The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma
The Application of Mindfulness of the Body

At this point the Blessed One resided in the brahmin town of Nālati. [F.110.a] The Blessed One then addressed the monks: “Monks, I shall explain to you what is known as The Application of Mindfulness of the Body. I shall explain to you that which is virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end; that which exclusively consists of excellent meanings and excellent words; and a pure sort of conduct that is complete, pristine, and perfect. Such is the Dharma teaching known as The Application of Mindfulness of the Body. Pay full attention and listen well; I shall explain.” When the Blessed One had spoken these words, the monks listened accordingly.

The Blessed One then spoke to them: “Monks, what is the Dharma teaching called The Application of Mindfulness of the Body? A monk who carefully considers the body and attends to it is not within the realm of the māras. He also relinquishes the afflictions. He sees the body correctly. He realizes wakefulness and is liberated within the transcendence of suffering. This is what I proclaim.

“Monks who consider the body correctly will not be disturbed by improper mental acts. They become free from the afflictions. The body comprises all these things: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind that are of an inner nature, along with external form, taste, smell, texture, sound, and phenomena. If one carefully considers the body and attends to what is of an inner nature, one will eventually transcend suffering. In this regard, when a monk sees a form by means of the eye, he does not give rise to thoughts about it and he does not consider the form in a state of mind that involves lustful desire. The body contains hair, body hair, nails, bones, skin, blood, sinew, consumed food, eyebrows, phlegm, bile, [F.110.b] air, intestines, the colon, the anus, lungs, flesh, fat, semen, lymph, pus, the brain membrane, and the brain.

“When one is mindful of the body one will not be ruined by forms, tastes, smells, textures, sounds, mental phenomena, or external phenomena. The eyes will from the very beginning see forms correctly. How do spiritual practitioners correctly see the physical eye that is a transformation of the four great elements? The physical eye that is of an internal nature has a slight degree of solidity and firmness. That is what is known as the earth element of the physical eye that is of an internal nature. The physical eye that is of an internal nature also contains a distinct element of water, which is wet and fluid. Thereby the eye retains moisture. That is what is known as the water element of the physical eye that is of an internal nature. The physical eye that is of an internal nature also contains a distinct element of fire, which is warmth and heat. Thereby the eye retains warmth. That is what is known as the fire element of the physical eye that is of an internal nature. The physical eye that is of an internal nature also contains a distinct element of wind and air, thus yielding movement. That is what is known as the wind element of the physical eye that is of an internal nature. In the same way that a monk thus understands the eye correctly, he also discerns the ear, nose, tongue, and body. And a monk who regards the body in this way will not be bound by any craving that involves lustful desire.

“Moreover, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will think, [F.111.a] ‘Moment by moment, my body is born, ages, dies, undergoes transmigration, and is reborn. It is illusory, hollow, empty, insubstantial like foam, like bursting bubbles, and painful. It is a locus of suffering. It is a source of suffering. There is nothing there that is not painful, impermanent, and utterly changeable. There is nothing whatsoever in this body that is not subject to destruction.’

“As he continues to discern the body correctly, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then think, ‘What is the refuge; who is the savior? This body grows from karmic actions. Therefore, karmic actions are the refuge, they are the savior. When endowed with virtuous actions, one is born a god or a human, but when possessing unvirtuous actions, one takes birth as a hell being, starving spirit, or animal. This body has no substance and contains nothing that is clean. It has no essence and contains nothing that is permanent or stable.’ With this understanding, he will give up any craving that involves lustful desire.

“The spiritual practitioner who understands the eye correctly will also ask himself, ‘Are the forms, appearances, and spaces that are seen by the eye of humans in Jambudvīpa the same as those seen by the eyes of humans elsewhere?’

“Considering this question well, he will regard the matter by means of knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye. In this way, he will recognize that for humans in Jambudvīpa, the perception of form takes place through the conditions of their eyes, forms, light, space, and mental activity. [F.111.b] Likewise, humans on the northern continent of Kuru may see forms while traveling through and remaining in the sky. Similar to the perception of fish that live in water, humans in Kuru in the north see forms in a way that is obscured according to their particular class.

“Continuing to examine the bodies of humans in Kuru by means of his body in Jambudvīpa, the spiritual practitioner will then ask himself, ‘The sounds that my ears can hear may be unpleasant or clear, but I do not register sounds when there is an obstruction. I hear sounds when they are loud. But is it the same for humans in Kuru in the north?’ When he thus examines hearing correctly, he will notice that due to their unique situation the people on Kuru in the north hear sounds whether they are nearby, distant, weak, pleasant, or unpleasant. They hear in a way that resembles the way the sun shines on all things whether they are nearby, distant, common, inferior, clean, or unclean. Humans in Kuru in the north hear sounds in a manner similar to that.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then ask himself, ‘Is the olfactory faculty of humans in Jambudvīpa similar to that of the humans in Kuru in the north?’ As he examines this question with knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice how their unique situation causes humans in Kuru to register only pleasant smells, and not foul ones. This resembles the way a swan that is fed milk mixed with water will drink only the milk, and not the water. Similarly, humans in Kuru in the north register only delightful fragrances and not any unpleasant smells.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then ask himself whether the way taste is experienced by humans in Jambudvīpa is shared by the humans of Kuru. [F.112.a] With the help of knowledge derived from hearing or by means of the pure divine eye, he will then notice that while the bodies of humans in Jambudvīpa are sustained by foods that may be either superior, intermediate, or inferior, the situation of humans in Kuru in the north is not like that. Humans in Kuru do not have any sense of ownership and they constantly engage in virtuous actions. Without thinking themselves owners, they all experience one taste only. This is unlike the human context in Jambudvīpa.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether the form of the body of a human in Jambudvīpa is the same as that of a human in Kuru in the north. With the help of knowledge derived from hearing or by means of divine eye, he will then notice that, while the humans in Jambudvīpa have bodies of many different kinds, that is not the case with the humans in Kuru, who are all born based on similar actions. They therefore all have the same physical form and appearance, displaying a color that is like gold from the Jambu River. Their bodies are all large, and not rough but soft and attractive. In this way, they differ from the bodies of humans in Jambudvīpa. Humans in Jambudvīpa are not all born based on the same type of actions and they therefore also have different types of bodies, not just one and the same.

“When he has considered those two human realms, the spiritual practitioner will next examine a third, namely Videha in the east. Through knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that while Videha in the east indeed is home to humans, just like Jambudvīpa and Kuru in the north, their perception of form is unlike that of humans in Jambudvīpa, because they do not see frightening sights, such as dogs, tigers, birds of prey, or rats. [F.112.b] Also, humans in Videha in the east see forms even in the dark. In this way, they notice the various subtle and crude forms that come into their visual field.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether humans in Videha in the east hear sounds in the same way as humans in Jambudvīpa. Through knowledge derived from hearing or by means of a divine eye, he will then notice that the humans in Videha in the east hear sounds in a way that is different from both humans in Jambudvīpa and Kuru in the north. Due to their unique situation, the aural consciousness of humans in Videha in the east registers only sounds within the distance of an arrowshot.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the bodies of the humans in these three realms will also ask himself whether the olfactory consciousness of humans in Videha in the east registers smells in the same way as humans in Jambudvīpa or Kuru in the north. Through knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that due to their unique situation, the olfactory consciousness of humans in Videha in the east registers scents only during the day.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether the gustatory consciousness of humans in Videha functions in the same way as that of humans in Jambudvīpa or Kuru in the north. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that when humans in Videha in the east consume a single meal of rice, it sustains their bodies for a period of three days. [F.113.a] Also, due to their unique situation, these humans live free from disease. Sickness sets in only during the final five days of their lives.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether the bodies of the humans in Videha in the east are just like those of humans in Jambudvīpa or Kuru in the north. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the bodies of humans in Videha in the east cast large shadows over their surroundings, like a nyagrodha tree.

“When the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it has examined those three human realms, he will next examine a fourth, namely Godānīya. Wondering how the eye functions in Godānīya, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye and notice that the visual consciousness of humans in Godānīya functions even in the absence of open space, and thus they can even see through a mountain. Just as humans in Jambudvīpa can see appearances through a crystal, the people in Godānīya can see forms even through a mountain on account of their unique situation.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether the aural consciousness of humans in Godānīya functions in the same way as that of humans in Jambudvīpa, Kuru in the north, or Videha in the east. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the humans in Godānīya hear with their eyes. Just as the snakes in Jambudvīpa hear with their eyes, so the humans in Godānīya likewise use their eyes for hearing. Just as they can see forms through a mountain, they can also hear sounds even if they occur behind a mountain, on account of their unique situation. [F.113.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself whether the olfactory consciousness of humans in Godānīya functions through a distinct faculty‍—the eyes and the rest‍— as is the case with the humans in Jambudvīpa, Kuru in the north, and Videha in the east. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that when their eyes see something, such a flower, they also perceive its scent. Due their unique situation, their eyes also perceive the smell of the things they see.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the functioning of the gustatory consciousness of humans in Godānīya. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the humans of Godānīya eat sāmakā570 for food and always drink cow’s yogurt, milk, and buttermilk. Moreover, the milk, yogurt, and buttermilk that the humans in Godānīya partake of is similar to the molasses wine, grape wine, sweet wine, and distilled wine that the humans in Jambudvīpa enjoy. And just as people in Jambudvīpa are satisfied by rice, those in Godānīya are satisfied by sāmakā.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the bodies of the people in Godānīya. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that their bodies are as tall as palmyra palms, thus appearing in a form that accords with their particular karmic actions.

“When in this way the spiritual practitioner examines the four human abodes‍—looking for identical or similar mind states, births, or supports‍—he finds nothing that is the same, neither through knowledge derived from hearing nor by seeing with the divine eye. [F.114.a] Carefully considering the body, he recognizes that in those four human abodes the mind states, births, and supports do not resemble one another.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder whether in any place or region within those four human abodes there may be some people who are not experiencing their actions, who are not born according to their actions, and who do not live according to their actions. He will then fail to find any people who are not experiencing their actions, who are not born according to their actions, and who do not live according to their actions. Their actions may be virtuous or unvirtuous, yet everyone is experiencing their karmic actions. There are no aggregates that are not either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.

“As the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body in this way, he will also wonder about the bodies of the gods who experience the effects of positive actions, and about the ways that the gods possess and enjoy their heavenly sense pleasures. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the way the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings possess the five types of heavenly sense pleasures. Insatiably, their eyes enjoy divine forms, perceiving all the subtle and coarse forms within ten thousand leagues by seeing with the divine eye they are born with. If they engage in miraculous feats, they may also produce an eye capable of seeing forms even at a distance of many thousands of leagues. [F.114.b] The monk will see that among the gods, who possess the power of former positive actions, those who belong to the Heaven of the Four Great Kings live lives that are desirable, attractive, and delightful.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself how the ears of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings hear sounds. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that all the sounds they hear are desirable, attractive, and delightful, and that the ears they are born with register sounds within three thousand leagues. When they engage in miraculous feats, they may even develop the ability to hear sounds within twenty thousand leagues, and all the sounds will still be desirable, attractive, and delightful.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself how the noses of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings register smells. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the noses of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings sense smells within two hundred thousand leagues. By engaging in miraculous feats, they may even develop the ability to apprehend smells within one hundred thousand leagues.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself how the tongues of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings register tastes. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the tongues of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings exclusively register superior tastes that are attractive, delightful, and pleasurable. These gods partake insatiably of tastes that are created by their own former positive actions.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the relative subtlety, coarseness, and agility of the bodies of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings. [F.115.a] With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that even if five hundred gods reside on the same lotus flower, their extremely subtle bodies will not touch each other or feel uncomfortable. This is due to the splendor of the divine substance of the gods. For example, if five hundred butter lamps are lit within a house, the flames of the lamps will not obstruct or impede one another. Similarly, when the gods reside in their perfect palaces, they neither harm nor impede one another. The gods can also emanate coarse bodies that can measure many hundreds of leagues and be either beautiful or ugly, or frightening or heartwarming to look at.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the speed of the gods’ movements. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the gods at times move swiftly. If they apply their miraculous powers, they may travel across many hundreds of thousands of leagues and return again all in the wink of an eye. They can also travel unimpededly wherever they wish. Whatever enjoyment they may wish to pursue, they will also achieve that in perfect measure. Once they have obtained something, that cannot be robbed or taken into the possession of others. Likewise, any object they may attain cannot be ruined or damaged by others. [F.115.b] So, their divine objects only increase throughout day and night. Their former positive deeds always provide them with a perfect abundance of sense pleasures. This is always the case. This is how the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the bodies of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and the way those gods experience their objects. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that compared to the pleasures of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and fragrances of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three are a thousand times more enjoyable. Why is that? Because compared to the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, those in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three have engaged in actions that are far more desirable, vast, delightful, beautiful, and superior. And why is that? The pleasures of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings are incomparable because of the sublime character of the former positive actions of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. This is how the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body and attends to it in detail.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder about the character of the bodies of beings in the hells. With insight derived from hearing, or by seeing with the divine eye, he will examine the inhabitants of the great hells of Reviving, Black Line, Crushing, Howling, Great Howling, Heat, Intense Heat, and Ultimate Torment, and will notice that they are born in those realms due to completed and accumulated actions of the three kinds‍—meaning actions of body, speech, and mind‍—that are unattractive, ugly, and unpleasant. [F.116.a] The reason for this is that, until they have been experienced, there is no way to be free from completed and accumulated negative actions.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then wonder what actions make beings take birth in those hells. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that by engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, one is born in the Reviving Hell. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing and stealing, one is born in the Black Line Hell. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, one is born in the Crushing Hell. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, one is born in the Howling Hell. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and causing people who observe vows to drink alcohol and wine, one is born in the Great Howling Hell. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, causing people who observe vows to drink alcohol and wine, and having wrong views, one is born in the Hell of Heat. By engaging in, becoming habituated to, and increasing acts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, offering alcohol and wine to people who observe vows, having wrong views, and defiling monks or nuns, one is born in the Hell of Intense Heat. Five actions that lead to hell produce birth in the hell of Ultimate Torment. [F.116.b] Those are patricide, matricide, killing a worthy one, causing a rift in the saṅgha, and maliciously drawing blood from a blessed buddha. Those acts bring birth in the hell of Ultimate Torment. Thinking about the ripening of actions experienced by the beings in hell, he will develop loving affection for sentient beings.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then wonder about those beings who live as starving spirits. As the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body, he will use knowledge derived from hearing or see by means of the divine eye. Doing so, he will perceive how, due to various forms of stinginess, the starving spirits571 are born five hundred leagues below the earth where they suffer intensely from the miseries related to a lack of food, intense distress,572 mutual predation, starvation, thirst, and scorching rains of fire. These beings have all taken birth according to their actions, experience the result of their actions, and live lives governed by their actions. In this way, he will observe how the starving spirits undergo such terrible sufferings.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then also examine the animal realm. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will see the multitudes of animals. In short, he will notice the animals of the three environments: those that live in water, such as fish; those that live on dry land, such as elephants, horses, cows, buffalo, deer, and pigs; and also the many animals that traverse the skies.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will use his eyesight, or insight derived from hearing, or seeing with the divine eye to examine the various modes by which animals take birth. [F.117.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that animals are born in four ways: (1) pigs, cows, buffalo, elephants, horses, and the like are born from a womb; (2) snakes, geese, quail, domestic fowl, ravens, and so on are born from an egg; (3) lice, bedbugs, and the like are born from warmth and moisture; and (4) the long-faced nāgas, to give one example, are born miraculously. In this way, he will see the animals correctly.

“Throughout the three contexts, all that is attractive and delightful will eventually be lost, disappear, disperse, and come to nothing. All that living beings consider agreeable, disagreeable, or neutral must eventually be abandoned. Everyone must die and take rebirth, again and again. There is no one in the realms of hell beings, starving spirits, animals, or anywhere else, to whom this does not apply. Monks, this cyclic existence is nothing to wish for. It is entirely joyless, unattractive, unpleasant, deceptive, and subject to destruction. All beings experience exceptional suffering. Monks, you should therefore free yourselves from desire for the realms of cyclic existence. They are meaningless, deceptive, and terrifying. They are impermanent, painful, dark, and trivial. As fast as you can, free yourselves from all this.”

Following these instructions, the brahmins, householders, and monks in the town of Nālati carefully considered their bodies and attended to them, [F.117.b] and they correctly perceived the external body by means of the internal body. How then did the brahmins, householders, and monks in the town of Nālati carefully consider and attend to the internal body? They correctly saw how the internal body contained a mass of various unclean elements. Repeatedly examining and investigating the body from head to toe, they carefully considered the body.

“When the spiritual practitioner begins such an investigation, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then make the following observations: ‘The skull that houses my brain, which has four parts, is made of four bone sections. It is home to various worms that live off the brain. Among these, the cranium dwellers feed on the brain, for they live within the cranium and eat off the brain. Such worms move and reside within the cranium. They are of that kind and subsist on such sustenance. The hair consumer worms live outside the cranium and consume the hair follicles on the head. Once they have consumed the greater part of a follicle, the respective hair will fall out. The worm called the ear occupier lives in the ears. It is born in the ears and lives off them, and when they become aggressive, they cause pain and disease in the ears. The mucus dweller lives in the nose. It is born there and lives off the nose. When it becomes aggressive, it consumes what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted. From my nose, these worms may also transfer into the cranium and feed on the brain. When that happens, I suffer from a loss of appetite. The worm called fat dweller lives inside my head. [F.118.a] It is born there and lives off it, and when it becomes aggressive, it causes the head to become slanted. The worm called the joint dweller also lives in my body. It is born between the jaws and feeds on them. It sometimes crawls out of the ears and, when it becomes aggressive, it chews on them and pierces one’s face like a needle. The mucus eater worm lives in the cavities that absorb the taste of food and at the root of the tongue. It is born there and eats from its environments, and when it becomes aggressive, it causes my mouth to become dry. There are also worms that live by the roots of the teeth. When this dental-root eater becomes aggressive, it causes a toothache.’ In this way, the spiritual practitioner carefully considers and attends to the internal body.573 He will think, ‘There are ten species of worms living in my head.’

“Carefully considering his body that consists of cranium, flesh, and various inner elements, the spiritual practitioner will wonder how much bone and flesh is contained in one’s head. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the cranium has four parts, the cheekbones have three, the chin bone has one, the bones of the dental roots have thirty-two, the palate bone has two, and the neck bones have fifteen.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to his own body will also examine the flesh that his head contains and the way it increases with food consumption. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will understand that his cranium contains four pieces of flesh, while his cheeks have two, and the space in between the skull bones has one. The throat, nose, and tongue are individual pieces. The lips make up two, as do the earlobes. [F.118.b] Considering this, he will think, ‘I possess these lumps of flesh, which grow and expand in accordance with my consumption of food.’

“There are also ten kinds of worms that occupy one’s throat. Those that live from filth in the mouth, those that cause spit production, and those that cause vomiting all cause fluids to move within the ten channels of the throat. There are also the worms that become intoxicated by sweetness, those utterly intoxicated, those that crave for the six tastes, those that cry out, those that are opposed to taste, those that enjoy sleeping, and the bulky ones.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder, ‘How and where in my body do the worms cause disease or preserve health?’ With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the spit-producing worms live in the upper part of the throat. The moment when the molar teeth grind food so that it descends into the stomach, the food is covered in nauseating impurities that flow from the brain membrane. However, the worms consume those impurities that are covered with mucus. These worms can grow to a very large size, thus causing cough due to phlegm. The worms are born in the throat due to foods that are fatty, sweet, very sweet, not very sour, and very cold.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also wonder, ‘Does the spit-producing worm promote well-being or give rise to poor health?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, [F.119.a] ‘The spit-producing worms live in my throat. If they remain in their natural condition, the nauseating impurities on my food mentioned previously will not occur. I will feel good as the food descends into the ten streams of vital fluids. For example, if phlegm increases, I will not remain healthy, but these worms will suck up any such excess phlegmatic fluid.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also ask himself, ‘How do the worms that cause vomiting affect my health and how does food remain in my body?’ When the worms that cause vomiting enter the ten streams of vital fluids, they reach the center of the throat. At that point, they may cause the flow to momentarily shift upward and emerge. Five factors cause vomiting of what was consumed: wind, bile, phlegm, contraction, and pungency. When the worms remain in their natural location, the worms will, as mentioned before, descend to the lower part of the stomach, where they function to digest and liquefy my food.’

