Kāyagatāsatisuttaṁ
The Discourse about Mindfulness related to the Body

The Second Charnel Ground

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

passeyya sarīraṁ sīvathikāya chaḍḍitaṁ,
might see a body thrown into a charnel ground,

kākehi vā khajjamānaṁ, kulalehi vā khajjamānaṁ, Thai reverses the order of kulalehi and gijjhehi. gijjhehi vā khajjamānaṁ, ChS inserts kaṅkehi vā khajjamānaṁ; eaten by herons, ChS has many additions to the other texts which are inserted for emphasis.
being eaten by crows, or being eaten by hawks, or being eaten by vultures,

suvāṇehi ChS: sunakhehi. vā khajjamānaṁ, sigālehi Thai: siṅgālehi; probably from Vedic sṛgāla, in which case the nasal is not justified; ChS inserts byagghehi vā khajjamānaṁ, dīpīhi vā khajjamānaṁ, siṅgālehi; eaten by tigers, eaten by leopards. vā khajjamānaṁ,
or being eaten by dogs, or being eaten by jackals,

vividhehi vā pāṇakajātehi khajjamānaṁ.
or being eaten by various kinds of worms.

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

‘Ayam-pi kho kāyo evaṁdhammo evaṁbhāvī etaṁ anatīto’ ti.
‘This body also has such a nature, has such a constitution, has not gone beyond this.’

* * *

Tassa evaṁ appamattassa Thai, ChS, abbreviate with ...pe... until evam-pi bhikkhave below. 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