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- Majjhima Nikaya 119
- Kayagata-sati Sutta
- Mindfulness Immersed in the Body
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Savatthi
at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that time a large
number of monks, after the meal, on returning from their alms round, had gathered at the
meeting hall when this discussion arose: "Isn't it amazing, friends! Isn't it
astounding! -- the extent to which mindfulness immersed in the body, when developed &
pursued, is said by the Blessed One who knows, who sees -- the worthy one, rightly
self-awakened -- to be of great fruit & great benefit." And this discussion came
to no conclusion.
Then the Blessed One, emerging from his seclusion in the late afternoon, went to the
meeting hall and, on arrival, sat down on a seat made ready. As he sat down there, he
addressed the monks: "For what topic are you gathered together here? And what was the
discussion that came to no conclusion?"
"Just now, lord, after the meal, on returning from our alms round, we gathered at
the meeting hall when this discussion arose: 'Isn't it amazing, friends! Isn't it
astounding! -- the extent to which mindfulness immersed in the body, when developed &
pursued, is said by the Blessed One who knows, who sees -- the worthy one, rightly
self-awakened -- to be of great fruit & great benefit.' This was the discussion that
had come to no conclusion when the Blessed One arrived."
[The Blessed One said:] "And how is mindfulness immersed in the body developed,
how is it pursued, so as to be of great fruit & great benefit?
"There is the case where a monk -- having gone to the
wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building -- sits down folding his legs
crosswise, holding his body erect and setting mindfulness to the fore. Always mindful, he
breathes in; mindful he breathes out.
"Breathing in long, he discerns that he is breathing in long; or breathing out
long, he discerns that he is breathing out long. Or breathing in short, he discerns that
he is breathing in short; or breathing out short, he discerns that he is breathing out
short. He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to the entire body and to breathe out
sensitive to the entire body. He trains himself to breathe in calming bodily fabrication
(the breath) and to breathe out calming bodily fabrication. And as he remains thus
heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves related to the household life
are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers & settles inwardly, grows
unified & centered. This is how a monk develops mindfulness immersed in the body.
"Furthermore, when walking, the monk discerns that he is walking. When standing,
he discerns that he is standing. When sitting, he discerns that he is sitting. When lying
down, he discerns that he is lying down. Or however his body is disposed, that is how he
discerns it. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories &
resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind
gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
"Furthermore, when going forward & returning, he makes himself fully alert;
when looking toward & looking away...when bending & extending his limbs...when
carrying his outer cloak, his upper robe & his bowl...when eating, drinking, chewing,
& savoring...when urinating & defecating...when walking, standing, sitting,
falling asleep, waking up, talking, & remaining silent, he makes himself fully alert.
And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves
related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers
& settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
"Furthermore, the monk reflects on this very body from the soles of the feet on
up, from the crown of the head on down, surrounded by skin and full of various kinds of
unclean things: 'In this body there are head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh,
tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large
intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears,
skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints, urine.' Just as if a sack
with openings at both ends were full of various kinds of grain -- wheat, rice, mung beans,
kidney beans, sesame seeds, husked rice -- and a man with good eyesight, pouring it out,
were to reflect, 'This is wheat. This is rice. These are mung beans. These are kidney
beans. These are sesame seeds. This is husked rice'; in the same way, the monk reflects on
this very body from the soles of the feet on up, from the crown of the head on down,
surrounded by skin and full of various kinds of unclean things: 'In this body there are
head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys,
heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces,
bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints,
urine.' And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories &
resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind
gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
"Furthermore, the monk contemplates this very body -- however it stands, however
it is disposed -- in terms of properties: 'In this body there is the earth property, the
liquid property, the fire property, & the wind property.' Just as a
skilled butcher or his apprentice, having killed a cow, would sit at a crossroads cutting
it up into pieces, the monk contemplates this very body -- however it stands, however it
is disposed -- in terms of properties: 'In this body there is the earth property, the
liquid property, the fire property, & the wind property.' And as he remains thus
heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves related to the household life
are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers & settles inwardly, grows
unified & centered. This is how a monk develops mindfulness immersed in the body.
"Furthermore, as if he were to see a corpse cast away in a charnel ground -- one
day, two days, three days dead -- bloated, livid, & festering, he applies it to this
very body, 'This body, too: Such is its nature, such is its future, such its unavoidable
fate'...