“Wondering how the vomit-inducing worms produce vomiting through the circumstance of wind, the spiritual practitioner will employ insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then understand, ‘This occurs through lightness, cooling, roughness, momentary constipation, or lack of sleep. When the winds rise from the cavities of my throat, my vomit-inducing worms will transfer from their abode. That is how vomiting occurs due to wind.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will ask himself, ‘How do my vomit-inducing worms stimulate vomiting due to bile?’ [F.119.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then understand, ‘When a lot of spicy, warm, salty, or pungent food is consumed, such food harms the worms that cause vomiting. As a result, they wriggle upward, which causes me to vomit due to bile.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself, ‘How does vomiting occur due to phlegm?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then understand, ‘Imbalances of phlegm occur when one indulges in sweet, cold, heavy, fatty, or feeble foods, and if one sleeps continually during the day and night. Such imbalances cause a proliferation of the vomit-inducing worms, thus causing illnesses in my throat as well as vomiting. In this way, vomiting may also occur due to phlegm.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself, ‘How do my vomit-inducing worms cause vomiting due to contraction?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that by indulging in food that is cool, bitter, spicy, sour, salty, sugary, cold, sweet, or oily, one’s vomit-inducing worms will want to expel it from the throat. There will then be vomiting due to the three flaws.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will also ask himself, ‘How do my vomit-inducing worms stimulate vomiting due to flies?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see how the excrement of flies may stir the vomit-inducing worms within the throat. That will in turn trigger vomiting.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it [F.120.a] will then use insight derived from hearing, or see with the divine eye, to perceive as follows: ‘My worms that are intoxicated by sweetness are found everywhere from the tip of my tongue all the way to the channel where the life force moves. They are extremely subtle, have no limbs, and wriggle along. If I eat tasty food, the worms intoxicated by sweetness will flourish through that food, but if I eat unpleasant food, they will degenerate. They feed in a way that is comparable to the way bees visit flowers to drink from the subtle nectars. Similarly, the worms that are intoxicated by sweetness become pleased and satisfied by the extremely subtle forms of sustenance found in my food. Moreover, the foods that I relish are precisely those that the worms intoxicated by sweetness relish, and the foods that increase my well-being are exclusively those that increase the well-being of the worms intoxicated by sweetness. If I do not eat, my worms intoxicated by sweetness will become sick.’ In this way he examines this unpleasant species of worm that is intoxicated by sweetness.

“Next, wondering whether the utterly intoxicated worm causes health or imbalance, the spiritual practitioner will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice that the utterly intoxicated worms live at the roots of the eye sockets. If they move to the joints of the neck bone, this will make him feel angry or unhappy. They cause the flesh of the throat to swell and they may invade the throat like ants and take possession of it. When they remain in their own place, such ailments will not occur.

“When in this way he has examined the utterly intoxicated worm, he will next consider the worm that craves the six tastes. The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it will then ask himself whether those worms that give rise to craving in people cause health or imbalance. [F.120.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Whenever the worm that is attached to and craves for the six tastes craves a certain taste, I too will become fond of that. Likewise, whichever tastes those worms do not like I will not cling to either. If I contract a fever, the worms will also soon become afflicted by fever. Such ailments will make me lose my appetite.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then examine the wheezing worm that lives below the sockets of his eyes. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will realize, ‘When the wheezing worms become aggressive, they will slither into my head. They will then contaminate my eye sockets and cause my neck to become slanted. They will gnaw on my trachea and blow574 air inside my throat. This will give rise to a suffering that feels like I am dying. The wheezing worm and the other worms that live in the throat are always working against each other. When they fight in this way, these ailments occur. The wheezing worms are covered with spit and their mouths and legs are short.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then use insight derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye. Doing so, he will notice, ‘The worm opposed to taste lives at the base of my throat and in the sockets of my eyes. [F.121.a] Does this worm cause health or infirmity? The worm opposed to taste likes only a single taste and is opposed to all others. If it likes a sweet taste, it is opposed to all other tastes. If it likes a sour taste, it is opposed to all other tastes. If it likes a spicy taste, it is opposed to all other tastes. If it likes a salty taste, it is opposed to all other tastes. If it likes a bitter taste, it is opposed to all other tastes. Whichever taste such an angry worm dislikes, I will also dislike. There is yet another worm called taste movement that appears at the tip of my tongue. Once taste is perceived there, this worm causes the tip of my tongue to become dry. When it becomes aggressive, it will feed off my tongue and cause discomfort. When the tongue is retracted into the throat, the worm is not aggressive. When the worm is not aggressive, none of these ailments will occur.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will use insight derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye. Doing so, he will notice, ‘My worms that enjoy sleeping are subtle‍—no larger than a sun ray particle. They move through areas in which no other worms are found. Like the wind, they move through the vital arteries, gristle, flesh, brain membrane, cheekbones, dental roots, neck, throat, ears, eyes, nose, hair, and body hair. [F.121.b] During the day, these worms that enjoy sleeping are either torpid or asleep. At night, they move in the arteries of the heart. The heart retains a lotus shape during the day, but during the night it contracts due the absence of sunlight. At that time, the worms are dormant within the heart, since the lotus shape of the heart contracts at that time. That will also make me dispassionate. If the worms that enjoy sleeping become inactive, the faculties will also grow tired from their engagements with objects and go dormant. Thereby, all those creatures will fall asleep. Indeed, even during day, the faculties will thereby become disengaged.’ In this way, the spiritual practitioner correctly understands the worms that enjoy sleeping.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will use insight derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye. Doing so, he will notice, ‘The bulky worms that live in my body move through the blood in my head and throat, as well as in the fat. Whenever they become emaciated, they will drink from my blood, which makes me feel cold. They will also nibble all around my mouth, hair, joints, or elsewhere. When they do not move around, they reside in the tendons, and at such times, none of those ailments will occur.’

“This is how those brahmins and householders from the town of Nālati, or a monk who is a spiritual practitioner, correctly observe and understand the types of worms that live in the body, such as those that live in the throat, the tongue, the neck bones, the hair follicles, the phlegm, the bones, [F.122.a] the blood, and the tendons. Thereby, one becomes free from desire for the tastes encountered by the tongue. One will overcome all craving that is directed toward such tastes. Ānanda, beings who are bound by the ties of craving are attached to an ocean of tastes, but in this way, one is freed from desire for them all. Free from desire, one will not be bound by craving for food. One will not pay visits and offer service at the homes of donors and benefactors. One will not accumulate wealth and household articles. One will be content with simple lentil broth. One will not become angry at others for reasons of wealth and service. One will not become fond of attending great gatherings. One will not become excited because of temples and gardens. One will not become excited based on physical attraction. One will not become excited based on physical appearances. One will not become excited because of clothes. One will not become excited with regard to one’s alms bowl. One will not become excited because of one’s Dharma robes. One will not become excited due to having a following of mendicants. One will not become excited by visiting towns. One will not become excited by encountering friends. One will live alone, not yearn for pleasures, stay clear of pollutants, overcome negativity, and abide within the realm of mendicants. One will abide within the transcendence of suffering. On the other hand, those who are carried away by the ocean of tastes, those who crave the ocean of tastes, will find themselves before the māras. They are far from the transcendence of suffering. [F.122.b] Therefore, by contemplating the worms that live in the body, spiritual practitioners become free from desire for tastes. Free from desire, they are not led astray by food.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also examine his back. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will correctly notice that the bones of the back number fifty:575 the upper back has fourteen, the lower back has twelve, and each side contains twelve. This also applies to the feet. In this way, he carefully considers and attends to the internal body by discerning the various aggregates and groups of bones.

“Examining his body from the neck to the buttocks, he will also wonder how many lumps of flesh it contains. He will then see that the two sides of his body are alike.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the number of connected muscles. Beginning at the neck and continuing through to the tailbone, he will notice, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, that there are one hundred muscles on each side of his body, from the neck to the tailbone, not counting the subtle muscles.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the extent of his body fat. Examining his body from neck to tailbone, he will notice, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, that there are generally five Maghadhā ounces of fat, although the amount of fat will increase or decrease based on food consumption.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the amount of liquid contained in his body. [F.123.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye he will then notice, ‘My body contains ten double-handfuls of liquid. The openings that retain576 this liquid are the hair follicles. Sweat emerges from the pores, lymph from wounds, and at times of misery, tears fall from the eyes. Beings who travel on dry land become desiccated. Due to the liquids found in my body, the subtle particles that make up the juices that digest food increase.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also ask himself how much feces he possesses. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that seven double-handfuls of feces are found in the body, out of which six are phlegm.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also ask himself how much bile and urine he possesses. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that five double-handfuls of bile are found in the body, out of which four are urine. That is when not considering any temporary increase and decrease, or any differences that occur due to being in good health or suffering from an illness.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the amount of vapor, essential fluid, and semen. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that there are two double-handfuls of vapor, one double-handful of essential fluid, and one double-handful of semen.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how much wind he possesses. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that there are at least three double-handfuls.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body [F.123.b] will also ask himself how many main channels for nourishment are present in his body as the food and drinks that he consumes and ingests are pleasantly digested. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that there are thirteen such main channels. Just as irrigation channels make fields flourish, these channels ensure that the body flourishes. These are the streams of the life force, extremities, water, sweat, urine, feces, nutrition, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, and semen.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also ask himself whence those channels run and which parts of the body they enrich. He will also wonder where in the body the various worms live and what are their harmful and beneficial effects. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the stream of the life force starts running from the heart; the stream of termination starts running from the joints; the water stream starts running from the intestines, the lungs, and phlegm; the stream of sweat starts running from the pores in the skin and fat; the stream of urine starts running from the bladder and penis; the stream of feces starts running from the stomach, the intestines,577 and the anus; the stream of nutrition starts running from the ten channels of the neck, the liver, and the heart; the stream of blood starts running from the spleen and liver; the stream of flesh starts running from the skin and the sinew; the stream of fat runs through the kidneys and gallbladder; [F.124.a] the stream. of bone starts running from the nails, the initial receptor of food,578 and the lungs; and the streams of marrow and semen start running from the joints and bones.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also ask himself, ‘How do my worms influence the condition of the main channels that run through my body, starting from the tail bone? With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye he will then notice that when ten types of worms living in the guts enter the spleen and liver, they give rise to disease. Those are the hair eater, the driller, the jantumandarava,579 the audumbara, the grasper, the hair protector, the worm infuriated by blood, the blood consumer, the limb shaker, and the āmabhyaka. All those worms have no legs and they writhe freely. They are no larger than the most subtle particle, have no eyes, and they cause itching and disease.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘What are the activities of each of those worms?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that when the hair eaters become aggressive, they consume the eyebrows and eyes, or one’s facial hairs and body hairs. They also cause warts. When the driller worm becomes aggressive, it enters the bloodstream and causes disturbances throughout the body. The jantumandarava worm gives the bloodstream a foul smell. Being a blood worm, the audumbara worm is provoked and agitated by blood, thus causing pustules, pimples, and ulcers in the mouth and nose. [F.124.b] When the grasper worm becomes aggressive within the blood stream, it causes disease of the liver, blood, and bile. When the hair protector worm enters the blood, it becomes aggressive and causes an aggravation of those conditions, thus giving rise to itching, jaundice, and pustules.580 When the worm infuriated by blood enters the bloodstream, it causes warts and diseases associated with desire. In women, it also causes an itch of the blood and skin ruptures. The blood-consumer worm causes dizziness, an unsteady neck, and inflammation of the anus. When the limb-shaker worm enters the veins, it causes fatigue, paralysis, shaking,581 and discomfort of the mouth.582 Such are the effects of the blood-dwelling worms and their accompanying worms.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also notice that ten species of worms live in the flesh. They are the wound provoker, the cuncuraga,583 the muscle traveler, the vein traveler, the skin agitator, the fat agitator, the enricher, the stinker, the sweat traveler, and the burner. The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then ask himself, ‘How do my flesh-dwelling worms influence the condition of my health?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘When a wound occurs, the wound-provoker worms will move there in great numbers. They will proceed to feed on the wound and thus cause itching and further wounds. [F.125.a]

“ ‘What are the effects of the cuncuraga worm on my health?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘When the cuncuraga worm is hungry it causes disease and excessive bowel movements. It also causes dysentery. These worms cause my warmth to dissipate and my mouth to dry up. My body becomes dilapidated and aching. My feces become watery and I become unable to sleep, whether by day or night. The cuncuraga worms are always searching for excrement in my digestive tract.584 When they live within my excrement, they cause severe diarrhea consisting of gas, sweat, urine, and phlegm. They cause a lack of appetite and even paralysis. Whenever it hurts, the cuncuraga worms appreciate it tremendously, as they gain strength and become invigorated, thereby contaminating the blood veins. This causes further dysentery. As these worms cause a great production of mucus, they also cause an increase in gas.’ In this way, examining the cuncuraga worm, he correctly understands the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also notice, ‘My muscle-traveler worms slither through the web of my major and minor muscles. When they become agitated within me, they cause ailments of the muscles. Whenever they are not hungry, however, my muscles don’t suffer. The web of muscles connects all the bones in my body and, since they are connected in this way, it is due to the muscles that sensations occur in my body. [F.125.b] However, if I become deprived of food and starve, the worms will drink the blood in my muscles and my capacities will deteriorate. If the worms consume my flesh, that will also cause the production of dark mucus in my body.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then use insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye to observe the following: ‘The vein585-traveler worm slithers throughout the network of veins in my body. It is subtle and travels unhindered. Due to the strength of my food, it may destroy my veins. The worm may cause my entire body to wither or fall into ill health. If it harms the veins that carry water, my palate will become dry. If these worms harm the veins that carry sweat, the pores of my skin will produce sweat. If they enter the veins that carry urine, these veins may be destroyed, and I will become unable to urinate. If they affect the semen, there will be unbearable pain. If they enter the channels that carry excrement and become aggressive, the bowels will become constricted and I will be miserable as though I were on the brink of death.’ In this way, examining the vein-traveler worms, he develops a correct understanding.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will again use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye and thus observe the following: ‘The skin-agitator worms live within the six types of skin. If they become aggressive due to a problem with the food I consume, it causes an unpleasant coloration of my skin. [F.126.a] My skin becomes rough, discolored,586 red, pale, bluish, and cracked. Likewise, my nails, hair, beard, body hair, and outer skin will decay. There will be hard boils or warts, and my skin and flesh may lose warmth.’ In this way, examining the skin-agitator worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also use insight derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye to observe the following: ‘The fat-agitator worms live within the layers of fat in my body. If they become agitated due to problems with my sleep or with my food, they will cause diarrhea, vomiting, boils, paleness, or discoloration. I will suffer from goiter, muscle decay, exhaustion, emaciation, and continuous perspiration when I eat.’ In this way, examining the fat-agitator worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also use insight derived from hearing or seeing with the divine eye to observe that the enricher worm lives in his body. Wondering how this worm affects his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘Two kinds of enricher worms partake of my body, because one lives in the parts where I have feeling, whereas another lives in those parts where I don’t have feeling. The worms that live in the parts where I have feeling occupy half the body, including the blood, flesh, bones, marrow, bile, and semen. The worms that lives in the parts of my body where I don’t have feeling are found in my hair, body hair, nails, beard, and teeth. Both these species of enricher worms have a positive effect on my body. [F.126.b] Therefore, if these enricher worms do not flourish due to problems with the food that I eat, I will also not feel well. The worms bring comfort while going as well as coming, and they facilitate falling asleep quickly and without delay. They increase my strength. They cause a growth of skin, blood, fat, bristle, bone, semen, and strength.’ In this way, examining the enricher worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye to observe the following: ‘The stinker worms live in my blood, excrement, and urine. If they become aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat, they will cause my excrement, urine, spit, and snot to emit a foul smell. My nose and eyes will also produce pus. Whatever comes in contact with the worms will begin to stink. Any clothing, bedding, or food between my teeth will begin to smell and reek due to the worms. Due to problems related to sleep at night, my tongue will emit a terrible stench. My tongue will become completely covered with a whitish stain and my body will produce a bad stench.’ In this way, examining the enricher worm, he develops a highly correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye to observe the following: ‘The sweat-traveler worm lives within the flesh of the neck. [F.127.a] As it digests my food, it will cause the food to move through the cavities of the three bones in the heart region, so that my excrement can be expelled below. The cavities in the three other bones will then become wet and moistened by my wastewater and, as a large mass of excrement moves toward the lower backbone, I will urinate.’ In this way, examining the sweat-traveler worm, he develops a correct understanding587 of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘Ten species of worms live in my bile. Once they are born there, they spread everywhere in my body. They are the jurava, the shaker, the one that thrives on substance, the common one, the dark one, the great food worm, the warmth traveler, the burner, the worm that decreases heat, and the great fire worm.’

“Those ten types of worms are born from bile and move everywhere throughout the body. Wondering how they affect his health, the spiritual practitioner will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, next notice, ‘The jurava worm lives in my body. If it becomes aggressive due to problems with the food I eat, this worm will consume my eyelashes and I will develop pocks and eczema. As it moves from one eyelash to another to feed, that will provoke a strong production of tears. If it moves into my eyes, I will develop a severe eye disease. My vision will degenerate, and I may become blind. When this worm moves inside the eye, having entered the eyeball, it will leave its larvae there, [F.127.b] which in turn will cause my eyes to become swollen and red. This worm is always a cause of severe disease.’ In this way, examining the jurava worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The shaker worm resides in my body. It lives in my bile and travels unhindered throughout the body, harming my body with bile. As this worm inflames my bones, my flesh will become very hot and even my extremities will warm up. When it moves in my skin, I will begin to sweat.’ In this way, examining the shaker worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The worm that thrives on substance lives in my bile. It has an extremely sharp beak and short legs. It causes a burning stomach and severe disease. If it moves to a different part of the body and develops hunger due to problems with my food, this worm will inflame my body wherever it goes. I will then bleed and vomit blood. Affecting my entire body adversely, it will burn like fire. All of my skin will burn, [F.128.a] round pox will appear on my legs, and my body will be inflamed.’ In this way, investigating the worm that thrives on substance, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the common worm lives within his bile. Wondering what the effects on his health may be if this worm becomes aggressive due to problems with the food he eats, he will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then observe, ‘The common worm passes unhindered within my body, from head to toe, and if it becomes aggressive, it causes smallpox related to blood and bile throughout the body. Blood and bile will drip from the ears and nostrils, as if I were dying. It causes blueness and hepatitis, as well as muteness.’ In this way, examining the common worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The movement of the dark worm within my body is provoked by noxious bile. If it becomes aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat, there will be black spots, resembling sesame seeds, everywhere on my body. My flesh will develop pox, or my body will become black, yellow, or red. The worm moves in my body like the wind and destroys my bile or my anus.’ In this way, examining the dark worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.128.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the great food worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the great food worm becomes aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat, it will reside in my bile, consuming food and producing fevers. When it grows, it will make my body oily and foul-smelling and all my major and minor body parts, as well as the faculties of my eyes, ears, and nose, will degenerate. It will become impossible for the faculties to engage with their respective objects. Due to food problems, my five faculties will thus gradually degenerate.’ In this way, examining the great food worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the warmth-traveler worm always likes warm food and is highly averse to cold food. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘Whatever I eat, drink, consume, or taste‍—if it is cold, this worm will develop aggression against me and so it may gnaw on my mouth, or make my body tired, heavy, weak, or injured. It may also gnaw at my heart and create problems throughout my body, resulting in bloody stool. It may also gnaw at my throat.’ [F.129.a] In this way, examining the warmth-traveler worm, he correctly examines the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the burner worm lives in the bile of his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘Burner worms live in my body, and if I eat heavy food, that will make them burn with fire. They then will grow in strength and injure the veins in my neck so that large pieces of food will get stuck in my throat. My excrement will become whitish and lessen. I will lose all joy in eating cold foods. I will also become unable to metabolize sweet foods.’ By examining the burner worms, he develops correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following: ‘The worm that decreases heat is born and lives in my bile. It likes bile and enjoys cold temperatures but suffers when it is warm. When it is cold, it is happy and thus I feel like eating. But when it is warm, this worm will decrease the heat in my body. During times of cold, my bile will function well, but when it is warm, it will become impaired, and thus the temperature in my body will decrease.’ In this way, examining the worm that decreases heat, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.129.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the great fire worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The great fire worm appreciates all types of unhealthy food. When I am hungry, these worms will feed off my body. This will make my body disfigured and I will feel pain in my back, hands, or wherever else the worms may be feeding.’ In this way, examining the worms that live in bile, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following species of worms that emerge from the bones and live in the fat: the bone biter, the puller,588 the joint cutter, the stinker, the bone pus species, the red mouth, the relishing, the skin eater, the ant, and the razor mouth.

