nine Cemetery Contemplations- Asubha 부정관 2 (不淨觀, asubhnupassin, meditation on impurity)

A continuation from the last dhamma letter:

This contemplation was the most practiced by the disciples during the Buddha's time. When taking an object during meditation, the object can be selected according to each person's temperament. It reduces attachment to one's body and overcomes greed. This is because the strong ego of the stereotype of 'me' and 'mine' prevents us from escaping from our own thoughts and encourages suffering not only for ourselves but also for those around us.

Persistent craving for the body is the cause of rebirth, and rebirth in the world of desire must constantly suffer from hunger, sickness, fatigue, sometimes trembling with fear, old age, and death. If you think that your body is eternal and good, you cling to it, but you realize that you are not really liking it, you can go on living your life as a master of yourself and no longer a slave to your body.

Although this meditation practice may make you more disgusted and avoid it, it will give you the courage to overcome yourself. The 'recognition' that this meditative subject is harsh, and disgusting is a way to experience the first Jhana. This is because there is a thought caused by the elements of the first Jhana, and it sustains because there is a continuous reason for it. However, focusing on the subject brings joy and happiness. This experiential meditative state is called the first Jhana.

In the process of figuring out that the body is not clean and beautiful, but dirty and filthy, I think of that image as I presented the part of the The Nine Cemetery Contemplations (Asubha) last dhamma letter no. 107.

Although it is difficult to come into contact with human corpses in modern times, there are still opportunities to see them in India, Myanmar and Thailand. If you can actually see it, it will have a strong impact on your practice, but in modern times, you can learn the representation through photos or booklets through media as follows.

• After the end of life, the body swells and changes shape.

• After that, the skin color fades to dark blue and decays.

• Pus flows down through the 9 holes of the body and becomes rubbed.

• It turns into a skeleton (bone) that is attached to each other with blood-stained flesh and tendons.

• The bones of the corpse separate from each other and are scattered everywhere.

• The body turns white like a shellfish and turns into bones.

• The corpse is decayed into bone powder.

DN22: This body becomes like this, and it will be like that, and it will swell and turn black, and it will not break free from bruising.

Thus, one develops one's awareness to a level where there is only wisdom and right awareness. In this way, one lives detachedly, without attachment to anything in the world of mind and matter.

This, bhikkhus, is the way a bhikkhu lives by observing the body from body to body.

This practice leads to the meditation of death. In the next letter, the death meditation method is briefly presented.

To be continued...

May you cultivate your Sati continuously (Samma-Viriya)!

May you achieve the Samma-Sati through Satipatthāna (vipassana meditation)!

May all practice well and reach to Magga (道, the path of enlightenment) and Phala (果, the fruit of enlightenment)!

With Metta,

Ayyā Kosallā
Edited by Euna Bonovich 

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If you have any questions related to dhamma & meditation, please feel free to ask. You can reach Ayya Kosalla directly at Bhikkhuni.Kosalla@gmail.com . 

법에 대한 질문이 있으신 분은 위의 이메일 주소로 질문을 남겨주세요.

위빠사나명상의 마음관찰에 대한 논문을 한글 원본으로 읽고 싶으신 분은 클릭해서 다운로드 받을 수 있습니다. (네이버에 PDF 첨부)

The Korean Dhamma Letter is here 담마레터.

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Buddha Sāsanaṁ Ciraṁ Tiṭṭhatu! 
May the Buddha’s teachings last a long time!

​Bhavatu Sabba Sotiṁ ca Maṅgalaṁ ca!!  
May everyone be led on the path of peace and blessing!!

Sādhu Sādhu Sādhu !