The Discourse to Girimānanda
(Girimānandasutta, Aṅg 10:60)
An English translation of this discourse about the development of ten types of meditation (with an embedded reading of the text).
translated by
Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
(version 2.1, October 2008)
Thus I heard:
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Sāvatthī at Anāthapiṇḍika’s grounds in Jeta’s Wood. Then at that time venerable Girimānanda was afflicted, suffering, and very sick.
Then venerable Ānanda approached the Fortunate One, and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side. While sitting on one side venerable Ānanda said this to the Fortunate One:
“Reverend Sir, venerable Girimānanda is afflicted, suffering, and very sick. Please, reverend Sir, may the Fortunate One approach venerable Girimānanda, taking pity on him.”
“If you, Ānanda, having approached the monk Girimānanda, were to recite ten perceptions, then it is possible that having heard the ten perceptions, the monk Girimānanda’s affliction would immediately abate.
What are the ten?
The perception of impermanence,
the perception of non-self,
the perception of the unattractive,
the perception of danger,
the perception of giving up,
the perception of dispassion,
the perception of cessation,
the perception of non-delight in the whole world,
the perception of impermanence in all processes,
mindfulness while breathing.
* * *
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of impermanence?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus: A wilderness is considered to be anywhere away from a village or an inhabited area; the root of a tree may be inside or outside of a village (or monastery); an empty place is said to be a mountain, a cleft, a hill cave, a cemetery, a jungle, an open space, or a heap of straw. Commentary: Thus he points out a dwelling place suitable for the 3 seasons (the hot, the wet, & the cold), for disposition, and one favourable to meditation.
form is impermanent
feelings are impermanent
perceptions are impermanent
(mental) processes are impermanent
consciousness is impermanent. At Saṁ 22. 95 form is likened to a great ball of foam on the river Ganges; feelings to bubbles in a puddle in the Autumn rains; perception to a mirage trembling in the midday sun; (mental) processes to the lack of heartwood in a banana tree; and consciousness to a magician’s illusion...one who sees them, meditates on them, and examines their source, realises that they are empty, void, and without essence...so should the constituent groups (of mind and body) be looked upon...by one who aspires to the deathless state (
Thus in regard to these five constituent groups (of mind and body) he dwells contemplating impermanence. This, Ānanda, is called the perception of impermanence. Commentary: Because of not applying the mind to rise and fall, the mark of impermanence, being concealed by continuity, is not apparent; but by grasping rise and fall continuity is destroyed, and the mark of impermanence becomes apparent according to its true nature. Translator’s note: Impermanance is one of the marks (
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of non-self?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus:
the eye is not self - forms are not self
the ear is not self - sounds are not self
the nose is not self - smells are not self
the tongue is not self - tastes are not self
the body is not self - tangibles are not self
the mind is not self - thoughts are not self. Commentary: Because of not applying the mind to the classification of the various elements, the mark of non-self, being concealed by density, is not apparent; but by classifying the various elements thus: The earth element is one, the water element is another, and so on...the mark of non-self becomes apparent according to its true nature. Translator’s note: This meditation is worked out in detail in MahāRāhulovādasuttaṁ, also translated in this series. The translation of
Thus in regard to these six internal and external sense spheres he dwells contemplating non-self. This, Ānanda, is called the perception of non-self.
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of the unattractive?
Here, Ānanda, a monk (in regard to) this body - from the sole of the feet upwards, from the hair of the head down, bounded by the skin, and filled with manifold impurities - reflects (thus):
There are in this body:
head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin,
flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys,
heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs,
intestines, mesentery, undigested food, excrement,
bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat,
tears, grease, spit, mucus, synovial fluid, urine. Elsewhere this meditation is called
At the end of the 4th line
A different development of the same meditation is given in Visuddhimagga under
Thus in regard to this body he dwells contemplating what is unattractive. This, Ānanda, is called the perception of the unattractive.
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of danger?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree,
or to an empty place, considers thus:
This body has many sufferings, many dangers, thus, in connection with this body, various afflictions arise, like this:
eye-disease, ear-disease, nose-disease, tongue-disease, body-disease
(i.e diseases affecting the sense spheres),
head-disease, ear-disease, mouth-disease, tooth-disease,
cough, asthma, catarrh, pyrexia, fever,
stomach-ache, fainting, diarrhoea, gripes, cholera,
leprosy, boils, eczema, consumption, epilepsy,
ringworm, itch, scab, chickenpox, scabies,
haemorrhage, diabetes, piles, cancer, ulcers,
afflictions arising from excess bile, afflictions arising from excess phlegm,
afflictions arising from excess wind, afflictions arising from a conflict of humours,
afflictions born of a change of season, afflictions born of not being careful,
afflictions from being attacked, afflictions born as a result of (previous unwholesome) actions,
cold, heat, hunger, thirst, stool, urine.