"Or again, as if he were to see a corpse cast away in a charnel ground, picked at
by crows, vultures, & hawks, by dogs, hyenas, & various other creatures...a
skeleton smeared with flesh & blood, connected with tendons...a fleshless skeleton
smeared with blood, connected with tendons...a skeleton without flesh or blood, connected
with tendons...bones detached from their tendons, scattered in all directions -- here a
hand bone, there a foot bone, here a shin bone, there a thigh bone, here a hip bone, there
a back bone, here a rib, there a chest bone, here a shoulder bone, there a neck bone, here
a jaw bone, there a tooth, here a skull...the bones whitened, somewhat like the color of
shells...piled up, more than a year old...decomposed into a powder: He applies it to this
very body, 'This body, too: Such is its nature, such is its future, such its unavoidable
fate.'
"And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories &
resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind
gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
(The Four Jhanas)
"Furthermore, quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful
mental qualities, he enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born
from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. He permeates &
pervades, suffuses & fills this very body with the rapture & pleasure born from
withdrawal. Just as if a skilled bathman or bathman's apprentice
would pour bath powder into a brass basin and knead it together, sprinkling it again &
again with water, so that his ball of bath powder -- saturated, moisture-laden, permeated
within & without -- would nevertheless not drip; even so, the monk permeates...this
very body with the rapture & pleasure born of withdrawal. There is nothing of his
entire body unpervaded by rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal. And as he remains
thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves related to the household
life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers & settles inwardly,
grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops mindfulness immersed in the
body.
"And furthermore, with the stilling of directed thought & evaluation, he
enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure,
unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation -- internal
assurance. He permeates & pervades, suffuses & fills this very body with the
rapture & pleasure born of composure. Just like a lake with
spring-water welling up from within, having no inflow from the east, west, north, or
south, and with the skies supplying abundant showers time & again, so that the cool
fount of water welling up from within the lake would permeate & pervade, suffuse &
fill it with cool waters, there being no part of the lake unpervaded by the cool waters;
even so, the monk permeates...this very body with the rapture & pleasure born of
composure. There is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by rapture & pleasure born
of composure. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories &
resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind
gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
"And furthermore, with the fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, mindful
& alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters & remains in the third
jhana, of which the noble ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable
abiding.' He permeates & pervades, suffuses & fills this very body with the
pleasure divested of rapture. Just as in a lotus pond, some of the
lotuses, born & growing in the water, stay immersed in the water and flourish without
standing up out of the water, so that they are permeated & pervaded, suffused &
filled with cool water from their roots to their tips, and nothing of those lotuses would
be unpervaded with cool water; even so, the monk permeates...this very body with the
pleasure divested of rapture. There is nothing of his entire body unpervaded with pleasure
divested of rapture. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories
& resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his
mind gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk
develops mindfulness immersed in the body.
"And furthermore, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the
earlier disappearance of elation & distress -- he enters & remains in the fourth
jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain. He sits,
permeating the body with a pure, bright awareness. Just as if a man were sitting covered
from head to foot with a white cloth so that there would be no part of his body to which
the white cloth did not extend; even so, the monk sits, permeating the body with a pure,
bright awareness. There is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by pure, bright
awareness. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories &
resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind
gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops
mindfulness immersed in the body.
(Fullness of Mind)
"Monks, whoever develops & pursues mindfulness immersed in the body
encompasses whatever skillful qualities are on the side of clear knowing. Just as whoever
pervades the great ocean with his awareness encompasses whatever rivulets flow down into
the ocean, in the same way, whoever develops & pursues mindfulness immersed in the
body encompasses whatever skillful qualities are on the side of clear knowing.
"In whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed, not pursued, Mara
gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.
"Suppose that a man were to throw a heavy stone ball into a
pile of wet clay. What do you think, monks -- would the heavy stone ball gain entry into
the pile of wet clay?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed,
not pursued, Mara gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.
"Now, suppose that there were a dry, sapless piece of
timber, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a
fire. I'll produce heat.' What do you think -- would he be able to light a fire and
produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the dry, sapless piece of timber?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed,
not pursued, Mara gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.
"Now, suppose that there were an empty, hollow water-pot set on
a stand, and a man were to come along carrying a load of water. What do you think -- would
he get a place to put his water?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed,
not pursued, Mara gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.