“Wondering how those worms that live in his bones affect his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The bone-biter worm lives in the marrow that is contained within the bones and can so be found in the marrow of the shoulders, thighs, [F.130.a] and spine, where it passes through the joints of my bones. If it becomes aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat, it will make my bones deformed and my body will become unpleasant to look at and to touch. This worm will then gnaw at the joints and consume my bones and flesh, thus causing excruciating pain in my bones. As long as this worm does not starve, however, I will not experience any of those sensations.’ In this way, examining the bone-biter worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The puller worm lives everywhere in my bones. When this worm pulls at my bones, all the elements in my body will become dry and stiff. I will suffer from fever, choking, and diarrhea. Alternatively, I may have side cramps, vomit, and feel depressed. Whenever this worm does not pull at my bones, none of those ailments will occur.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the joint-cutter worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. [F.130.b] Doing so, he will consider, ‘If a problem with my food causes the joint-cutter worm to starve, my hands will become lame. The limbs of my body may fall off, and I may develop heart disease. Even the inhabitants of towns may become decimated. My nose will run with mucus. I will become depressed and no textures or visual forms will be attractive to me. Why is that? Because of the intensity of my sensations.’ In this way, examining the joint cutter worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the stinker worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye as follows: ‘If the stinker worm becomes aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat, my body will be scorched and feel heavy. Wounds that would otherwise heal quickly will require a long time to do so and my entire body will become disfigured. I will become pale and my body will swell up. In some cases, my body will become paralyzed. I may also develop leprosy and my entire body may become covered with boils. There will be no healing of those diseases.’ Examining the stinker worm in this way, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the bone pus species lives in his body. [F.131.a] Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. Doing so, he will consider, ‘The bone pus species may become aggressive due to problems with the food that I eat. In such cases, the worm will cause a recurrence of old ailments, even if one year, two years, or many years have elapsed since they were pacified and cured, or even I have not suffered from them since I was an infant. Such recurrences due to the aggression of this worm may then continue into my old age. The bone pus species produces a foul-smelling discharge that resembles the flame-of-the-forest or the dumvara fruit. I will also develop an itch and the wounds will suppurate. The wounds will then swell up589 and attract insects and meat flies.’ In this way, examining the bone pus species of worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the red-mouth worm lives in his bones. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then consider, ‘Whenever a problem with my food causes the red-mouth worm to starve, I will become afflicted with a severe disease that burns like flames throughout my blood and produces lymph and pus discharges. Throughout day and night, there will be no relief. I will suffer from what are called internal wounds.’ In this way, examining the red-mouth worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.131.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the relishing worm lives in his bones. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If a problem with my food causes the relishing worm to starve, I will develop a pox that spreads across all my major and minor body parts and causes paralysis wherever it extends. My heart will lose strength and my body will lack sensation. I will also become unable to urinate or defecate. I will become unable to sleep and it will feel like ants are crawling throughout my major and minor body parts. I will also suffer from severe thirst. I will faint, and suffer from cold fever and swelling. If the relishing worm does not starve, however, all those ailments will be pacified.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the skin-eater worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The skin-eater worm lives in my bones, and when hungry it causes blisters, swelling of the mouth, swelling of the eyes, suppuration, weakness of the muscles, [F.132.a] intense thirst, dry throat, swelling of the nose, stiff neck, ulcers590 on the head, premature whitening of the hair, decay of the vocal cords, untimely sleepiness and desire for inappropriate foods, dislike of staying in one place, fondness for empty places and parks, distractedness, profuse talk for no reason, and I will scratch all my major and minor body parts to shreds. Such are the problems caused by the skin-eater worm. But if the worm is not hungry, none of those ailments will arise.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The ant worm lives in my bones. I wonder what effects on my health that worm may have if I go hungry?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘When the ant worm becomes aggressive due to a problem with my food, I will have a terrifying sensation, as horrible as if a snake had bitten my vital points. As the worm burrows into my head, jaws, heart, intestines, anus, hands, foot soles, and nails it will feel as if they are pierced by needles. I will shiver and my nose will run. My eyes, mouth, and entire body will shudder. I will lose all appetite. When the worms become hungry, they will mingle randomly with other types of worms [F.132.b] and thus conspire to damage my body throughout day and night. Oppressed by such painful sensations, I will be unable to sleep. Yet if the worm is not hungry, none of those ailments will follow.’ In this way, examining the ant worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the razor-mouth worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The razor-mouth worm appeared already in the womb and, due to natural circumstances, I am born with it. All the worms that appear in the womb are of a temporary nature and eventually they die. Then, as I developed due to my mother’s milk and various foods, all these worms emerged.’ In this way, examining the razor-mouth worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“Examining the worms that live in the bones, he understands the body correctly through applying mindfulness to the body. This clear eye is far beyond that of ordinary beings. It is free from afflictions, thoughts of ‘mine,’ doubts, and pain. It is not attained on the path of any non-Buddhists. This is the authentic application of mindfulness to the body, culminating in the transcendence of suffering.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing [F.133.a] or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The following ten species of worms live in excrement: the calf snot, the needle mouth, the ant,591 the legless one, the excrement disperser, the thirst inducer, the intestine separator, the paralyzer, the fine-color worm, and the excrement digester.’

“As he examines these ten species of worms that live in his body, he will wonder what effects they may have on his health. Thus, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The calf snot worm lives in my excrement, and if my body’s temperature decreases, that worm will speed up that process. It will provoke tumors that harm my digestion, so that my excrement becomes gray. I will not feel well, and my complexion will be pale.’ In this way, examining the calf snot worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following: ‘The needle-mouth worm lives in my excrement. It is thick and long and can travel through the stomach and intestine without being caught by any other worms. From there, it may move upward again and emerge from my mouth accompanied by bile. It also chews at my heart and can cause muteness and loss of body temperature. Once the worm emerges outside the body, it may briefly stay alive in flowers.’ In this way, examining the needle-mouth worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.133.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The ant worm lives in my excrement. Pale, short, and abundant, these worms travel in the intestines. They stink and always search for food. They emerge from my body together with my excrement. As they leave the body, the excrement attracts insects. They cause a profusion of excrement. They also make me feel nauseated by food.’ In this way, examining the ant worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the legless worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If it becomes hungry due to a problem with my food, I will become affected by the wind element and my movements will be disrupted. The streams of urine and feces will become disrupted and when the worms enter my intestines, the continuity of my speech will be disrupted. I will be unable to cough, I will experience continuous hunger, my breathing will be troubled, and I will constantly experience thirst. These conditions affecting my movements will make me prone to a multitude of diseases.’ In this way, examining the legless worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.134.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The excrement-disperser worm lives in my body. Moving within the channels for excrement that emerge once the food has been dissolved, they enter all my limbs and body parts together with the excrement. They even spread to my feet, permeating my body and giving it a yellow color due to the influence of the excrement.’ In this way, examining the excrement-disperser worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following: ‘The thirst-inducer worm lives in my body. When I am hot, this worm destroys my sense of smell and attacks my stomach. It rapidly burns my body with fire and eradicates all smells. As I suffer from fever and heat, this worm will pass throughout my body and its limbs. At night, I will sweat and be tormented with fever such that the deposits of vital fluids dry up. When it feels angry with me, this worm causes thirst and headaches.’ In this way, examining the thirst-inducer worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the intestine-separator worm lives in his body. [F.134.b] Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When that which I eat, drink, consume, and taste is swallowed and passes into my stomach, this worm will cause torment592 as it separates my intestines. And so my digestion will come to a halt or become affected by wind, bile, or phlegm. That is painful and leads to various other pains as well. The intestine-separator indeed harms my digestion.’ In this way, examining the intestine separator worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the paralyzer worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The paralyzer worm lives within my excrement. It is swallowed together with food and will then cause paralysis, since that is its nature. It may even affect the area where my life force moves. Due to that fire, which is present in my food, I will suffer paralysis, my intestines will cramp, and I will fall ill [F.135.a] and experience heart or stomach593 pain.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the fine-color worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The fine-color worm lives within my excrement. When I eat gruel, unsavory food, heavy food, or unwholesome food, the fine-color worm will transform such food into a sustenance that benefits the various elements of my body. It also helps pacify diseases, and allows me to develop strength and become free of health problems. This worm lives in my body. Due to its unique nature, I develop a fine complexion and vigor whenever this worm flourishes. Similarly, whenever this worm lacks strength, I also become emaciated.’ In this way, examining the fine-color worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the excrement-digester worm lives in his body. Wondering what effects this worm may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the excrement-digester worm goes hungry, [F.135.b] it causes my excrement to be digested in ways that give rise to disease. I will suffer due to humidity, dryness, congenital conditions, pre-existing conditions, wind disturbances, bile disturbances, phlegm disturbances, and conditions that involve all three factors. When hungry, this worm will harm my intestines. Within my bloodstream and streams of vital fluids it causes the warmth to wane. However, as this warmth disappears, the worm will become intensely aggressive, thereby causing my excrement to be digested in various unwholesome ways.’ In this way, examining the excrement-digester worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the following ten species of worms live in the tendons: the hair dweller, the black mouth, the inactive one, the painful cough, the obscurer, the fire-colored,594 the descending worm, the auṭhīṅgā,595 the thinker, and the enjoyer.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, then observe the following: ‘The hair-dweller worm lives in the hair throughout my body. If my tendons degenerate and deteriorate,596 this worm will destroy my tendons. It will begin to travel and so it can destroy and consume the tendons in my limbs and body parts. It causes me an unpleasant complexion, leprosy, bone pain, and lack of strength.’ [F.136.a] In this way, examining the hair-dweller worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following: ‘The black-mouth worm lives in my tendons and passes unhindered throughout my limbs and body parts. If it goes hungry, this worm will dissolve my tendons. It will separate my bones and cause poor complexion, sore back, poor stamina, limited mobility, and a curved posture.’ In this way, examining the black-mouth worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe the following: ‘The inactive worm lives in my body and consumes my tendons. When it is satisfied by the tendons it remains inactive, but if it is threatened by the other worms that live in the tendons it can cause terrible deformity.’ In this way, examining the inactive worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The highly painful worm lives in my tendons where it constantly moves. It depletes all three elements and causes all kinds of diseases. It is even responsible for lymph disorders and insomnia.’ [F.136.b] In this way, examining the highly painful worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The obscurer worm lives in my body. It moves in the region where my mind dwells. It is extremely subtle and upsets my sense of contentment. It provokes heart disease and causes fainting, unpleasant complexion, and a weak heart. It also causes poor digestion, fever, heart pain, exhaustion, nervousness, and stress, and the sight of any external worms will become revolting.’ In this way, examining the obscurer worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The descending worm lives in the channels of my vital fluids. When I consume wholesome food, drink, and sustenance, this worm increases my vital fluids. If it descends into my bladder, I will dispose of it together with my urine.’ In this way, examining the descending worm, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe, ‘The auṭhīngā worm lives in my bladder.597 This worm likes it when my bladder is full. [F.137.a] When this worm is content, it uses the force of urine to stir the production of semen. For childish, ordinary people, this is accompanied by inappropriate mental activity.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also observe that the thinker and enjoyer worms598 live in his body. Wondering what effects these worms may have on his health, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the thinker and enjoyer worms go hungry, I will experience fatigue. Whether I am engaged in virtuous or unvirtuous actions, when these worms move in the region where my mind dwells, I will become exhausted due to their strength.’

“In this way, brahmins and householders from the town of Nālati, or a monk who is spiritual practitioner, will be mindful of the body and observe it correctly. Does the body involve anything that is permanent, enduring, or unchanging? Does it contain anything pleasant or clean? Is it governed by an owner or a doer? With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, one will see that although the body has both coarse and subtle aspects, even the subtle body does not contain anything that is permanent, stable, enduring, or unchanging. It does not involve anything that is pleasant, and it is not governed by an owner, or a doer. As an analogy, when it is dark, the sun cannot be observed, not even in some subtle way. Similarly, in the body there is nothing to observe that is lasting, delightful [F.137.b] or clean, and there is no agent or perceiver. Spiritual practitioners who carefully consider the internal body will not remain in the presence of the māras. They will journey to the transcendence of suffering. They will not be bound by any craving of lustful desire. They will not be harmed by the afflictions that bring continuous existences.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also pursue another way of examining it. He will examine the function of the winds of the body, wondering, ‘How do the winds in my body create adhesion, what functions do they perform, how do they move, where do they reside, how do they subside, and how do they sustain? How do all these functions occur? And how is any deficiency influenced by wind?’