Thus, in regard to this body, he dwells contemplating danger. This, Ānanda, is called the perception of danger. Some of the names of these diseases are still in use in Indian medical science, so that we can be fairly sure of their connotation, while others are unsure, or rather vague in meaning e.g.
It should be noted that this, and the previous meditation are not intended to be comprehensive, rather they are merely indicative. Similarly, it is not, of course, the exact nature of any of the diseases named here that is important, but the fact that the body is susceptible to diseases and afflictions of various kinds, and is therefore subject to many dangers.
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of giving up?
Here, Ānanda, a monk does not consent to thoughts of sense desire that have arisen, (these) he gives up, dispels, brings to an end, and makes non-existent.
He does not consent to thoughts of ill-will that have arisen, (these) he gives up, dispels, brings to an end, and makes non-existent.
He does not consent to thoughts of violence that have arisen, (these) he gives up, dispels, brings to an end, and makes non-existent.
He does not consent to any bad, unwholesome, thoughts that have arisen, (these) he gives up, dispels, brings to an end, and makes non-existent.
This, Ānanda, is called the perception of giving up. This is the second of the four right efforts (
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of dispassion?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus:
This is peaceful, this is excellent,
that is to say:
the calming of all processes,
the letting go of all bases for cleaving, Commentary: There are four bases for cleaving - either through cleaving to sense desires (
the end of craving,
dispassion,
Nibbāna.
This, Ānanda, is called the perception of dispassion.
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of cessation?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus:
This is peaceful, this is excellent,
that is to say:
the calming of all processes, Commentary: He said
the letting go of all bases for cleaving,
the end of craving,
cessation,
Nibbāna.
This, Ānanda, is called the perception of cessation. The perceptions of dispassion and cessation. These are two aspects of what is otherwise known as the recollection of peace (
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of non-delight in the whole world?
Here, Ānanda, a monk in regard to whatever in the world are selfish means and attachments, or mental determinations, settled beliefs, and tendencies, giving these up, not being attached, he abstains (from them). According to the commentary (selfish) means are craving (
This, Ānanda, is the perception of non-delight in the whole world.
Now what, Ānanda, is the perception of impermanence in all processes?
Here, Ānanda, a monk in regard to all processes is distressed, ashamed, and disgusted.
First there are the famous verses from the Dhammapada beginning:
Overlapping somewhat with this is the use of the term in the analysis of the constituent groups (of mind and body) (
This, Ānanda, is the perception of impermanence in all processes.
Now what, Ānanda, is mindfulness while breathing?
Here, Ānanda, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, sits down. After folding his legs crosswise, setting his body straight, and establishing mindfulness at the front, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.
While breathing in long, he knows “I am breathing in long”,
while breathing out long, he knows “I am breathing out long”,
while breathing in short, he knows “I am breathing in short”,
while breathing out short, he knows “I am breathing out short”,
he trains like this: experiencing the whole body I will breathe in,
he trains like this: experiencing the whole body I will breathe out,
he trains like this: making the bodily process calm I will breathe in,
he trains like this: making the bodily process calm I will breathe out.
He trains like this: experiencing joy I will breathe in,
he trains like this: experiencing joy I will breathe out,
he trains like this: experiencing pleasure I will breathe in,
he trains like this: experiencing pleasure I will breathe out,
he trains like this: experiencing the mental process I will breathe in,
he trains like this: experiencing the mental process I will breathe out,
he trains like this: making the mental process calm I will breathe in,
he trains like this: making the mental process calm I will breathe out.
He trains like this: experiencing the mind I will breathe in,
he trains like this: experiencing the mind I will breathe out,
he trains like this: gladdening the mind I will breathe in,
he trains like this: gladdening the mind I will breathe out,
he trains like this: concentrating the mind I will breathe in,
he trains like this: concentrating the mind I will breathe out,
he trains like this: freeing the mind I will breathe in,
he trains like this: freeing the mind I will breathe out.
He trains like this: contemplating impermanence I will breathe in,
he trains like this: contemplating impermanence I will breathe out,
he trains like this: contemplating dispassion I will breathe in,
he trains like this: contemplating dispassion I will breathe out,
he trains like this: contemplating cessation I will breathe in,
he trains like this: contemplating cessation I will breathe out,
he trains like this: contemplating letting go I will breathe in,
he trains like this: contemplating letting go I will breathe out.
This, Ānanda, is mindfulness while breathing.
If you, Ānanda, having approached the monk Girimānanda, were to recite these ten percpetions, then it is possible that having heard the ten perceptions, the monk Girimānanda’s affliction would immediately abate.”
Then venerable Ānanda, having learned these ten perceptions from the Fortunate One, approached venerable Girimānanda, and after approaching he recited these ten perceptions to venerable Girimānanda. Then, having heard these ten percpetions, venerable Girimānanda’s afliction immediately abated, and venerable Girimānanda arose from that affliction, and by that venerable Girimānanda’s affliction was brought to an end.