"Now, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is developed, is pursued, Mara
gains no entry, Mara gains no foothold. Suppose that a man were to
throw a ball of string against a door panel made entirely of heartwood. What do you think
-- would that light ball of string gain entry into that door panel made entirely of
heartwood?"
"No, venerable sir."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is developed, is
pursued, Mara gains no entry, Mara gains no foothold.
"Now, suppose that there were a wet, sappy piece of timber,
and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll
produce heat.' What do you think -- would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by
rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy piece of timber?"
"No, venerable sir."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is developed, is
pursued, Mara gains no entry, Mara gains no foothold.
"Now, suppose that there were a water-pot set on a stand,
full of water up to the brim so that crows could drink out of it, and a man were to come
along carrying a load of water. What do you think -- would he get a place to put his
water?"
"No, lord."
"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is developed, is
pursued, Mara gains no entry, Mara gains no foothold.
(An Opening to the Higher Knowledges)
"When anyone has developed & pursued mindfulness immersed in the body, then
whichever of the six higher knowledges he turns his mind to know & realize, he can
witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose that there were a water jar, set on a stand, brimful of
water so that a crow could drink from it. If a strong man were to tip it in any way at
all, would water spill out?"
"Yes, lord."
"In the same way, when anyone has developed & pursued mindfulness immersed in
the body, then whichever of the six higher knowledges he turns his mind to know &
realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose there were a rectangular water tank -- set on level
ground, bounded by dikes -- brimful of water so that a crow could drink from it. If a
strong man were to loosen the dikes anywhere at all, would water spill out?"
"Yes, lord."
"In the same way, when anyone has developed & pursued mindfulness immersed in
the body, then whichever of the six higher knowledges he turns his mind to know &
realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose there were a chariot on level ground at four
crossroads, harnessed to thoroughbreds, waiting with whips lying ready, so that a skilled
driver, a trainer of tamable horses, might mount and -- taking the reins with his left
hand and the whip with his right -- drive out & back, to whatever place & by
whichever road he liked; in the same way, when anyone has developed & pursued
mindfulness immersed in the body, then whichever of the six higher knowledges he turns his
mind to know & realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.
"Monks, for one in whom mindfulness immersed in the body is cultivated, developed,
pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, &
well-undertaken, ten benefits can be expected. Which ten?
"[1] He conquers displeasure & delight, and displeasure does not conquer him.
He remains victorious over any displeasure that has arisen.
"[2] He conquers fear & dread, and fear & dread do not conquer him. He
remains victorious over any fear & dread that have arisen.
"[3] He is resistant to cold, heat, hunger, thirst, the touch of gadflies &
mosquitoes, wind & sun & creeping things; to abusive, hurtful language; he is the
sort that can endure bodily feelings that, when they arise, are painful, sharp, stabbing,
fierce, distasteful, disagreeable, deadly.
"[4] He can attain at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhanas --
heightened mental states providing a pleasant abiding in the here & now.
"[5] He wields manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many;
having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls,
ramparts, & mountains as if through space. He dives in & out of the earth as if it
were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting crosslegged
he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches & strokes even
the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as
far as the Brahma worlds.
"[6] He hears -- by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the
human -- both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far.
"[7] He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed
it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a
mind without passion as a mind without passion. He discerns a mind with aversion as a mind
with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion. He discerns a mind
with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without
delusion. He discerns a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a scattered mind as a
scattered mind. He discerns an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind
as an unenlarged mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one that is not at the most excellent
level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. He discerns a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated
mind. He discerns a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an
unreleased mind.
"[8] He recollects his manifold past lives (lit: previous homes), i.e., one birth,
two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one
thousand, one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic
expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction & expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my
experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state,
I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an
appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of
my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus he remembers his manifold
past lives in their modes & details.
"[9] He sees -- by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human --
beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior &
superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma: 'These beings -- who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who
reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of
wrong views -- with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane
of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings -- who
were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not revile the noble
ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views --
with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in
the heavenly world.' Thus -- by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the
human -- he sees beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are
inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance
with their kamma.
"[10] Through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free
release of awareness & release of discernment, having known and made them manifest for
himself right in the here & now.
"Monks, for one in whom mindfulness immersed in the body is cultivated, developed,
pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, &
well-undertaken, these ten benefits can be expected."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's
words.