“When carefully considering the body and attending to it in this way, he will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, observe the wind that is based in his mouth. Wondering what functions that wind performs, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The wind that is based in my mouth has an enriching power, causing my arms, legs, and nails to flourish.’ As he observes the power of that wind, the spiritual practitioner will begin by observing the tips of his nails. This wind greatly facilitates his practice in the absorption related to the emancipation of the body. Once he has mastered this, he will also proceed to the skin, nails, arms, and legs. They will achieve tremendous agility. In this way, examining the wind that is based in the mouth, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.138.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also ask himself, ‘What is the function of the wind that is based in my feet, and how does it reside there?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then inquire, ‘How does the wind that is based in my feet function and how does it give rises to eczema? This wind causes itching blisters to erupt on my feet and my walking becomes accompanied by a whizzing sound. Even if my legs are stable, my bones will make cracking noises when I walk. The wind that is based in my feet may also give rise to feelings of cold or warmth in the eyes through the channels connected to the eyes. Moreover, even if this wind subsides, the eyes will not be satisfied.’ In this way, examining the wind that is based in the feet, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, also notice, ‘The wind that causes fainting resides in my knees where it causes shaking. When it is blocked, it causes a sensation as if ants were crawling in my knees. If there is no affliction, the wind enters the veins and remains in balance. In that case it circulates within me in a manner that resembles ants.’ In this way, examining the wind that causes fainting, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within him. [F.138.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the bone-breaker wind. Wondering about the functions of this wind, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and thus consider, ‘Whether I go to enjoy the sun, visit a park, go on a journey, or feel tired, the bone-breaker wind may penetrate my bones, cause physical impairment, deprive me of sleep, and make me incapable of bending or stretching. Such are the harmful effects of this wind.’ In this way, examining the bone-breaker wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within him. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the movement-stopper wind. Wondering about the functions of this wind, he will consider, ‘The movement-stopper wind provokes various physical diseases within the body. It makes me incapable of walking back and forth, but it does not entirely destroy my ability to walk.’ In this way, examining the movement-stopper wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within him. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the ankle-opener wind. Wondering about the functions of this wind, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and so he will consider, [F.139.a] ‘If the ankle-opener wind combines with phlegm it can spread throughout my tendons, bones, and flesh, causing a painful debilitation. When this wind remains in its natural place it causes repeated pain in the hips. In such cases the illness will occur in the hips only, and not in other parts of my body.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within him. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the hip599-opener wind and think, ‘When the hip-opener wind resides in my hips, the channels that contain my excrement will become thick, shriveled, motley, and heavy. I will experience strong pain in the flesh of my hips and my two hips will become dissimilar. Even though they are surrounded by tendons, the hips will be misaligned.’600 In this way, examining the hip-opener wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the joint-opener wind. Inquiring into the function of this wind, he will notice, ‘The joint-opener wind causes pain in the joints by entering them. It causes pain in the four joints of the head, the three joints of the two jaws, and the two joints of the forehead. There is one joint in the throat, one in the chin,601 [F.139.b] thirty in the sockets of the teeth, one in the palate, two in the lower palate, and fifteen in the neck. In the chest, a single joint becomes two. The two shoulder joints are connected through a combination of actual joints and parts that are not proper joints. This is also the case with the joints in the elbows. Each eye bone has four joints. There are two joints in the wrists, two in the palms, and the back has fifty-five joints. Each side of the body has twelve joints. The feet have twelve joints. There are twelve joints that connect with lumps of flesh. The urinary organs have a single joint, the buttocks have two, the vagina one, the thighs two, the center of the hips has two, the ankles two, the back has sixty, and there are twenty in the toes, fingers, and nails. The joint-opener wind is based in all those joints. When it creates unrest in my body in those places, it may cause me to die or experience pain as if dying.’ In this way, examining the joint-opener wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the leg-sleeping wind. Wondering what function this wind may have in his body, [F.140.a] he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and so notice, ‘If the leg-sleeping wind is disturbed, I will become unable to stretch my legs if they are bent, and unable to bend them if they are stretched. My legs will become as if made of wood and I will be incapable of coordinating their movement. Due to the trouble that this wind causes, I will become unable to walk.’ In this way, examining the leg-sleeping wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the delightful wind resides in his body. Wondering what happens when this wind is disturbed and when it is not disturbed, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and so notice, ‘When this wind remains in accord with my bodily functions, it facilitates movement, disposal, and the upward movement of my breath. My body that is formed by what I eat, drink, consume, or taste will take on a fine color. My eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind will access their objects with agility. My food will also be digested well.’ Wondering about the effects when this wind is disturbed, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and so notice, ‘Under such circumstances [F.140.b] I will be unable to digest anything that I eat, drink, consume, or taste. My complexion will be unpleasant, and my belly will change as well.’ In this way, examining the delightful wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the muscle-mover wind. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will notice, ‘This wind is responsible for all actions pertaining to falling asleep, waking up, sense perception, and mental attention. Unless affected by the muscle-mover wind, my body will not become disturbed, nor will I have any painful sensations. Nor will I develop strong physical debilities unless this wind is disturbed. When the muscle-mover wind is disturbed, I become unable to undertake any of the physical acts associated with sleeping, waking, or change of attention, and my faculties will become distracted. Such is the power of this wind.’ In this way, examining the muscle-mover wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the function of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the movement-stopper wind in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and notice, ‘This wind can hinder all physical pathways in the body. [F.141.a] When it is disturbed, the flow of my urine will be blocked and I will develop illnesses of the bladder and penis. I will feel disinterested in food. My belly will swell painfully with impurities that later emerge agonizingly through my urethra. All my major and minor body parts will become infected with worms, I will contract various inner diseases, all my major and minor body parts will become bloated, and my channels will clog up. But when this wind is balanced all those diseases will be pacified.’ In this way, examining the movement-stopper wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue wondering about the effects of disturbances of the winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the movement-disturbing wind in his body. Wondering what illnesses this wind may cause when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and notice, ‘If the movement-disturbing wind is out of balance, it causes tumors associated with the winds in the abdomen. I will become unable to pass excrement and I will suffer from spasms in my arms and hands. I will suffer from distemper and when the condition becomes aggravated, I will suffer from diseases of the head. I will become unable to digest what I eat, drink, consume, or taste. [F.141.b] Boils will grow on my body and I will suffer from fever. None of those diseases will develop unless this wind is disturbed.’ In this way, examining the movement-disturbing wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the functions of other winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the body-hair, nail, and excrement-opener wind in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will notice, ‘If the body-hair, nail, and excrement-opener wind is disturbed in my body, my faculties will suffer and I will become emaciated. Parts of my mouth, nostrils, and ears will be pierced by pain. My eyes will develop cataracts and my nose will become unable to perceive smells. My lips will become pale and I will vomit even when I am at ease. The pleasure of concentration will also be affected, and I will be unable to concentrate. When the body is in balance, the mind is in balance. The body is based on the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness.’ By becoming aware of the formative factors associated with the body, [F.142.a] the spiritual practitioner will understand how they flourish and wane. In this way, examining the body-hair, nail, and excrement-opener wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the functions of other winds within his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the semen-destroyer wind in his body. Wondering about the function of this wind, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and notice, ‘The bubble-like semen-destroyer wind is present in my body. It causes the emission of semen through my urethra even if I do not intend this. The size of a mustard seed or a barley grain, it can solidify and descend through my body, causing pain in my anus. This wind is unhealthy and aggressive, and it renders my mind incapable of concentrating.’ In this way, examining the semen-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how other winds in his body function when disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The aging wind is present in my body and wherever it spreads it ages my physical constituents, [F.142.b] so that they become old. I will then lack the necessary strength for walking. Even if I sit down for a bit, I will feel ill, and the same will happen even if I go to bed. I will lack control over my major and minor body parts. I will also sleep excessively. Yet when the aging wind is not disturbed, all those ailments will be absent.’ In this way, examining the aging wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how other winds in his body function when disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the bladder-paralyzer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will notice, ‘When the urinary bladder-paralyzer wind is disturbed, it spreads throughout all my major and minor body parts. It causes respiratory problems, heart disease, and disturbances of the urinary bladder. It may also occasionally completely block the passage of feces and urine, but in any case, I will experience constipation. It also causes discomfort and pain, and it makes my mind scattered and makes my consciousness lack strength. In terms of the Dharma, my mind will become uninspired and I will have no interest in activities; I will experience physical pain, so that I lose interest in the Dharma. [F.143.a] However, if the urinary bladder-paralyzer wind is not disturbed, all those ailments will be absent.’ In this way, examining the urinary bladder-paralyzer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how other winds in his body function when disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the feces-drier wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When the feces-drier wind is disturbed, I will be inclined to overeat and enjoy consuming large quantities of food. As I swallow such food and drink, it enters my body via the throat, and is pressed downward. It will then spread throughout my body and cause debilitation. My feces will become dry and I may be unable to pass any stool for two, three, or even four days. Even if I am able to defecate, this will be accompanied by some discomfort. However, if the feces-drier wind is not disturbed, all those ailments will be absent.’ In this way, examining the feces-drier wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.143.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the ribcage-impairer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when disturbed or in balance, he will notice, ‘If the ribcage-impairer wind is disturbed, it will move through the ribs on the sides of my body and dry up the blood in those places, thereby giving rise to a terrifying, fierce, and excruciating pain. Yet if that wind is not disturbed, such disorders will not occur.’ In this way, examining the ribcage-impairer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how other winds in his body function when disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the nine-openings disease wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and will then notice, ‘When the nine-openings disease wind is disturbed, all nine apertures of my body will contract. Seven of those are located in my head and the remaining two are those for feces and urine. This wind may block them all collectively or each one of them individually. [F.144.a] In this way, it causes general disease in my body, and my breathing will become extremely constricted. The breath in my nostrils pervades my entire body. The entire body is governed by wind and functions by means of wind. Moreover, only wind can stir wind‍—no other factor whatsoever can do so.’ In this way, examining the nine-openings disease wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder how other winds in his body function. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the body part-decreasing wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, He will then notice, ‘When the body part-decreasing wind is disturbed, my fingers contract and are harmed by illness. They degenerate and shorten. My legs and arms will contract, I will feel pain in the upper bones, and the tendons in my thighs will contract. Nevertheless, the contents of my bowels will not become enlarged. I will experience swellings and physical fatigue. All such ailments are caused by the body part-decreasing wind. Yet if this wind is not disturbed, none of those will occur.’ In this way, examining the body part-decreasing wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.144.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the warmth-extinguisher wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will notice, ‘When the warmth-extinguisher wind is disturbed in the body, the warmth of fire that is present within my body will transfer from its natural locations and begin to decline. When the warmth of fire thus weakens, I will become unable to digest food or absorb drink. My skin will take on an unhealthy coloration. My blood will dry up and my flesh will degenerate. My muscles will contract and my fat will disappear. Even my bones will become dry and my marrow will diminish. The vital fluids and strength that are produced throughout the body will decrease. When the wind is based in my heart, I will lose consciousness. Yet if the warmth-extinguisher wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the wind that cools the entire body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When the wind that cools the entire body is disturbed, [F.145.a] saliva is produced, and the body becomes moist. When asleep, the body will then appear crude, rough, and cramped. All the major and minor body parts will look stiff and the body hairs will stand on end. Many parts of the body will be flat whereas others will be uneven. I will become prone to exhaustion and suffer from rashes due to the primary fluids of lymph and blood. My body hair will become yellow and I will suffer from fevers. My body will swell, and its various parts will become disproportionate and pale. In many places, the skin on my body will become thick and dry so that it resembles the skin of an elephant. It will become hard for me to stand up, and my body will smell from suppuration. Anything I eat will feel rough and lumpy. Parts of my body will be covered with skin like elephant hide. The skin will be filled with lumps and bumps. There will be wounds on my arms and legs, and moving about will cause exhaustion. Rashes will break out everywhere on my body, the skin will burn, and my body will have an unpleasant texture. Pockets of pus will develop along with oozing wounds. My teeth will also become repulsive. My nose will ache, and my eyelashes will fall out. My fingers and toes will crumble, and my voice will become inaudible. [F.145.b] Worms will invade the body from outside. All my body hairs will fall out of their follicles. I will appear repulsive to everyone. In the homes of benefactors and donors, I will be reviled. Flies will constantly crawl on my body and even the Dharma robes will become unbearable to wear. My nails will also fall out. During sleep, I will wheeze when I breathe. Although suffering, I will still crave food, but I will be unable to digest anything. Whenever I drink, I will get specific types of fever. My tongue will transform. In this way, the wind that cools the entire body causes degeneration throughout the body and makes it deteriorate. However, if the wind that cools the entire body is not disturbed, my body will maintain a fine complexion and be firm, smooth, shiny, light, supple, and appealing to everyone. My sweat will be warm and will be produced from all the pores of the body, just as it should. None of the ailments mentioned previously will occur.’ In this way, examining the wind that cools the entire body, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘When the destabilizing wind is disturbed in my body, [F.146.a] even small troubles will give rise to fear. All my major and minor body parts will become decrepit. I will suffer from paralysis, panic attacks, and stupor. Although my breath will be extremely forceful, I will be unable to properly inhale. Nor will I be able to tolerate wearing the Dharma robes. I will develop diseases in the head and when training in concentration I will be unable to let my attention rest on a single point. My dreams will be disturbed. I will vomit. Even peaceful appearances will seem terrifying to me and I will perceive nearby forms as if they were far away. I will also have tremendous craving. However, if the destabilizing wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the destabilizing wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that makes the entire body tremble is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When the wind that makes the entire body tremble is disturbed in my body, I will tremble. My ears will be rattled by shuddering sounds. [F.146.b] This wind will cause trembling; all my major and minor body parts will tremble. This wind will move within, where it will cause sporadic contractions, but not provoke disease. When this wind that moves throughout the body is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the wind that makes the entire body tremble, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the burning wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, ‘When the burning wind is disturbed, the food that I swallow will get stuck in the esophagus where it will quickly get heated. When this wind remains with the food, the physical elements in my body will not flourish. That which I eat and ingest is of two kinds: pure or contaminating. Pure food makes the great elements flourish, whereas contaminating food provokes disease. Now, if the burning wind is disturbed, it will contaminate most of the food that I eat, and only very little will be pure. In this way it will stir up diseases. However, if the burning wind is not disturbed, the food I eat will still be of two kinds‍—pure or contaminating‍—but the physical elements of my body will then be in balance and I will not develop diseases.’ [F.147.a] In this way, examining the burning wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder what other winds may be present in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The worm-engager wind is present in my body. It enters and mingles with all the worms that live in my major and minor body parts, causing disturbances, conflicts, and upheaval. It moves from the top downward. It moves from the head to the feet, within the brain, from the brain to the brain membrane, and from the brain membrane to the cranium. From there, it consumes the hair and, as it enters the nose, it causes a profusion of mucus. It then enters the fat, joints, jaws, and forehead, consuming the roots of the teeth. There are ten further species of worms that cause vomiting and live in the throat and neck. They consume nasal mucus, move in the saliva, and cause severe vomiting. Within the ten channels of vital fluids live the worms intoxicated by sweetness, the utterly intoxicated, those that crave the six tastes, those that cry out, those opposed to taste, those that enjoy sleeping, and the bulky. The ten worms born from blood and that live in the flesh are the hair eater, the sosura,602 the jantumandarava, the audumbara, the grasper, the hair protector, the worm infuriated by blood, the blood consumer, the limb shaker, and the sour one. All those worms have no legs and are small, but with a developed appearance. The worms born from blood have no eyes and they cause rashes and perforation. The ten types of worms that live in the flesh are [F.147.b] the wound provoker, the cuncuraga, the muscle traveler, the vein biter, the skin eater, the fat agitator, the enricher, the stinker, the sweat traveler, and the burner. The ten worms that live in the bile are the jurava, the shaker, the worm that thrives on substance, the common one, the dark one, the great food worm, the warmth traveler, the burner, the worm that decreases heat, and the great fire worm. The worms that live throughout the major and minor body parts are the bone biter, the puller,603 the joint cutter, the stinker, the bone pus species, the red-mouth, the relisher, the skin eater, the ant, and the razor mouth. The ten species of worms that live in excrement are the calf snot, the needle mouth, the ant, the legless one, the excrement disperser, the thirst inducer, the intestine separator, the paralyzer, the fine-color worm, and the excrement digester. The ten species of worms that live in the tendons are the hair dweller, the inactive one, the black mouth, the highly painful one, the obscurer, the fire-colored, the descending worm, the auṭhīngā, the thinker, and the enjoyer. These worms move easily throughout the body, entering all the body’s elements and causing problems throughout the major and minor body parts. The worm-engager wind causes all those worms to move easily within the body, thus causing them to descend. This relates to all the worms that affect my body and life force.’ In this way, examining the worm-engager wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.148.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will continue to apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and so notice that the descending wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and observe, ‘Any disturbance of the descending wind occurs in five ways and along five paths. This wind resides in five places. What are the functions it performs as it resides in those five places? It functions to create the movements of inhalation and exhalation of the breath. This is what in the world is referred to as the life force. Situated in the head and chest, it moves within them and disperses strength to the entire body. If it becomes excessive, it destroys the functions of the body. It causes mucus and cough to move upward through the passage of food from below. Thereby inhalations and exhalations take place in the chest and the heart, which gives rise to intense pleasure. When the wind passes upward, the pleasure will be lost. It moves upward within the cavities of the throat, emerging in the head where it moves to the base of the tongue. When it dwells in the tongue it connects with the cooperating condition of an immediately preceding instant of mind and thus various syllables emerge that facilitate understanding. A third function of this wind is to continuously spread warmth within the body. This, however, can also cause problems. A fourth function of this wind is to permeate and maintain the body. It supports the closing and opening of the eyes and it also resides in the waist, feet, thighs, penis, and colon. [F.148.b] It expands the stomach but causes a deficiency in women. When present in the lowest joint of the backbone it unites semen and blood in females. Then, by stirring forcefully in their legs, it mingles semen and blood. It also causes liquids to move. When food is digested, the fire quality, which is described as a third aspect, causes separation. This wind also takes on various long, short, round, and square forms, which correlate to the body’s manifestations, dimensions, and shapes. It is also connected to consciousness in various ways. For example, when a woman mixes thick milk and water in a jar and churns the liquid, it first causes a froth to form, which subsequently solidifies and turns into butter. This resembles the way that this wind combines with all the afflictions within the body. As for the fifth function, when that which is eaten, drunk, consumed, and ingested comes into contact with the tongue and its cavities, this wind ensures that the flavors, colors, and smells of the food are distributed throughout the body, from the hair at one end to the nails at the other. When the food-descending wind is disturbed, it acts in five ways that eliminate well-being and it blocks the breath in the upper body. This causes great disturbances throughout the body, and may even lead to loss of the body, which is the third kind of disturbance. [F.149.a] All faculties and cognitions become disturbed and even the body may be lost. When the body is lost, three factors are destroyed: life force, warmth, and consciousness. A verse speaks of this:

“ ‘There is also a second effect when this wind is disturbed. One’s breath will be short, and one will be unable draw any long breaths. This will cause great discomfort throughout the body, and the body may be even be lost as a result. There is also a third effect when this wind is disturbed. All faculties and cognitions will become distracted to the extent that one may fall unconscious and even abandon the body. There is also a fourth effect when this wind is disturbed. Occasionally, one may draw a breath so forceful or weak that the body is relinquished. Alternatively, without dying, one may continue breathing in an unconscious state.’ In this way, with knowledge of the descending wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then wonder about the effects when other winds are disturbed. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the completing wind is present in his body, both sustaining604 and endangering the body. This wind also supports the mindstream. If this wind is disturbed, it scatters the mind and can harm the consciousness even if one is trained. It disturbs what one hears and sees. One’s ears will no longer hear [F.149.b] and one may also become insensitive to smell, taste, and touch. Nor will one be able to cognize any mental phenomena. One will be unable to distinguish between oneself and others. In this way, with knowledge of the completing wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that ruins the mindstream is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the wind that ruins the mindstream is disturbed, all the conduits along which the mind moves will be ruined, disturbed, paralyzed, withered, diverted, and deflected. I will also become unable to process the food that I eat. My mind will be distracted, and I will not delight in factors of virtue. I will constantly sweat, and froth will form at my mouth. I will be unable to tolerate cold objects. The forms that I see will be blurred. My body will feel heavy and sapped of strength. My body will deteriorate severely.’ In this way, examining the wind that ruins the mindstream, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.150.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The agitator wind is present in my body. When this wind is disturbed, I will perceive myself engaging in activities in my dreams and thus, while asleep, I will experience delusions. The warmth within my body will be overpowered by cold. I will perceive cities and houses as if they were uninhabited. I will become pale and my physical and verbal actions will be few. I will be unable to find any comfort in bed. I will not have any real interest in anything that I have access to. The great elements within me will be unbalanced. All the physical elements that I consume, as well as what I say, will be stuck in the area of my heart and I will experience an abrupt loss of consciousness. I will suddenly encounter heaps of illnesses. However, if that wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the agitator wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The eye-blinking wind is present in my body. If this wind is disturbed, I will become unable to open or close my eyes. [F.150.b] This swift wind will then move throughout my major and minor body parts, passing through all my channels, rendering my faculties incapacitated and weak, and making me unable to see anything. Yet, if the eye-blinking wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the eye-blinking wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Five mutually conflicting winds arise at the time of death. What are the effects of those winds when either disturbed or in balance at the time of death? If disturbed, my eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind will cease engaging their objects, which are form, sound, smell, taste, texture, and mental phenomena. But if those winds are not disturbed, I will not die quickly.’ In this way, examining the five mutually conflicting winds, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The womb-dwelling wind is present in my body. Because of this wind, when I am initially born within the womb, I may lose my life within the oval embryo stage due to ordinary karmic conditions. If I succeed in living through the stage of the oval embryo, I will also not die during the oblong or lumpy embryonic stages. [F.151.a] In that case I will not die until all the different features of my body have fully developed. I will not die when all my major and minor body parts are still developing. I will die only after my faculties have fully formed. If I engaged in severe acts of killing in past lives, I may die very quickly in the present life, even within the womb. However, if I did not take the lives of others in past lives, I will not experience such extremely premature death.’ In this way, examining the womb-dwelling wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the womb-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When the womb-destroyer wind is disturbed, I will be ruined by circumstances of sexual misconduct. After I have been born within the womb, it may cause me to become a female or a neuter. It will cause such a transformation within the womb due to flawed actions in the past. However, when the womb-destroyer wind is not disturbed due to the conditions of previous misdeeds, no such ailments in the form of transformation within the womb will occur.’ In this way, examining the womb-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.151.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The wind that causes going, coming, running, and jumping may be either disturbed or in balance. If disturbed, it may cause my body to become bent over, my arms may curl up, I may develop a hunchback, or I may become unable to move from one place to another. I may become unable to move in order to eat, or to visit new places or parks. It will also put a damper on my physical faculties and my mind. However, if this wind is not disturbed, it will enable my body to move about. I will be able to run, jump, and climb.’ In this way, examining the wind that causes going, coming, running, and jumping, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Five different winds are responsible for the functioning of my eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. A single wind is present in the four great elements that coexist with the eyes. It is classified as wind because it is highly agitating. If my eyes are clear, the four great elements in them will also be clear, and so I will be able to see forms. Likewise, another wind that is present in the ears enables me to apprehend sounds. [F.152.a] The way the nose registers smells is also like this, powered by a wind, and this is also the case with the perception of taste by the tongue and textures by the body.’ With knowledge of those five winds he thereby develops a correct understanding of the body. However, if the five winds are disturbed, the faculties become incapable of perceiving their objects in the ways just mentioned. In this way, examining the five winds that reside in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the ant wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the ant wind is highly turbulent at the time of my death, my skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, and essential fluids will dry out. This will create shaking and agitation. As the elements of my body dry up at the time of death, I will suffer. Even if thousands of ants made of red-hot iron were to infiltrate my body, that sensation would not even compare to one sixteenth of that agony. However, if this wind is not turbulent with such tremendous force at the moment of dying, the power of my past positive actions will save me from such terrible agony.’ [F.152.b] In this way, examining the ant wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the needle wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the needle wind is disturbed at the time of my death, my entire body‍—my joints, vital points, muscles, sinew, gut, hair follicles, flesh, marrow, and bones‍—will hurt as if it were pierced by needles. Even if many hundreds of thousands of glowing needles were stuck in my body, that would not compare to as much as one sixteenth of that pain. However, if the needle wind does not become excessively powerful at the time of my death, due to the splendor of my past positive actions, then such excruciating sensations will not occur.’ In this way, examining the needle wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.153.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the bile-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the bile-destroyer wind is disturbed, the bile in my stomach will be spoiled and dry up. My body will lack luster; my nails, eyes, and mouth will turn yellow; and my belly will dry up. Blue and yellow lines will appear on my upper abdomen. I will have no strength. I will be unable to digest whatever I eat. I will have a bitter taste in my mouth. My urine will be dark yellow. My entire body will dry out and it will appear blue, yellow, and greenish blue. Moreover, I will be unable to stand up. My belly will constantly make noises. However, if the bile-destroyer wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the bile-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. [F.153.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the intestine-separator wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the intestine-separator wind is disturbed, as I eat and the food goes past my tongue, my palatal605 bones and my throat will be injured as the food passes into my body. As the food enters the intestines, my belly will swell and become very large. I will become almost unable to partake of any food, drink, nourishment, or sustenance. Lacking food, I will lose my strength. My arms and legs will swell. My private parts will itch, and this stinging will be ongoing. My entire body, including the mouth, will dry up. I will not have any happy dreams. The wind will not give my intestines even a moment’s rest. However, if the intestine-separator wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will develop.’ In this way, examining the intestine-separator wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. [F.154.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the phlegm-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the phlegm-destroyer wind is disturbed, I will talk be talkative,606 nervous, inarticulate, and my training in concentration will be sleepy and drowsy. My tongue will feel heavy and I will develop diseases of the throat. Anything I put in my mouth will be unable to pass beyond the point on my throat where the beard grows, and will then be vomited out of my mouth accompanied by a foul smell and anguish. I will experience strong hunger and thirst, and I may even suffocate. However, if the phlegm-destroyer wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the phlegm-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The marrow-destroyer wind is present in my body. When that wind is disturbed, I will tremble and even the slightest work will be exhausting. I will become chronically ill. My facial appearance will become unpleasant and my body will be broken. I will be unable to speak much, and my mind will be unstable. [F.154.b] Day and night, all the bones in my body will ache. The hair on my body will stand on end. All my faculties will become afflicted with disease. My head will also be in continuous agony. This wind will cause the worms that live in my head to enter inside the head and circulate within it. This will cause a feeling as if my head were being pierced by needles. However, if the marrow607-destroyer wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the marrow-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the skin-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the skin-destroyer wind in my body is disturbed, my skin will lose its color. My whole body will become crude and rough, looking like the hide of an elephant, and numerous spots will appear all over it. All of my limbs will perspire incessantly and profusely. When asleep, my body will be agitated. I will be unable to stretch; if bent, I will not be able to stretch out. [F.155.a] In my dreams I will see pits, abysses, and horrific colors. Even if my food and sustenance is warm, it will seem cold when I swallow it. My tongue will form fissures and I will become unable to swallow food. However, if the skin-destroyer wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the skin-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The blood-destroyer wind is present in my body. If that wind is disturbed, the blood that runs in my liver will become impure and separate into two currents, one moving upward and the other downward. The upward-moving current will reach my nostrils, eyes, and ears and destroy the bloodstreams there. As the blood is spoiled, it will cause all the internal elements to go out of balance and all my major and minor body parts will lack vigor. My ears will no longer function, and I will become unable to walk about. My nostrils will have an unpleasant smell. When I practice pure conduct, when I go to refresh myself I will feel weak and not socialize with others. [F.155.b] When the downward-moving blood splits off it will destroy my anus and penis, and blood will leak out of my penis during sex. My anus will be upset by contractions and my intestines will be weak. The vital fluids will create very painful hemorrhoids and the blood will also cause severe diarrhea.’ In this way, examining the blood-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the flesh-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the flesh-destroyer wind is disturbed, my flesh will be crude and lack moisture. My flesh will have an unpleasant and rough appearance and be prone to severe disease. My flesh will be smelly, and spots of dry skin will develop everywhere, all of them emitting a foul smell. I will produce an overabundance of urine. Although I will be able to tolerate cold foods, even the mere mention of warm things or hot water will seem unbearable. I will not be able to tolerate hot food and will only ingest cool, sweet, and light food. Everywhere on my body, the flesh will become putrid, smelly, and oozing with discharge.’ [F.156.a] In this way, examining the flesh-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder what other winds are present in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the fat-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering how this wind may behave when disturbed, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye, and he will then notice, ‘The fat-destroyer wind may cause a profusion of fat, such that various body parts are burdened, swollen, impaired, suppressed, hardened, pale, and become insensitive. However, if this wind is not disturbed, none of those ailments will occur.’ In this way, examining the fat-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the bone-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, ‘If disturbed, it will cause my bones to become deformed, my jaw will dislocate, and I will be unable to sleep, whether by day or night. [F.156.b] I will feel an intense pain in my bone marrow and my whole body will be contorted. My muscles will lack volume and hardness. I will become pale and constantly feel depressed, all of which causes constant physical exhaustion. I will not feel well for as long as the wink of an eye.’ In this way, examining the bone-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the semen-drier wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the semen-drier wind is disturbed, I will become confused. When in bed at night, I will constantly dream about women. Ordinary people will grow lustful as they conceive of such images and they will then engage in amorous activities due to this error. Because of this wind, they will then ascribe reality to the perception of such ghostlike and unreal women who are intent on causing harm. This wind also prevents the digestion of food.’ In this way, examining the semen-drier wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.157.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the shriveling wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the shriveling wind is disturbed, it will enter my feet, foot soles, kneecaps, tail bone, back, ribs, breasts, neck, shoulders, head, ears, and eyebrows. As it enters all my major and minor body parts, my entire body will shrivel up. It will become entirely wrinkled and thick. I will become depressed and confused. My feet will also crack open. Even if I rub my skin with fresh butter608 or mustard oil, the place where I apply the grease will remain dry and derelict.’ In this way, examining the shriveling wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the hair-whitening wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, [F.157.b] ‘If the hair-whitening wind is disturbed, my hair will become white even if I am in the prime of youth. Even though I am young, I will become drained of strength as if I were old. In other childish, ordinary people this may also occur due to food. Although one is a child one may appear just like an old person. This may occur to those in the prime of youth. Even children may in this way come to appear like old people. The force of the hair-whitening wind causes even those in the prime of youth to become old‍—such is its power. This hair-whitening wind does not occur in the age of excellence. In the age of strife, however, when most people are unrighteous, the hair-whitening wind will grow and intensify, corresponding to the number of unrighteous people.’ In this way, examining the hair-whitening wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the harmony-destroying wind, which destroys harmony, is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If this wind is disturbed, my digestion will be poor, and I will become angry at my loved ones and friends. I will fall asleep during the day and I will feel upset. [F.158.a] I will also become unable to eat sweet foods. Instead, I will want to eat pungent and sour foods. These irritants will make me prone to fierce anger. I will feel tired even if I have not performed any daily activities.’ In this way, examining the harmony-destroying wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that destroys residual urine is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the wind that destroys residual urine is disturbed, I will have constant pain in my penis, throughout day and night. I will feel like urinating, but I will be unable to do so. I will also lose all strength and my breath will be short. If this condition becomes aggravated, I will also become pale and emaciated.’ In this way, examining the wind that destroys residual urine, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the food-consumption wind is present in his body. [F.158.b] Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the food-consumption wind is disturbed, I will eat four to five times as much as my normal intake. If the wind is severely disturbed, all my strength will be lost even though I eat. I will also become unable to open and close my eyes. When the wind gains strength, it will prevent me from retaining the teachings in my mind.’ In this way, examining the food-consumption wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the upward-moving wind is present in his body.609 Wondering what function this wind may have, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the tooth-extractor wind is disturbed my teeth will become crooked, degenerate, and fall out. My gums, mouth, and lips will become swollen and my palate will turn blue.’ In this way, examining the tooth-extractor wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the uvula-burner wind is present in his body. [F.159.a] Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, ‘If the uvula-burner wind is disturbed, my throat will hurt, burn, swell, and make a wheezing noise.’ In this way, examining the uvula-burner wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the downward-moving wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, ‘If the downward-moving wind is disturbed, most of the food I consume will be decomposed and only very little food will remain pure. When the food remains pure, my skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, vital fluids, and marrow will flourish. But in cases of contamination, wind, bile, and phlegm will become unbalanced. When the upward- and downward-moving winds610 are disturbed, most of my food and wind will be ruined. Only very little will become nutritious.’ In this way, examining the upward- and downward-moving winds, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. [F.159.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the upward-moving wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The upward-moving wind is based at the crown of my head where it may penetrate my skull and pass upward, just like smoke. When I suffer from fever, this wind may break open the crown of my head and pass through there. This can be observed at the top of my head where the wind may move uninterruptedly day and night. All common people can see when that occurs. If this wind is highly disturbed, it will break through the skull and, if it passes through the opening without interruption for three days, one is certain to die.’ In this way, examining the upward-moving wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘If the lung-mover wind is disturbed, my breath will be agitated and all my veins and tendons will shake, becoming disarrayed and adhering to one another. Some will be shortened, and others drawn out. My nostrils will also become blocked and my breathing will become labored.611 I will experience pain as if on the verge of death.’ In this way, examining the ribcage-mover wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.160.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind in the abdomen is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the wind in the abdomen is disturbed this will cause the contraction of many tendons in my arms, legs, back, groin, and elsewhere throughout my body. They will all become intertwined. I will lose consciousness and pass out. That great aggregation of tendons is also called body.’ In this way, examining the wind in the abdomen, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. He will notice that the hair-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the hair-destroyer wind is disturbed within my body, all the hair on my major and minor body parts will be ruined. [F.160.b] They will turn yellow and gray and my limbs will also take on an unpleasant coloration. I will notice that my body hair has deteriorated, but those that have fallen out may still grow back.’ In this way, examining the hair-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the wind of supportive movement. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘The wind of supportive movement is a wind that provides timely strength to the body. It supports ordinary coming and going, bending and stretching. Yet if the movements of this wind in the entire body are stirred up, they will also disturb the movements of the mind and this may cause insanity due to wind. I will become unable to rest in equipoise.’ In this way, examining the supportive wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The sleep-distractor wind is present in my body. [F.161.a] If it stirs, I will fall asleep while listening to the words of the buddhas, yet I will be sleepless when listening to afflictive and unvirtuous matters. My mind will become distracted and at night I will also have improper contemplations. I will speak excessively. When I look around, I will also perceive floating hairs in my vision.’ In this way, examining the sleep-distractor wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence and function of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the impatience wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the impatience wind is disturbed even small matters will make me angry and I will also display my anger. I will also become angry at ordinary people. The hair on my body will stand on end and frustration612 will grow in my heart. Forms nearby will seem to me as if they were far away. I will also misperceive the disks of the sun and moon. Due to the disturbances caused by this wind the moon will look like the sun.’ In this way, examining the impatience wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body. [F.161.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that brings vowels and consonants to the tongue is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘When this wind is disturbed, I will become unable to pronounce the consonants and vowels. Accompanied by613 wind, expressions and syllables are formed with the tongue based on the observations of the mind and mental states. Various expressions and syllables are produced as the wind follows the activities of the mind. In this way consonants and vowels are expressed in numerous ways based on the expressions of the tongue and the wind that creates such syllables. Yet if this wind is disturbed, my tongue will become weak. It may move too fast or I may become mute.’ In this way, examining the wind that brings vowels and consonants to the tongue, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that produces craving for taste is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. [F.162.a] He will then notice, ‘If the wind that produces craving for taste is disturbed, the sweetness worms that are present on the tip of my tongue will create desire. I will want all sorts of desirable, enjoyable, and attractive food, but I will not be able to swallow any of it. When lacking food, I will become unable to rest in concentration. I will find no joy in relation to virtuous qualities. This is due to problems with my body. The body endures due to mutual dependencies, just as when, for example, two sticks support one another. Similarly, the aggregates in cyclic existence endure due to the mutually supportive powers of name-and-form and the power of food. This is similar to the way flour and water mingle to form dough based on their mutual powers. That is how name-and-form endure based on their mutual powers.’ In this way, examining the wind that produces craving for taste, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘When the liver-destroyer wind is disturbed, this will upset the digestion of food during the night and my food will taste sour. For as long as this situation persists, any food I eat will be out of balance. All my major and minor body parts will lack energy [F.162.b] and they will become entangled in a web of sinew.’ In this way, examining the liver destroyer-wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice the wind that pushes excrement upward. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will then notice, ‘That wind causes a foul smell to leak from my mouth and nostrils. It will also cause such a smell to emerge from all the hair follicles on my body hair. Excrement and the contents of my intestines will be transferred into my stomach, thus causing excruciating, burning, and stinging pain throughout my body. I will become unable to digest any food. I will be unable to rest in the joy of concentration. During my daily activities I will be unable to apply myself in virtuous ways.’ In this way, examining the wind that pushes excrement upward, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also notice that the wind that passes through the anus is present in his body. Wondering about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance, he will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye that the wind that passes through the anus is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, [F.163.a] ‘If the wind that passes through the anus is disturbed, I will develop five types of boils and three kinds of hemorrhoids. Based in the anus, the wind will then draw pus from them. I will experience burning pain and be prone to sleep. My muscles and brain will become increasingly afflicted. The warmth in my body will become impaired and my tongue will lose its desire for taste.’ In this way, examining the wind that passes through the anus, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the memory-destroyer wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the memory-destroyer wind is disturbed, my memory will be destroyed. I will be unable to remember what I witnessed before. I will perceive things as if I were blind. I will also have persistent coughs. My body hair will become coarse and my nails will lose their luster. I will experience hot and cold flashes at the same time. I will not even be able to remember what I have eaten.’ In this way, examining the memory-destroyer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“Carefully considering the internal body, [F.163.b] the spiritual practitioner will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the invigorating wind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, then notice, ‘If the invigorating wind is disturbed, most of what I eat and drink will not have any invigorating effect on my body, even if the food that I ingest is extremely nutritious. The disturbing influence of this wind will render my body as if poisoned.’ In this way, examining the invigorating wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that strengthens body and mind is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘From the time of the womb onward, this wind makes the mind flourish. By the force of this wind it becomes clear to the mind what should and should not be done. I become aware and able to remember things that I did a long time ago. [F.164.a] My going and coming about will not be impeded. I will have sensations of cold, warm, hunger, and thirst. My body will be firm, and I will not grow white hair prematurely.’ In this way, examining the wind that strengthens body and mind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that destroys the throat and speech is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the wind that destroys the throat and speech is disturbed, extraneous causes will influence the natural constitution of my body. The stirring of this wind may cause muteness or loss of hearing. My hands may also contract, I may develop a hunchback, or I may become blind. Such diseases will develop. Yet if that wind is not disturbed, none of that will occur.’ In this way, examining the wind that destroys the throat and speech, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. [F.164.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice that the wind that causes coughing during sleep is present in his body. Wondering what function this wind may have when either disturbed or in balance, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice, ‘If the wind that causes coughing during sleep is disturbed, I will have erratic dreams. All childish people will also experience serious auditory delusions. It will also feel as if my joints are being penetrated. It will take a long time to fall asleep.’ In this way, examining the wind that causes coughing during sleep, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The warmth-retainer wind is present in my body. For all living beings, this wind prevents physical deficiencies. It is known as the life force of all living beings because it causes the mind to adhere to the body and serves as the support for consciousness. If this wind is disturbed, it kills all living beings.’ In this way, examining the warmth-retainer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the function of other winds in his body when either disturbed or in balance. [F.165.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The wind that swirls throughout the entire body prevents the development of an otherwise healthy fetus, causing damage or destruction. It makes the fetus short, decrepit, and contracted.’ In this way, examining the wind that constricts the entire body, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘The skin-maintainer wind is present in my body. Associating with the external wind, it enables sensation and is felt as cold, warm, mild, rough, powerful, appropriate, or timely.’ In this way, examining the skin-maintainer wind, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder about the presence of other winds in his body. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will notice, ‘As seen with the divine eye of those who are free from affliction, who cannot be lured by extraneous flaws, who have crossed the precipices, and who see reality as it is, there are no further winds. This is the full amount of winds contained in the body. This is the collection of winds. This is the full extent of the aggregate of winds and the worms. Through these two, the faculties that observe the elements [F.165.b] can apprehend the body with its karmic action and affliction and the way it is injured.’

“And so the spiritual practitioner examines the last of the winds, and upon seeing the entire body, he becomes free from desire for pleasures. He is not bound by the craving that accompanies lustful desire. He does not remain within the realm of the māras. He abides within the limit of the transcendence of suffering. He conquers the darkness of beginningless engagement with desire, anger, and ignorance. The sun of wakefulness shines. He has no doubts and is beyond all pitfalls. He is not led astray by afflictive sounds, textures, tastes, forms, or smells. He does not fail to see the real condition of the objects. He correctly sees that the three realms in their entirety consist in impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and absence of self.

“In this way, the brahmins and householders in the town of Nālati, as well as the mendicant spiritual practitioners, developed a correct understanding of the body. They developed delight in the application of mindfulness to the body. They understood how phenomena arise and disintegrate. They were not let astray by others. They examined the entire body and comprehended bondage and liberation.

“The spiritual practitioner, though, will keep examining further aspects of the body’s destruction, depletion, waning, and ruin. He will wonder, ‘How is this body destroyed? It comes to nothing at the time of death. How are the worms injured and destroyed by the winds? [F.166.a] How do the elements become imbalanced? What are the events that come to pass during one’s final time? How does the ascent and descent occur when the worms are injured by the winds?’ In this way, the spiritual practitioner continuously examines his own body.

“At the time of death, all the worms in the elements become disturbed. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will consider, ‘First the worms are destroyed by the winds, and then I die. When all my conditioned factors are destroyed and I die, I will experience excruciating and intense agony.’

“As he examines matters more closely, he will then notice, ‘The worms in the brain are expelled from the head and destroyed and killed by the wind that is based in the nails. The worms that move in the head and neck are destroyed by the winds that are based in the sides of my feet. The worms that live in the skull are destroyed by the wind that causes loss of consciousness. The hair-consuming worms are destroyed by the bone-breaker wind. The worms that live in the ears are destroyed by the wind that inhibits movement. The worms covered in mucus are destroyed by the wind that permeates the ankles. The worms that live in the fat are destroyed by the wind that injures the hips. The worms that consume the joints, jaw, and mucus are destroyed by the wind that injures the joints. The worms that consume the dental roots are destroyed by the wind that injures the liver and brings sleep.

“ ‘The ten types of worms that live in my throat and chest are gradually destroyed as follows. [F.166.b] The worms that consume nasal mucus are destroyed by the winds that increase well-being. The vomit-inducing worms are destroyed by the movement-stopper wind within the ten channels in which the vital fluids run. The worms intoxicated by sweetness are destroyed by the wind that brings the joints into disorder. The worms that crave the six tastes are destroyed by the winds that injure body hair, nails, and excrement. The worms that cry out are destroyed by the wind that stops vital fluids. The worms opposed to sweetness are destroyed by the wind that causes aging. The worms that enjoy sleeping are destroyed by the bladder-paralyzer wind.

“ ‘Concerning the ten types of worms born from blood, the hair-eater worm is destroyed by the feces-drier wind. The cavity worm is destroyed by the ribcage-impairer wind. The jantumandarava worm is destroyed by the nine-openings disease wind. The audumbara worm is destroyed by the body part-decreasing wind. The jantumandarava and the dripper worms are destroyed by the warmth-extinguisher wind. The hair-protector worms are destroyed by the wind that makes the entire body cold. The blood-consumer worms are destroyed by the destabilizing wind. The sour worms are destroyed by the burner wind. These worms are legless, short, born from blood, blind, cause rashes, and bore their way forward. At the place and time of my death, all of them will be destroyed by the winds [F.167.a] and thus my blood will dry up. When they die, fierce and excruciating pain will follow as the blood dries up.

