Kāyagatāsatisuttaṁ
The Discourse about Mindfulness related to the Body

The First Absorption

Puna ca paraṁ bhikkhave bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi, ChS abbreviates with ...pe... up to paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ. vivicca akusalehi dhammehi,
Moreover, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome things,

savitakkaṁ, savicāraṁ, vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ,
having thinking, reflection, and the happiness and joy born of seclusion,

paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ PTS: paṭhamajjhānaṁ, sandhi form, similarly with the other jhānā below. upasampajja viharati.
dwells having attained the first absorption.

So imam-eva kāyaṁ vivekajena pītisukhena abhisandeti,
He floods his very own body all through with the happiness and joy born of seclusion,

parisandeti Thai: abhisanneti, parisanneti, throughout, etymologically derived from root syad, so we would expect the -d-. paripūreti parippharati,
he floods it all round, completely fills it, and completely suffuses it,

nāssa kiñci sabbāvato kāyassa vivekajena pītisukhena apphuṭaṁ PTS, Thai: apphutaṁ, alternate form, also below. hoti.
so that there is no part of his body that is unpervaded by the happiness and joy born of seclusion.

Seyyathā pi bhikkhave dakkho nahāpako ChS: nhāpako, minus the epenthetic vowel, similarly with all related words below. vā nahāpakantevāsī vā,
Just as if, monks, a clever bath attendant or bath attendant’s apprentice,

kaṁsathāle nahānīyacuṇṇāni PTS: nahāniya-, showing the i/ī alternation. ākiritvā Thai: ākīritvā, possibly a printer’s error. udakena,
having sprinkled bath-powder on a brass plate with water,

paripphosakaṁ paripphosakaṁ sanneyya sāssa ChS: sāyaṁ, I cannot see what this could mean. nahānīyapiṇḍi, BJT, PTS, ChS: nahānīyapiṇḍī, plural form.
would knead his bathing ball until it has become completely drenched, Repetition of a word in Pāḷi may express completion as here.

snehānugatā Thai: snehānuggatā, but gemination is not justified in this wor. snehaparetā PTS: snehapparetā, but gemination is not justified in this word. santarabāhirā phuṭṭhā, PTS: phutā; ChS: phuṭā and similarly below, the form this word takes is confused in the texts. snehena na ca pagghariṇī. Thai: paggharinī, showing the n/ṇ alternation.
soapy and slippery to the touch both inside and outside, but (still) it does not overflow with soap.

Evam-eva kho bhikkhave bhikkhu
Even so, monks, a monk

imam-eva kāyaṁ vivekajena pītisukhena abhisandeti,
floods his very own body all through with the happiness and joy born of seclusion,

parisandeti paripūreti parippharati,
he floods it all round, completely fills it, and completely suffuses it,

nāssa kiñci sabbāvato kāyassa vivekajena pītisukhena apphuṭaṁ hoti.
so that there is no part of his body unpervaded by the happiness and joy born of seclusion.

* * *

Tassa evaṁ appamattassa PTS abbreviates: Tassa evaṁ appamattassa ... satiṁ bhāveti, and similarly below; and Thai, ChS abbreviate Tassa evaṁ appamattassa ... evam-pi bhikkhave kāyagataṁ (ChS: kāyagatā) satiṁ bhāveti. 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