Kāyagatāsatisuttaṁ
The Discourse about Mindfulness related to the Body

The First Charnel Ground

Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave bhikkhu seyyathā pi
Moreover, monks, it’s as if a monk

passeyya sarīraṁ sīvathikāya PTS: sīvathikāyaṁ, alternate form of the locative; ChS: sivathikāya, throughout, the etymology is unknown and either form may be correct. chaḍḍitaṁ,
might see a body thrown into a charnel ground,

ekāhamataṁ vā dvīhamataṁ vā tīhamataṁ vā,
dead for one day, or dead for two days, or dead for three days,

uddhumātakaṁ vinīlakaṁ vipubbakajātaṁ.
bloated, discoloured, having become quite rotten.

So imam-eva kāyaṁ upasaṁharati:
He then compares it with his very own body (thinking):

‘Ayam-pi kho kāyo evaṁdhammo evaṁbhāvī etaṁ PTS, Thai: evaṁ, ChS: evam, throughout; it seems to me that etaṁ makes more sense here, and evaṁ is probably a result of regularisation. anatīto.’ ti
‘This body also has such a nature, has such a constitution, has not gone beyond this.’

* * *

Tassa evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato
For the one who is living heedful, ardent, and resolute in this way

ye gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyanti,
whatever rushing thoughts there are dependent on the household life are given up,

tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattam-eva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati,
and with the giving up of these the mind becomes internally stable,

sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.
settles down, becomes one-pointed, and concentrated.

Evam-pi bhikkhave bhikkhu kāyagataṁ satiṁ bhāveti.
Like this, monks, does a monk develop mindfulness related to the body.

last updated: November 2008