“ ‘At the time of ordinary people’s death, when they have to let go of their friends, companions, associates, children, spouse, possessions, and enjoyments, they will be struck by an intense fear of dying created by their craving. This occurs due to the bonds that tether their base and ignorant minds. Without a protector, they are left with nothing but their own Dharma and non-Dharma as their physical and mental suffering consumes all the blood in their major and minor body parts.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘What are the further species of worms, and what type of suffering might I feel when the winds destroy the worms?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Concerning the ten species of worms that live in the flesh, the wound provoker is destroyed by the gatherer wind. The cuncuraga worm is destroyed by the upward- and downward-moving winds, and the muscle-traveler worm is destroyed by the life force wind. When that wind departs, people die. The worm that perforates the veins is destroyed by the closing wind. The skin-cutter worm is destroyed by the wind that ruins the mind. The fat-agitator wind is destroyed by the agitator wind. The enricher worm is destroyed by the eye-blinking wind. [F.167.b] The stinker worm is destroyed by the five winds that cause death due to the stirring of the five mutually conflicting winds.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘At the time of my death, which winds destroy the worms that live in sweat?’ Having understood this with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will likewise examine the worms that live in bile. The spiritual practitioner will then notice that the jurava worm is destroyed by the womb-developer wind. This is the wind that enables human activities and distinctive features to develop. The shaker worm is destroyed by the womb-destroyer wind. This is the wind that saps human strength. It also causes a saffron-colored, sour substance to emerge from the mouth. It can also cause one to become a woman. The kuśi flower worm is destroyed by the wind that causes going, coming, running, and jumping. The common worm, the dark one, the great food worm, and the warmth-traveler worm are all destroyed by the five winds associated with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. Likewise, the burner worm is destroyed by the ant wind. The worm that decreases heat is destroyed by the needle wind. The great fire worm is destroyed by the intestine-opener wind.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘At the time of my death, which winds destroy the worms that live in the bones?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Concerning the worms that live throughout my major and minor body parts, [F.168.a] the bone-biter worm is destroyed by the wind that destroys bile. The worm that lives in heat is destroyed by the phlegm-destroyer wind. The joint-cutter and the stinker worms are destroyed by the skin-destroyer wind. The bone pus species is destroyed by the blood-destroyer wind. The red-mouth worm is destroyed by the flesh-destroyer wind. The skin-eater worm is destroyed by the blood-destroyer wind. The ant worm is destroyed by the semen-destroyer wind. The razor mouth worm is destroyed by the wind that creates confusion.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘At the time of my death, which winds destroy the worms that live in excrement?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The sustenance worm is destroyed by the strengthening wind. The needle-mouth worm is destroyed by the sweat-destroyer wind. The ant worm is destroyed by the liver-destroyer wind. The legless worm is destroyed by the fat-destroyer wind. The inactive worm is destroyed by the food-carrying wind. The excrement-disperser worm is destroyed by tooth-extractor wind. The excrement-separator worm is destroyed by the uvula-contractor wind. The intestine-opener worm is destroyed by the downward-moving wind. The worm that causes paralysis in conjunction with digestion is destroyed by the upward-moving wind. The fine-color worm is destroyed by the wind that moves in the chest. [F.168.b] The excrement digestion worm is destroyed by the womb-dwelling wind. When those winds destroy these worms, excrement will dry up. All the elements of the body will wither. Thereby they mutually disrupt and unsettle each other, and shift up and down. In this way, all the elements are disturbed and thus they grow old, rot, and decay. In consequence of such deterioration, people in general, or I myself, will, at the time of death, experience fierce and unusual agony. Those are certain to be experienced by everyone.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will further wonder, ‘At the time of death, which winds destroy my worms?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘Concerning the ten species of worms that live in my bone marrow, the hair dweller is destroyed by the hair-destroyer wind. The black-mouth worm is destroyed by the harmony-creating wind. The inactive worm is destroyed by the sleep-distractor wind. The highly painful worm is destroyed by the impatience wind. The obscurer worm is destroyed by the wind that brings vowels and consonants to the tongue. The fire-colored worm is destroyed by the wind that mixes tastes. The rising worm is destroyed by the liver-destroyer wind. The downward-moving worm is destroyed by the wind that pushes excrement upward. [F.169.a] The auṭhīngā worm is destroyed by the wind that passes through the anus. The thinker and enjoyer worms614 are destroyed by the memory-destroyer wind.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will then think, ‘There is nothing to be seen that is permanent, nothing to be seen that is clean, nothing to be seen that is a self. One previous worm is destroyed by the kidney-destroyer wind. All those worms are destroyed by the winds at the time of death.’ In this way, carefully considering the internal body, the monk overcomes the darkness that he has remained within since time without beginning. He goes forth into the undefiled and ultimate insight, which is unlike anything else, and beyond the world. Among the seven kinds of recollection, the recollection of death is taught as being supreme. It is like this: one recollects the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, divinity, and impermanence.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will wonder, ‘Death brings universal decay, but how many forms of death are there?’ With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘There are four types of death because death may occur from imbalances in the earth element, water element, fire element, or wind element. How does death occur due to imbalances of the earth element? [F.169.b] When the earth element is disturbed, the winds will cause the earth element to become hard and rigid. All the major and minor body parts are harmed, crushed and turn putrid. The winds will collide and press against one another. As an example, imagine that a lump of butter is placed between two vajra mountains that gradually are pushed against each other by the power of the wind. How could that lump of butter retain any substantiality? Likewise, when the earth element is disturbed, all my major and minor body parts‍—all my elements, the container of skin and sinew, the blood, flesh, fat, bones, marrow, and vital fluids‍—will become like that lump of butter. Constantly and continuously squeezed from all sides, they will be broken down completely. It is indeed painful when my elements are ravaged in this way.

“ ‘Whether they recollect the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, if those who are at the end of their lives continuously maintain such reference points with a proper attitude, then even such ordinary people will all be able to achieve a rebirth that resembles the reference points they kept in mind. The imprint of a seal emerges in accordance with seal itself. In the same way, those who are at the end of their lives will at the time of death secure a rebirth that is in accordance with their state of mind. Birth and death occur due to the monkey mind.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, [F.170.a] ‘How do ordinary people die based on imbalances in the water element?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘When my water element becomes disturbed, all my major and minor body parts‍—the cocoon of sinew, all the elements, and the skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, marrow, and vital fluids‍—will be taken615 and dissolve. Such events will definitely come to pass for me and all ordinary people. They will be taken616 and become agitated by one another. Just as with the previous example of the two mountains, if a lump of butter is thrown into the ocean and destroyed by winds over time, it will not endure. Nothing can save it. Nothing will remain of it and it cannot last. Such is the excruciating suffering that will happen to me due to the water element.

“ ‘Whether they recollect the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, if those who are at the end of their lives continuously maintain such reference points with a proper attitude, then even such ordinary people will all be able to achieve a rebirth that resembles the reference points they kept in mind, as if they were the imprint of a seal. The imprint of a seal emerges in accordance with the seal itself. Likewise, those who are at the end of their lives will, at the moment of death, achieve a rebirth that accords with their state of mind. This is because the monkey mind is what determines one’s rebirth at the time of aging and death.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘How does death occur due to imbalances in the fire element at the moment of death?’ [F.170.b] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘If the fire element is disturbed at the time of my death, all my major and minor body parts‍—the entire cocoon of veins and sinew, all my elements, my skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, marrow, and vital fluids‍—will be burned, cooked, broiled, heated, and set ablaze. For example, if a lump of butter is thrown into a great pile of khadira embers, it will be burned, cooked, set ablaze, and boiled. Likewise, since my whole body resembles a lump of butter, my body at the final moment of death will suffer from heat.

“ ‘Whether they recollect the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, if those who are at the end of their lives continuously maintain such reference points with a proper attitude, then even such ordinary people will all be able to achieve a rebirth that resembles the reference points they kept in mind, as if they were the imprint of a seal. The imprint of a seal emerges in accordance with the seal itself. Likewise, at the moment of death, those who are at the end of their lives will achieve a rebirth that accords with their state of mind. This is because the monkey mind is what determines one’s rebirth at the time of aging and death.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also wonder, ‘How does death occur due to imbalances in the wind element?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘If the wind element is disturbed at the time of my death, [F.171.a] all my major and minor body parts‍—the entire cocoon of sinew, all the elements, and the skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, marrow, and vital fluids‍—will deteriorate, wither, harden, and damage each other. Everything from my toenails to my head will be ground to dust. For example, if a lump of butter is buffeted by wind, over time it will break down, dry out, and harden. In the midst of space, its various fragments will grind one another to dust. Likewise, when the wind element is disturbed at the time of my death, I will experience the suffering of craving sensations in my dying body.

“ ‘Whether they recollect the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, if those who are at the end of their lives continuously maintain such reference points with a proper attitude, then even such ordinary people will all be able to achieve a rebirth that resembles the reference points they kept in mind, as if they were the imprint of a seal. The mind at death, during the final moments of existence, is like a seal that shapes one’s future birth as if it were its imprint. This is because the body is shaped by the monkey mind and thus the time of death serves as the basis for one’s rebirth. In this way, four aspects of death follow from disturbances of the four great elements.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers and attends to the internal body will also see the impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and absence of self with respect to all sentient beings. [F.171.b] With this understanding, he does not remain before the māras, but finds himself within the reality of the transcendence of suffering. He is not led astray by desirable sounds, textures, tastes, forms, or smells that involve affliction. He is not bound by the craving that accompanies lustful desire. He is free from the dust of the afflictions. He is safe from all precipices. He is not distracted by forms or smells. He does not arouse any excitement over appearances. He does not arouse any excitement over youthfulness. He does not arouse any excitement over being alive. He is not fond of gatherings. He does not constantly visit cities, nor is he fond of the city. He fears the terrors of death. He is apprehensive of even subtle unwholesomeness. He develops correct knowledge of the body. He understands phenomena that are subject to birth and death. He becomes free from desire for afflictive pleasures. He does not become indolent. He takes continuous delight in the sacred Dharma.”

In this way the Brahmins, householders, and mendicants in the town of Nālati carefully considered the internal body.

“How do spiritual practitioners engage in practice? Monks, spiritual practitioners consider the internal body by means of external phenomena. When they see external phenomena, they carefully consider the internal body. They first examine seeds, noticing that they give rise to sprouts. From sprouts grow stems, [F.172.a] from stems come petals, from petals grow flowers, and from the flowers come fruits. In the same way, spiritual practitioners understand their own internal nature. They first notice how the seed-like consciousness accompanied by karmic action and afflictions descends into the semen. From the semen comes the oval shape, from the oval shape emerges the oblong, from the oblong comes the lumpy, and from the lumpy develops the fivefold protrusion of the two legs, two arms, and the head. Based on those five protrusions, the faculties become fully developed. Thus, successive stages lead to aging and death.

“A spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the external body and attends to it will also notice that while initially seeds are green, they later become gray and old, and in the end they disappear completely. Likewise, this body is initially that of an infant, but the infant grows up, the adult ages, and after aging, the body will also disappear entirely.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the external body and attends to it will further wonder, ‘How do external seeds appear and how do trees and forests grow from the ground?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that all these phenomena mutually serve as each other’s causes and conditions. All external and internal conditioned factors arise by their mutual power. This goes for everything except three factors: [F.172.b] analytical cessation, non-analytical cessation, and space. How do phenomena appear based on their mutual power? Ignorance serves as the condition for formation, formation is the condition for consciousness, consciousness is the condition for name-and-form, name-and-form are the conditions for the six sense sources, the six sense sources are the conditions for contact, contact is the condition for sensation, sensation is the condition for craving, craving is the condition for grasping, grasping is the condition for becoming, becoming is the condition for birth, and birth is the condition for aging and death, agony, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and exhaustion. Thus emerges this great heap of nothing but suffering.

“Monks, when ignorance ceases, formation ceases; when formation ceases, consciousness ceases; when consciousness ceases, name-and-form cease; when name-and-form cease, the six sense sources cease; when the six sense sources cease, contact ceases; when contact ceases, sensation ceases; when sensation ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when grasping ceases, becoming ceases; when becoming ceases, birth ceases; and when birth ceases, aging and death, agony, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and all manner of misery come to an end. Thus, this great heap that is nothing but suffering ceases. In this way, all these phenomena serve as each other’s conditions. Whether external or internal and personal, phenomena give rise to one another. [F.173.a]. The spiritual practitioner thinks, ‘The external phenomena are just like the internal phenomena, and the internal phenomena are just like the external phenomena.’ In this way, he carefully considers the internal body, just as he carefully considers the external body in the correct way. This is how spiritual practitioners cognize external and internal phenomena. At first, they for a while consider how phenomena develop in Jambudvīpa. Next, they discern the single teaching that clarifies the state of their own internal phenomena. Thereby they carefully identify individual phenomena and understand their particular qualities, such as their suitability and other properties.617 They notice how the entire mass of living creatures comes about due to outer and inner conditions, and they see how external factors influence their own internal mind and mental states.

“Here, one may wonder, ‘Do external phenomena make internal phenomena flourish such that they become extremely clear, or do internal phenomena make external phenomena flourish such that they become extremely clear?’ In that regard, external phenomena may make internal phenomena flourish because when spiritual practitioners possess a dwelling, bedding, and medical supplies, they will take joy in virtuous qualities. On the other hand, when they lack a dwelling, medical supplies, and daily requisites they will not take any joy in virtuous qualities. In this way, phenomena give rise to one another, depend on one another, produce one another, [F.173.b] and are effects of one another. Apart from this, there is no other agent or anything that is permanent, stable, enduring, or unchanging. Nor is anything produced by any causally productive “absence of causes.” Even with the greatest effort no such thing can be seen.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘How do all beings who are born in the three realms experience a flourishing of their own inner properties due to a single external activity?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice, ‘The single factor that pertains to all beings born through formation is sustenance. This is of four types: material food, attention, contact, and joy. In the realm of desire, these types of sustenance serve as seeds, and thus these external forms of sustenance enhance one’s own internal facility in concentration.’

“Upon initially examining external phenomena, the spiritual practitioner will wonder, ‘How are internal phenomena maintained by external phenomena?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the age of excellence those causes, conditions, or bases that constitute all beings’ sustenance are endowed with eight aspects. What are the eight? Pleasant sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and smells, as well as pleasant vital fluids, and agreeable colors and shapes. Whenever there is an increase of external phenomena in the form of dwellings, medical supplies, and other requisites, the body will flourish. At that time, one will delight in one’s own internal virtuous qualities. [F.174.a] In this way the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the external body and attends to it.

“Whenever bees, meat flies, small ants, and the like do not cause trouble to the body, one will be inclined toward one’s own internal phenomena. Whenever cold, heat, rain, and the like do not cause discomfort to the body, one will develop fondness for one’s own internal phenomena. Whenever one hears desirable, attractive, and delightful sounds, one will take joy in one’s own internal phenomena. Whenever one smells desirable, attractive, and delightful scents, one will take joy in one’s own internal phenomena. Whenever cold, heat, rain and the like do not cause harm to the body, one will take joy in one’s own internal phenomena. Whenever the five faculties flourish due to the five external sense sources, the five inner sense sources will flourish. In this way, carefully considering the body and attending to it through the external body, sons of noble family who truly adhere to the Great Vehicle, or noble hearers, develop accurate knowledge of the body.

“Moreover, when the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the external body and attends to it, he will also delight in his own six collections of consciousness. With the help of knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that if external phenomena do not cause trouble, his own internal phenomena will be in balance and thus he will take joy in phenomena. What are the six collections of consciousness? They are the eye consciousness, [F.174.b] the ear consciousness, the nose consciousness, the tongue consciousness, the body consciousness, and the mind consciousness. One’s own internal phenomena and external entities mutually depend on and accompany each other. For example, when a bird flies through the sky, its shadow follows it wherever it goes. Likewise, one’s own internal entities always depend on external ones. If the body flourishes, the mind will not deteriorate. All these things stand in mutual dependency and arise due to conditions. In this way, the spiritual practitioner realizes that all phenomena without exception are impermanent, unstable, fleeting, and subject to change.

“Moreover, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also notice how the lifespans of humans in Jambudvīpa shorten and increase. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the age of perfection all humans have descended from the god realm of Luminosity and therefore consume medicinal plants for their food. Just as ambrosia is the food of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, so humans during the age of perfection have virtuous minds and are nourished by medicinal plants that have excellent color, scent, form, and texture. Because these flawless humans are sustained by such food, they achieve a lifespan of eighty-four thousand years. [F.175.a] There are three classes of disease‍—associated with hunger, thirst, and desire‍—but these humans are excellently nourished and do not develop diseases.

“In the second age618 the properties of earth decrease, and the minds of humans likewise come to lack virtuous qualities. All manner of diseases manifest among human beings. They will suffer from hunger, thirst, untimely death, and heat. Nevertheless, the external nourishment is still enough to keep humans in Jambudvīpa alive and free from disease.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also wonder about the complexion and lifespan of human beings during the third age.619 With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the third age the properties of earth further diminish and a number of diseases manifest. Due to flaws in their food, humans become afflicted with diseases associated with wind, bile, and phlegm. The spiritual practitioner will notice the entire mass of conditioned factors that manifest when external sustenance causes the inner sense sources to flourish. In this way, he correctly considers the influence of external factors on the body.

“Moreover, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will wonder, ‘What is the food of humans in Jambudvīpa during the fourth age of strife?’ With insight derived from hearing, he will then notice that during the age of strife, the humans in Jambudvīpa eat wild millet, barley broth, fish, grains, and roots, yet the taste of their food generally decreases. The humans of that time suffer continuously from disease [F.175.b] and they age prematurely. The humans of the age of strife have no strength.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also wonder, ‘What are the developments with respect to human lifespan and size during the first age of fourfold perfection?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he then notices that during the age of excellence the humans of Jambudvīpa possess tremendous longevity, living for eighty-four thousand years, and their bodies measure a thousand fathoms.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will likewise wonder about the lifespan of humans in Jambudvīpa during the second age.620 With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the second age humans live for forty thousand years and their bodies measure two hundred fathoms.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also wonder about the lifespan of humans in Jambudvīpa during the third age.621 With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the third age humans live for twenty thousand years and their bodies measure one hundred fathoms.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also wonder about the lifespan of humans in Jambudvīpa during the age of strife. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that during the age of strife an extremely long-living human has a lifespan of one hundred years and the size of their body is up to one fathom. [F.176.a]

“During the deprived age of destruction that follows the age of strife, humans lack the ten virtues. Wondering what the maximum lifespan might be at that time for those who understand what is wholesome, he will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice that during the deprived age of destruction, all the foremost tastes disappear. Salt, yogurt, meat, honey, syrup, sugarcane, and all the grains undergo transformation, and thus the foremost among the sixty varieties of grain and others all disappear. Other types of grain include the red grain, the taste stealer, pataṅga, the gray one, iron power, the enticer, śarika, conch pearl, tūrṇaka,622 lohavāla, kunduvinta, red julaka, the powdery, arjuna, banjaka, dry ruha, ocean kunduruha, the twice-grower, samahasa, the hot one, the awn-less, the rough and hot, yāvaka, the one that grows everywhere, siṃhaḍa, the sinless, the great color, the one that flourishes everywhere, arjuna, the burner, driruha, the magical cut, the mountain-borne, the constant grower, the jointless one, the one that grows in all locations, kālingka, great kālingka, the golden one, the great conch, the easily obtained, bāhiniro, śikhriṇi, the aṅgu-born, sandhavaka, kālavāha, prasivu, vighasa, the giver, iṅgalika, the true, vyāviddha, the unwanted, the blended, [F.176.b] buddhali, power of the sun, the stainless, the Magadha species, ocean foam, velaruha, the equal banjaka, the huskless, the supreme, the warm, the Chinese one, the saffron-colored, the spotted, the intertwined, the assistant’s mind, the strong one, khangkakhanṯika, the mixed, the nectar-dripping chin, and the wheat-colored. Likewise, there are six types of barley: the husky, the chaffless, the mixed, the sweet one, the black one, and the pale. There are also two minor kinds of grain, namely the random ones and the seed grown.

