The nine charnel ground contemplations ⏳
The nine charnel ground contemplations are exercises of the contemplation of body. The exercises involve the contemplation of corpses in different stages of decomposition. The Buddha explains the exercise as follows:
“Again, monks, as though he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter, a monk compares this same body with it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.””
“Again, as though he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various kinds of worms, a monk compares this same body with it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’”
“Again, as though he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together with sinews…a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood, held together with sinews … a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together with sinews … [or] disconnected bones scattered in all directions … a monk compares this same body with it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’”
“Again, as though he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, bones bleached white, the color of shells … bones heaped up … bones more than a year old, rotted and crumbled to dust, a monk compares this same body with it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’”
References
- Majjhima Nikaya 10: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta; I 55–63
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Type:🔵 Tags: Philosophy / Psychology / Yoga Status:☀️