“Similarly, all the most fragrant flowers will disappear during the painful age of destruction. Sesame, kidney bean, flat lentils, the growing, the planted,623 the cultivated, and the uncultivated will also disappear from the environment. The milk of cows and buffalo, as well as grape juice, and all other cherished and desired drinks will disappear. After all those are destroyed, the skin, bones, and marrow of the humans in Jambudvīpa will begin to get slightly colder. Because of the lack of good food, everyone will come to resemble mere skeletons. Therefore, since all external and internal factors stand in mutual dependency, the spiritual practitioner will understand that all conditioned things are subject to destruction and are impermanent, unpleasant, unclean, devoid of a self, and not the work of a creator. [F.177.a] They are not causeless or random, nor are they the product of one, two, three, four, or five creators. Nor are they the product of six causes, as otherwise claimed by non-Buddhists who teach wrong paths. This is how the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body and attends to it from the perspective of the external. In this way, aware of all those developments from the age of excellence through to the age of destruction, he carefully considers the external body and attends to it in the correct manner.

“Next, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will wonder, ‘How do the mountains, rivers, plains, oceans, and so forth, through to Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, all develop and deteriorate within the four human abodes?’

“These are the four human abodes: Jambudvīpa, Godānīya in the west, Kuru in the north, and Videha in the east. There are also the eight great hells, the starving spirits, the animals, and the six classes of gods in the realm of desire. In this way, he carefully considers the external body and attends to it.

“The spiritual practitioner will also examine the mountains, rivers, lands, and borders in the eastern reaches of Jambudvīpa. With knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a mountain known as Anūna in the east of Jambudvīpa. This mountain is ten leagues high. There is yet another mighty mountain there that reaches thirty leagues. Between those two mountains flows the river known as Joyous Higher Realms. There is also the river Kauśika and the river Kośalā, [F.177.b] as well as the lands known as Endowed with Riverbanks and Burning. Kauśika and Kośalā connect the various lands. There is also the land known as Aṇga. The river Burning runs through it, flowing across one hundred leagues. The mountain known as Endowed with Riverbanks measures two hundred leagues. The land of Kauśika contains ten thousand towns. Half of the land of Kośalā is known as Kourava and is adorned by the following species of exquisite trees: nāga, nāḍi, gaurava, jalahinata, tāla, and talo. The spiritual practitioner also sees how the land of Kośalā abounds with fruits of the date palm, jackfruit, and nāḍikekere. The lands of Antelope Dress, Eliminating Ailing Deer, Karṇika, Face of Joy, and Camel Face measure three thousand leagues. Observing these areas, the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the external body and attends to it.

“He will then wonder, ‘Are these all the lands that there are, or are there also other areas that the rivers of Jambudvīpa flow through?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the great river Kṣoṇo, which is half a league wide, descends from the mountain called Meghalati and flows across five hundred leagues of land. Its riverbed is adorned with numerous cliffs.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will then wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains or rivers here in Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice another mountain, known as Solitary, [F.178.a] which is one hundred leagues high and measures five hundred leagues across. The magnificent river known as Red flows from that mountain. Half a league wide, this river descends across five hundred leagues and flows into the sea.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other such rivers in Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the great river Kāverī flows in Jambudvīpa. It is adorned with great flowers, such as ketaka, magnolia, arjunā, kadamba, fresh mālikā, and atimukta. A second river, known as Endowed with Cows, flows through cattle pastures. Both of these rivers are half a league wide and their courses are three hundred leagues long.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there other mountains or rivers in Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that there indeed are other mountains and rivers in Jambudvīpa. The great Ṭakaśobho mountain, which can be scaled by everyone, is surrounded by the sea and measures thirty leagues. The few people who live there are known as the Kinkikirāta, a people who lack affection, are barbaric, and wear antelope skins. Others who live there wear leaves and eat the flesh of elephants that are found by the ocean. [F.178.b] Due to their habituation to meat, they also eat human flesh.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Far beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any mountains or islands in the sea?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the mountain called Endowed with Jewels rises from the sea and is adorned by numerous jewels, such as sapphire, great sapphire, vajra, beryl, musāragalva, crystal, ruby, and sukumārikā. Propelled by their former actions, merchants are blown to that mountain by the wind during the age of excellence. In the ocean beyond that mountain live tens of thousands of great fish, infant-eating crocodiles, and rākṣasīs known as shadow players.

“Still farther away in the ocean lies an island called Golden Walls. The ground there is covered by gold and the island is inhabited by terrifying and ferocious rākṣasas. A farther two thousand leagues out into the ocean stands the Dhiriko mountain with its three peaks. The mountain is seven leagues high, three hundred leagues wide, and adorned with jewels such as sapphire, vajra, beryl, ruby, sukumārikā, great blue sapphire, and musāragalva.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Beyond that mountain, are there any other mountains or seas?’ [F.179.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the great ocean called Black Waters, measuring ten thousand leagues. Here, the asuras frolic with nāga maidens. The nāgas who live in that sea are terrifying to behold. There is also a rākṣasī, called Emerging at the Summit of the Shadows, who catches weak asuras and hurls them into the sea. The ocean of Black Waters abounds with mountains that look like black clouds and are teeming with mahoragas. Seeing all this, the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the external body and attends to it.

“Wondering, ‘Might there be mountains or oceans beyond Black Waters?’ the spiritual practitioner will apply insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then see two oceans called Abounding with Jewels and Red. Those two oceans extend ninety leagues beyond the jambu trees there. This is home to the garuḍa king of birds with his vajra beak. Not quite as far beyond the jambu trees lies the ocean called Blue Waters, which is hundred leagues wide. Within it lives the rākṣasī called Mandehā, who is one mile tall and drifts from one mountain to another within that sea, going wherever there is a mountain.

“Wondering whether there may be any mountains or rivers to be found farther out at sea, the spiritual practitioner will investigate the various regions. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, [F.179.b] he will then see an ocean known as Bright Waters, which is five hundred leagues wide. From that ocean rises the mountain called Draped in Light Rays. A hundred leagues tall and three hundred leagues wide, that mountain is made of silver and adorned with all manner of beautiful jewels and golden lotuses. There is also a lotus pond called Seeing Thousands, which is a hundred leagues deep and three hundred leagues long. Garland-bearer and vessel-bearer gods go there for pleasure and the lake is adorned by divine geese and ducks.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Apart from Bright Waters, are there other majestic mountains or seas, and are there other islands?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the ocean called Great Waves. Five hundred leagues wide, this sea is fed by underground rivers and, as their currents travel upward, the ocean and its islands become stormy. In this way, all sentient beings are ruled by the force of karmic actions. The waves in this sea become two hundred miles high. There is yet another ocean called Waves of the Seas of Jambudvīpa wherein all the fish have horse faces.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Beyond the mountains in Great Waves, are there other mountains or oceans?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the mountain called Single Face that lies to the north of the mountains of Great Waves. [F.180.a] Extending across four hundred leagues, this mountain is adorned with blazing gold and shines like a second sun. Divine mandaravā flowers, kuśeśaya lotuses, and lotuses of beryl grow there, and there are heavenly parks and forests.

“Wondering whether there are other mountains beyond Single Face, the spiritual practitioner will apply insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, and thus he will notice that three thousand leagues to the east lies a moderately high mountain, known as Blazing Gold. Beyond that stands a mountain called Rising, which is situated near the face of Sumeru. This mountain causes the sky in Jambudvīpa to have the color of beryl, while it causes the sky in Videha in the east to have a golden color. Since the face of that mountain appears blue, the sky in Jambudvīpa is seen as blue.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder whether there are other mountains near Rising. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that far beyond Rising, toward Videha in the east, lies a second peak of Mount Sumeru, known as Happy Mind. Made of divine gold from the Jambu River and adorned with golden lotuses, this mountain stands ten leagues tall and is five hundred leagues wide. It is filled with golden trees, deer, birds, trees with foliage of pure gold, and heavenly singers. Garland-bearer gods and triple-lute-bearer gods go there to celebrate. [F.180.b] Encountering the creations of their own former actions‍—be they of low, intermediate, or superior quality‍—they experience their individual shares of karmic ripening as they frequent Mount Happy Mind as well as on the sun-like Mount Rising. Such is this lofty summit of Jambudvīpa, and this is as far as the realm of Jambudvīpa extends in the eastern direction.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘How many rivers, mountains, and stormy seas are there to the south of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice that the Vindhya mountain occupies an area of eight leagues. From this mountain flows the Narmadā River, which is half a league wide and runs a course of two hundred leagues. Highly poisonous nāgas live there, and the river is full of infant-eating crocodiles, as well as other predatory reptiles. A second river, the Wavy, splits off from the Narmadā. There is also a third river, Powerful, along the banks of which grow delightful trees. Another river, Black Swirling, is three leagues deep and runs a course of three hundred leagues until it flows into the sea. The Great Rodhā River is full of highly poisonous nāgas. The mountain known as Malaya is covered with the most delightful sandal trees. Its base covers five hundred leagues while its lofty summit reaches an altitude of three hundred leagues. [F.181.a] The Great Waves River flows from this mountain, one league wide and covering a distance of one hundred leagues before it flows into the sea. The river known as Possessor of Reeds runs through forests with a great variety of trees that abound with birds. This river is one league wide and runs a course of five hundred leagues before reaching the sea.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What else is there to be found in Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the different regions in the land of Melako, each of which covers forty leagues. Second, the land of Tsokala covers fifty leagues and is adorned with trees such as ketaka, nāḍikera, jackfruit, plantain, wood-apple, paruṣaka, vadara, arjuna, and magnolia. There is yet another forest called Chavikaliṅka, which is one hundred leagues tall. This place is adorned with all sorts of young trees and śāli. Farther away comes the land Endowed with Rivers with its beautiful trees and śāli. In its forests live wild animals and tigers, and the murky Daṇḍakāraṇyaṅ River runs a course of twenty leagues.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other rivers or mountains in the south of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the river Godāvarī, one mile wide and two hundred leagues long. [F.181.b] There are also the lands of Tsontva, Madrā, and Ketako, respectively measuring twenty, four thousand, and fifty leagues. All of them abound with cows and buffalo, beautiful trees, and palms. Moreover, in the ocean lies an island, measuring three hundred by five hundred leagues, which is full of karkola trees. Adorned by beautiful trees and featuring very clear water, the Kāberi River, which is a league wide, runs a course of five hundred leagues. In the delightful forests there grow gorgeous karkolakā, naraka, and ketaka trees. This is also where the Bāsa River runs.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any other seas, mountains, or islands?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the sea called Covered by Puḍi, which covers an area of ten thousand leagues. The wind creates no waves there and lotuses grow in the ocean. Past this ocean lies an island that is five hundred leagues across. The island is filled with terrifying, fish-eating rākṣasas. Beyond that island lies the mountain known as Great Power, forty leagues wide, ten leagues tall, and draped with tāla and śāli trees. There the asuras play with nāga girls on the beaches and in the groves. [F.182.a]

“Residing on that mountain, the Four Great Kings examine all of Jambudvīpa on the eighth and fourteenth days. They notice who are respectful of their mothers; who practice the Dharma; who follow the Dharma; who observe the one-day precepts; who have faith in the Buddha; who have faith in the Dharma; who have faith in the Saṅgha; who wage battle with the māras; who are honest; who are generous; who are free from stinginess; who refrain from harming others; who are not ungrateful; who steer clear of nihilism; who practice the ten courses of virtuous action; who belong to the Great Vehicle; who belong to the Hearer Vehicle; who belong to the Vehicle of Solitary Buddhas; who do not become an enemy to their friends; and who steer clear of the wrong views of the non-Buddhists. In this way, residing on the mountain of Great Power, the Four Great Kings examine all of Jambudvīpa.

“If they see that the people of Jambudvīpa are righteous, the Four Great Kings will be delighted and convey the news to Śakra. All the gods, along with their ruler, will rejoice. The forces of the māras will then be waning while the forces of the gods will be flourishing. Hearing that the humans in Jambudvīpa practice virtuous actions and follow the Dharma, all the gods, including their ruler, will rejoice.

“However, if they see that the people of Jambudvīpa are not righteous and do not follow the Dharma, the Four Great Kings will be pained and convey this news to the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, saying [F.182.b] ‘The people of Jambudvīpa are not righteous and do not follow the Dharma. The forces of the māras are on the rise, and the forces of the gods are waning.’ This news will be received with anguish by the gods and their ruler.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any mountains or islands beyond Great Power?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice an island far beyond Great Power that is inhabited by one-legged people. They live on grasses and fruits, live to be fifty years old, wear the leaves of the trees for clothes, and live at the feet of the trees. The land there is full of lions and other such predators that eat human flesh, and there are also ferocious birds. However, because the island has both warm and cool seasons, the weather is pleasant. All the females have dog faces and beautiful voices.

“Beyond that island lies an ocean that extends across twenty thousand leagues. On the far side of that sea rises the mountain called Garland of Plantains. The mountain is made of crystal, beryl, and silver. Golden birds live there and gorgeous mandārava and lotus flowers bloom there throughout the six seasons. Asuras endowed with magical powers frolic and celebrate there, indulging in the delightful sounds, textures, tastes, and scents found there. Five thousand leagues long and a hundred leagues high, [F.183.a] the mountain has fifteen peaks of silver upon which young goddesses come to celebrate. When they do so, they are harassed by the asuras, and this is the original basis for the altercations between the gods and the asuras. Ordinary gods and humans are all under the power of women.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Beyond Garland of Plantains, are there any other mountains, oceans, or islands?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see an ocean far beyond, covering five thousand leagues. In the first thousand leagues live fish, but in the remainder of the five thousand leagues624 live creatures with heads like elephants, buffalo, pigs, camels, lions, tigers, jackals, leopards, monkeys, humans, and numerous other types of sentient beings. Beyond that sea lies the mountain known as Sunny, which features all sorts of pleasures, lotuses of divine substance, and fruits that, when eaten, remain satiating for a week. Kinnaras live their carefree lives there, constantly singing, dancing, and enjoying themselves. Experiencing their respective shares of inferior, intermediate, or superior karmic actions, they befriend one another and play.

“Beyond Mount Sunny the ocean extends for two thousand leagues. There, one finds Mount Kuñjaro, which is made of silver and adorned by heavenly stones of beryl, plates of silver, and other gorgeous stones. On that mountain stands a tree known as the girl tree. [F.183.b] At daybreak young boys are born from that tree. At sunrise they crawl, in the morning they bear the top knot, at noon they are youths, in the middle of the afternoon they are adults, and as the sun begins to set, they become oppressed by aging, using a cane to hold themselves up, with their hair as white as snow. Finally, once the sun has set, they all die. Everyone bears karmic actions and is a being of karmic action. Everyone experiences their own share of karmic actions, depends on karmic action, and experiences things in exact accord with the actions they performed.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Beyond Mount Kuñjaro, are there any other mountains, oceans, or islands?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that within the waters of the ocean, at a farther distance of fifty thousand leagues, lies a place that abounds with a wide variety of jewels. There are platforms of beryl, sapphire, crystal, and other such jewels. Adorned with the seven precious substances, the realm shines with its own natural light and abounds with jewels. There are platforms, mansions, palaces, multistoried buildings, and various smaller houses, all made of gold and gems. This dazzling abode shines like a second sun. The nāga king Takṣaka resides here, experiencing his particular share of karmic actions as he recollects the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. [F.184.a]

“Five hundred leagues beyond Takṣaka’s realm the ocean becomes full of terrifying creatures and extremely ferocious nāgas. Farther away lies a mountain called Abrikṣabho which is teeming with all sorts of beings. On this mountain grow two kinds of sandal trees called gośirṣa and hariśyāmang. These two types of trees are splendid like the sun and no ordinary person can bear looking at them. They are sandal trees for universal monarchs, or other such kings who observe and follow the Dharma. When the leaders of the gandharvas go there they become intoxicated by their fragrance and thus they spend all their time joyfully dancing, singing, and playing music.

“Far beyond that mountain follow five hundred leagues of frothing sea and howling winds. Beyond that stands the mountain known as Triple Horns. One of its three summits is made of gold, another of silver, and the third of crystal. From these three summits flows the clear river called Garlands of Foam, running its course over a bed of powdery gold, along golden banks. This river is adorned with heavenly lotuses and abounds with geese and ducks that call out delightfully. The wind keeps tossing waves against Mount Triple Horns, which kills the weaker among the fish.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains, rivers, or islands in the sea?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, [F.184.b] he will then see that far behind that place lies the world of the Lord of Death, the master of the effects of sentient beings’ karmic actions, which are certain to be experienced, whether they were virtuous or unvirtuous. The Lord of Death is the king of Dharma for he teaches sentient beings by means of the Dharma. This world of the Lord of Death is gloomy because of the delusion and darkness of one’s own mind. Beyond this realm, however, the sky remains cloudless and clear for a hundred leagues. Beyond that lies a joyous realm of the Lord of Death, replete with mansions and arches made of pure divine gold from the Jambu River and adorned with precious jewels. Everywhere lie beautiful rivers, waterfalls, pools, and lotus ponds. This place extends over one hundred leagues and is as resplendent as a second sun.

“Beyond that realm of the Lord of Death, the light of the sun and moon begins to dim, and everything becomes enveloped in darkness until eventually the light of the sun and moon disappears completely. Even in the ocean the light of the sun and moon disappears. The ocean is engulfed in darkness due to the nature of the flawed actions of beings in the vast hell realms. Hence, neither the ocean nor dry land can be seen clearly.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will at this point conclude, ‘Throughout this good land‍—in the cities, forests, rivers, mountains, and oceans; in the world of the gods, the world of animals, and in the world of the starving spirits; above, below, and in the cardinal and intermediate directions‍—there are no beings who do not take birth, die, transmigrate, and take birth again. [F.185.a] There is nothing beautiful that will not disappear, vanish, or be left behind. Nothing is stable, nothing endures, nothing remains unchanged. I see nothing and no one that will not eventually be lost. In this world, there is not even a pinch of anything agreeable or delightful that will not eventually disappear, be lost, be parted from, be taken away, vanish, and cease to be. I see no place where sentient beings do not take birth, die, transmigrate, and take birth again. Therefore, I must urgently free myself from desire for conditioned factors. They are all deceptive. These realms are all fluctuating, and are full of harm, agony, distress, haste, separation, and loss of what was gained. They are like an illusion or a dream. All achievements go to waste. Still, this realm of craving deceives ordinary, childish beings because they have indulged in desire, anger, and ignorance since time without beginning. That is the basis for their inauspicious625 lustful desire. I must therefore rapidly become free from desire for conditioned factors. Childish beings never tire! They are so distracted! They are led astray by things that they cannot keep. I will not play along with childish people.’ In this way, the spiritual practitioner correctly and carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body that is subject to destruction. [F.185.b]

“He will then wonder whether there is even one single being anywhere in the forty abodes who is not at the mercy of karmic action, who is not bound to karmic action, and who does not experience his own share of karmic action. How are everyone’s fortunes determined by their own past actions, be they positive or negative? In this regard, he does not see a single being who does not experience his own share of karmic action, who does not live in the world of karmic action, who does not depend on karmic action. Whether they were positive or negative, one’s own past actions determine one’s present fortunes. In this way, acknowledging the way one’s own past actions are appropriated, the spiritual practitioner correctly and carefully considers the body.

“Next, the spiritual practitioner will wonder, ‘What are the mountains, rivers, islands, and lands to the west of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a land called Kekāpino. It is lush with nutmeg trees, abounds with paṭa trees, and is covered with date palms, adorned with lovely fragrant pine flowers, and studded with malabar leaf trees. It is a land of great rivers with cool waters. The mountains are riddled with caverns. Where the Sindhū River flows lies the lovely land of Suvīra with its beautiful inhabitants and rich stores of red rice. This is a land of mountains and waterfalls. The area called Pāraṭā covers twenty leagues and is a great source of pomegranate wine. West of the land called Enjoyed by Friends are five rivers, and then comes a terrifying sea filled with many different crocodiles. One hundred leagues to the west in that sea lies an island called Kālaka. [F.186.a] Many different birds live there and it possesses the most delightful forests and parks. On that island vidyādharas live and enjoy themselves. They can be found in two extremely delightful locations, one called Varitavaṭṭānang and the other called Braided Shape. The island of Kālaka is filled with mansions, houses, and waterfalls. Beyond it comes an area called Merging of the Sindhū and the Sea. In between the Sindhū and the ocean a mountain called Sukhana rises from the water. Pravāḍa grow there and merchants are excited to gather coral trees.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What are the names of the mountains, islands, and female rākṣasas that can be found in the western sea?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see an ocean with mountains that covers five thousand leagues and is chock-full of fish, some of which are gigantic. The sea is stormy, and the winds cause the fish to swirl up and down in the sea.

“Beyond that ocean the spiritual practitioner will see a delightful island called Abundant Lions. Flying carnivores live there. Their bodies measure a mile and they stalk the place without touching the water or the earth. These beasts live up to a thousand years, surviving in constant animosity and always fighting one another.

“Farther away the spiritual practitioner will see the sea of Ramayo, extending across five hundred leagues. In that sea lotus flowers are in constant bloom and beautiful bees swarm around the centers of the flowers. [F.186.b] Among the lotuses lives the rākṣasī Kulakā, satisfying her hunger with the hearts of the flowers.

“Far beyond that delightful sea, the spiritual practitioner will see the mountain called Ardhamaru, extending across one hundred leagues. This mountain is home to many elephants, as well as kalaviṅka birds whose voices are so sublime that they are matched only by thus-gone ones, or bodhisattvas who have received consecration. No god can compare, nor can any human, kinnara, or asura.

“The spiritual practitioner will then wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains, rivers, or oceans beyond Ardhamaru?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a place, fifty leagues into the ocean past Ardhamaru, that abounds with beryl. In that beryl forest live winged lions and the place is guarded by two rākṣasīs, Mānadehā and Rāmā.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Far beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any other mountains or seas?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see an ocean extending twelve thousand leagues to the west. There are no mountains in that sea, nor are there any other places to visit, yet the sea contains fish with elephant and pig heads.

“On the far side of that sea, the spiritual practitioner will then see a mountain of gold known as Sāra. [F.187.a] The rays of golden light from that mountain give the sea a beautiful golden color. Fifty leagues wide and three hundred leagues high, the mountain is inhabited by a group of gandharvas known as the Joyous Garland of Jambu Gold. They live up to two thousand years but may also die sooner. Many hundreds of thousands of gandharvas live there. Their bodies resemble refined gold, and all of them look like gods. The roots and fruits in the forest of these gandharvas are hard to steal and although some of the subterranean asuras try to harvest and steal them, they are unable to enjoy them.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there other mountains in the sea?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a mountain called Cakravāḍa, which is discovered when a quarter of the sea has been traversed. Five hundred leagues wide and one thousand leagues high, this mountain has a core of vajra and is otherwise made of gold. Occasionally, asuras come to stay on its golden surface. It is also visited by kinnaras who sing delightfully. The mountain abounds with various fruits and is home to numerous monkeys. On this mountain flows the river called Golden Waters. It is full of golden fish and half a league wide.

“Beyond that mountain the spiritual practitioner will see an ocean that extends across ten thousand leagues. In the midst of it lies an island called Isle of Jewels. There, one finds nothing but a variety of precious stones; [F.187.b] there is no ordinary earth or stones. The entire island is made of jewels.

“Next, the spiritual practitioner will wonder if there are any other oceans, mountains, or rivers beyond that island. With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a gray rocky mountain with gray trees, which is surrounded by a frothy sea. This mountain measures five hundred leagues across and is a thousand leagues high.

“As he considers the various lands, the spiritual practitioner will also see that farther away lies a mountain called Sumegha, which is sixty-four leagues wide and a hundred leagues high. Due to the terrors of the asuras, this mountain is empty. Guhyaka gods do live there, but there are no kinnaras or yakṣas. Farther away lies the great mountain known as Suśīmo. A thousand leagues high and three thousand leagues long, this mountain is made of beautiful divine crystal and features delightful rivers, trees, and fruits. Beyond that mountain stretches a hundred leagues of sea with blue waters. This sea is filled with conches, which make its waters difficult to cross. On the far side of that ocean stands the mountain known as Brāgajyotiṣa. Upon it grow kimbaka fruits that are delicious to taste but lethal to digest.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will then wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains, islands, or rivers to be found in the sea?’ [F.188.a] With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a mountain of gold, sixty thousand626 leagues tall. This mountain is studded with trees of refined gold, deer and birds abound, heavenly flowers are in full bloom, and golden lotuses blossom in golden ponds. This is Mount Sumeru, shining its splendid radiance in all directions. Garland bearers, vessel bearers, triple-lute-bearers, and gods of the realm of the Four Great Kings live there. This is also where the wish-fulfilling tree grows, supplying the inhabitants of the world of the gods with whatever they wish for. On the four sides of the mountain lie four forests teeming with birds and wild animals, golden flowers, mandāravas, and kuśeśaya lotuses. These are known as Joyous Grove, Caitra­ratha­vana, Pāruṣika, and Mixed. In the last of these grows the Pārijāta, king of trees, at the roots of which the gods enjoy the pleasures of the five senses and celebrate during the four months of summer. There, the gods of the realm of the Four Great Kings attain a great wealth of various delights and so these gods enjoy the goddesses in the forest. In the Pāruṣika forest, the gods find perfect circumstances in accordance with their many different past karmic actions. In Caitra­ratha­vana they enjoy the sights of various chariots and revel in delightful sounds, tastes, forms, and fragrances. In Joyous Grove, the gods play and celebrate. [F.188.b]

“The face of Mount Sumeru that turns toward Jambudvīpa is made of beryl, and due to the light that shines from it, the sky in Jambudvīpa appears blue. On the second face of Mount Sumeru lies the Pāruṣika forest. This is where the gods and asuras go to wage war. This face turns toward Godānīya in the west. It is made of gold and the light from the mountain therefore makes the sky above Godānīya appear yellow. On the third face lies the Caitra­ratha­vana, which serves as the gods’ arsenal. This face turns toward Videha in the east and is made of silver. The silvery light that shines from the mountain thus gives the sky above Videha a whitish appearance. On the fourth face lies the forest called Mixed. Turning toward Kuru in the north, this face of the mountain is made of crystal so that the light shining from it makes the people on Kuru see the sky as having a pure, whitish color. Counting fifty human years as one day, the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings live to be five hundred years, although they may also die prematurely.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will wonder, ‘Are there other divine worlds or divine substances to be found upon Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will see how the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three live on the top of Mount Sumeru. Their world is endowed with incomparable divine substances and thus the gods live in heavenly pleasure. In that realm lies the city of Sudarśana, which occupies ten thousand leagues and is adorned with the seven precious substances. This city features vajra, sapphire, beryl, [F.189.a] musāragalva, ruby, and sukumārika. Sudharma, the assembly hall of the gods, measures five hundred leagues and features platforms made of beryl and other precious substances, along with golden fences and arches studded with jewels. Śakra, ruler of the gods, resides within this assembly hall of the gods, Sudharma, enjoying divine pleasures in accordance with his own past actions. One hundred human years are one day and night among these gods. The gods live for a thousand years consisting of such days, but they may also die prematurely. When the sun sets west of Sumeru, king of mountains, the humans in Jambudvīpa say, ‘Now the sun is setting in Jambudvīpa.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What are the dimensions of Mount Sumeru?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that the mountain rises eighty-four thousand leagues above the sea and reaches eighty-four thousand leagues below. The parts of the mountain that are submerged in the sea are inhabited by the asuras. The gods live above.

“Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, has a burning hot sun and‍—due to its beings and the impact of their karmic actions‍—the chariot of the sun circles around the mountain pulled by Beautiful Voice, the strong and overpowering king of horses. This supreme chariot travels everywhere, pulled by that perfect horse. Even though there is only a single horse, it may present itself as seven horses. The supreme chariot has a single wheel and the king of horses, Beautiful Voice, pulls it across ten thousand leagues in the mere wink of an eye. The disk of the sun, which bestows life upon sentient beings and brings the light of day, measures one hundred leagues. [F.189.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘How large are the four continents inhabited by humans?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that Jambudvīpa is seven thousand leagues, Godānīya is eight thousand, Videha in the east measures nine thousand, and Kuru in the north is ten thousand leagues large. The shapes of the individual continents are reflected in the shape of the faces of the people who inhabit them. Jambudvīpa is shaped like a cart and, similarly, the faces of the humans in Jambudvīpa are triangular. Videha in the east is shaped like a half moon and people’s faces there are shaped accordingly. Godānīya is circular and people’s faces there are shaped accordingly. Kuru in the north is square, and the people’s faces there are shaped accordingly. In this way, seeing the shapes of the four realms of human beings, the spiritual practitioner correctly considers what is external.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What are the mountains, rivers, lands, and islands that lie far to the north, beyond Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a land called Fish that is ten leagues wide; a second land called Pulindo, measuring twenty leagues; a third land called Army of Heroes, measuring a hundred leagues; a fourth land called Susthali, measuring a hundred leagues; a fifth land called Dardo where people behave well, measuring a hundred leagues; a sixth land called Kuru, measuring a hundred leagues; a seventh land called Land of the Good, measuring fifty leagues; [F.190.a] a land called Gandhara with a total span of a hundred leagues; a land called Śakā, measuring two hundred leagues; a land called Dardo that has many mountains and covers a hundred leagues; the land of Bāhiliko, measuring a thousand leagues; the land of Prikṣikā, measuring two hundred leagues; the land of Mahikṣikā, measuring two hundred leagues; the land of China with a total span of one thousand leagues; the land of Second China, measuring two hundred leagues; the land of Khārā, measuring five hundred leagues; the land of Barbarā, measuring two hundred leagues; the Land of Kuṭa Fruits, measuring five hundred leagues; the land of Kaṭuka, measuring fifty leagues; and the land of Kamboja, measuring a hundred leagues. This list does not include the minor lands.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘How many mountains are there to the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the peaks of Himavat. Extending across a thousand leagues, these mountains are covered by fir trees, junipers, lotuses, sal trees, plantains, and tamala trees. Kinnaras and yakṣas roam these mountains, which are also home to piśācas and yakṣas. In these extremely delightful mountains there also live numerous ascetics and accomplished individuals. There are cascades and rivers of the sweetest and most delicious water, full of powerful nāgas. Many inferior humans live there as well.

“Carefully considering the body and attending to it through the external body, the spiritual practitioner will further wonder, ‘Are there other mountains, rivers, or oceans to the north of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a mountain known as Copper-Colored, which is situated five hundred leagues beyond Himavat. [F.190.b] This mountain is blanketed with forests that are home to lovely wild animals and flocks of birds. There are heavenly trees, such as tamaru, kulumaka, and rirakṣaka. The size of the mountain is twenty leagues and it has a thousand caves. Beyond that mountain lie a hundred leagues of land with many rivers but no grass, shrubs, vines, trees, or forests whatsoever. Still farther away lies the mountain known as Kailāśa, five hundred leagues large and made of silver, with many golden peaks. This is the residence of the great king Virūḍhaka. There are lotus ponds into which flow perfectly cool streams. In the ponds bloom blue lotuses and among the flowers live an abundance of swans, ducks, and cakravākas.

“Farther away towers another mountain called Kailāśa Horn, which measures five hundred leagues. In its forests frolic kinnaras, singing songs of ecstasy. The mountain has five summits‍—one made of gold, another of crystal, and the remaining ones of silver. Everywhere in the ten directions the mountain is adorned with heavenly flowers and its abundant lotuses are extremely fragrant. From this mountain flows a cascading stream, and in its clear waters swim flocks of swans, ducks, and geese.

“Beyond that gorgeous and delightful river stands the mountain called Menko. Asuras live there, [F.191.a] as do women who have chariot-like faces and are always singing for joy.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Far beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any other mountains or rivers?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that for ten leagues the ocean is full of nāgas, large fish, nakra monsters, crocodiles, and conches. Beyond that stands the mountain known as Excellence of Exquisite Intelligence. On that mountain lies an extremely delightful lake called Heaps of Fresh Butter, abounding with ducks and kāliṅka birds. Excellence of Exquisite Intelligence is fifty leagues high and the lake is one league across. On the mountain flows a river called Kauśikama and there are numerous streams full of the most delightful water. Far beyond that mountain stretch twenty leagues of sea where the terrifying, roaring sounds of nāgas gather the clouds. In the clouds, nāgas afflicted by anger battle one another, thus bringing down rain. As they shower down rain and lightning, they provoke the asuras. They spray venom and kill one another in fury.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Far beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any other mountains or rivers?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see an island called Copper Holder on the far side of the sea filled with nāgas. [F.191.b] One hundred leagues large, this island is inhabited by a rākṣasī called Coppery. She eats fish and is extremely terrifying.

“Farther away lies an ephemeral hell called Red, where ephemeral hell beings are tormented. Two rivers flow there, Kauśika and Molten Red, and there are hellish rocks. There, across an area of one hundred leagues, ephemeral hell beings suffer terrible, burning, and excruciating sensations.

“Beyond that ephemeral hell stretch one thousand leagues of utter darkness, like a deep black sky. No nāgas, yakṣas, or gandharvas are there. Beyond that stretches an ocean full of jewels and delightful mountains. The mountains are covered with trees, heavenly woods, sandal trees, and junipers, and the trees yield anything those who stand before them may desire.

“On the other side of that ocean rises a mandārava mountain called Uttara. In its lovely forests of ketaka, nicūla, and nālikera trees lie abundant fruits, trees, and all manner of perfect pleasures. The numerous exquisite streams are adorned with swans, cakravākas, garuḍas, and ducks. Numerous congregations of accomplished beings travel the mountain, which is graced with a thousand summits studded with precious stones and gorgeous golden forests.

“On the far side of that richly fragrant mandārava mountain flows the river called Giver of Stones. [F.192.a] Any grass, tree, being, animal, or bird that falls into that river will turn into diamond. Along both banks of the river grow kīcaka bamboos. When fanned by the wind, they rub against each other, sparking fire. Because of this fire, hundreds of thousands of beings jump into the river.

“Carefully considering the body and attending to it through the external body, the monk who is a spiritual practitioner will further wonder, ‘Far beyond Jambudvīpa, are there any other mountains or rivers?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the river known as Sītā, which is ten leagues wide and three hundred leagues long. Any creature that falls into this ferocious river will helplessly succumb due to the freezing cold.

“Beyond that river lies an island called Jambudvīpa Garland. Here live gandharvas known as the constantly infatuated. Due to their generosity and discipline they are successful. Because they observe discipline, they are constantly happy, able to move quickly, and endowed with all manner of perfect pleasures. The whole island is studded with beautiful trees, some of which are made of gold. There are also gorgeous lotus pools where flowers grow on beryl stalks. This island lies not very far from Mount Sumeru. That is why the mountains, birds, and water bodies on the island all appear golden. The blue and red lotuses there are also exquisite. [F.192.b] On the island flow numerous rivers full of drinking water and the rice grows wild. This island measures two thousand leagues.

“Farther away, all mountains, rivers, and trees become just like the sky and so follow three hundred leagues of frothy sea. This sea is called Garlands of Lightning and is full of flaming nāgas. On the far side of that sea lies a mountain called Closed Eye, which has a beautiful cavern called Cavern of the Closed Eye. When sunlight reaches that cave, women are miraculously born within it. All are perfectly youthful and beautifully adorned with all manner of ornaments. They live for a day and a night. As the sun rises the next morning they grow old and die. This karmic effect occurs in accordance with the act of killing.

“Beyond the mountain with the Cavern of the Closed Eye looms Moon Mountain, which has a golden color and measures five hundred leagues. There is also a mountain known as Sumeru Rival, likewise five hundred leagues tall. On the northern side of that mountain lies a ketaka forest inhabited by the rākṣasī known as Dream Obstructor. She runs extremely fast and can cover thousands of leagues in the wink of an eye, causing misfortune, unhappiness, and harm to people.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains, rivers, or oceans between Jambudvīpa and Kuru in the north? [F.193.a] Might there be a place where we would not be born, would not die, would not pass away and transmigrate, would not be born again, and would not go as determined by our karmic actions? Might there be somewhere where all that is dear and delightful would not be lost, vanish, disappear, and be gone?’

“He will then perceive that there is no such place, not even one the size of a fingernail: ‘There is no place where all that is pleasant and delightful will not be lost, destroyed, taken away, and be gone. Therefore, with the greatest haste, I must now free myself from all my desire for all conditioned factors! I shall be free! I shall make sure to have no regrets! I shall not have any attachment to cyclic existence! I must not be caught by the noose of craving! I shall not have any fondness for cyclic existence! This cyclic existence is ablaze, painful, unhappy, and exhausting. The fires that make us encounter what we do not want and lose what we want are going to take me to the realms of hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. The happiness that is experienced in the realms of gods and humans keeps shifting. There is no happiness in that, and I will only stay enveloped in ignorance. Therefore, I must feel sadness about all this. Now, I shall no longer spin in that circle, no longer stay in the domain of the māras! I will no longer entertain myself with afflictions! I must not have any future regrets!’ In this way, the spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will not be ruled by the māras. He will see reality just as it is, become free from attachment to all conditioned factors, [F.193.b] relinquish the afflictions, separate from karmic action, and become free from doubt.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains or rivers toward Kuru, north of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see a mountain called Endowed with the Songs of Cuckoo Birds, which is thirty leagues high and ten leagues wide. Many hundreds of cuckoos live all over the mountain and there are blue aśoka trees, red aśoka trees, seven-leafers, kodāla, kadambas, old aśokale, garlands of fresh flowers, suvarna-yūthikas, śālmalis, tālapriyam, born-of-guṃkuṭa, cambakas, kundas, bhandujīvas, and summer flowers. This mountain is covered with flowers according to the seasons. Garland-bearer gods at times leave their abode on Sumeru to celebrate there. Because the mountain is so delightful, the gods enjoy themselves with song, dance, and music. Nevertheless, their minds do not become distracted there.

“On the other side of Endowed with the Songs of Cuckoo Birds lies a lake known as Swan Forest where hundreds of thousands of swans flock. The area abounds with lotus flowers and in the lake live ducks, cakravākas, kadambas, jewel-beaked birds, birds with fresh stems around their necks, and so forth. [F.194.a] Covered with lotuses the color of blazing gold, this area extends ten thousand leagues.

“Farther north in the direction of Mount Sumeru stretch one thousand leagues of sea filled with fish, great fish, nakra monsters, makara monsters, infant-eating crocodiles, and turtles. Everywhere the sea is blue like the sky, reaching a depth of one thousand leagues. Within it live solitary conches that measure up to a mile in size. These creatures are extremely powerful, consuming the summits of the submarine mountains. Each possesses the power of an elephant. Farther away extend five thousand leagues of sea known as Milky Waters, always billowing with frothing waves and full of vicious and extremely aggressive nāgas who roar in the clouds.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any other mountains or rivers north of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see five hundred mountains made of gold, red gold, and crystal. Extending three thousand leagues, this land bears the color of the morning sun on Kuru in the north and is full of lotuses and lotus ponds.

“Farther away lies a resplendent land known as Just Like Milk, [F.194.b] full of forests, parks, deer, and birds of numerous kinds. Inhabited by guhyaka gods, this lovely land is lush with trees of various kinds and flowers in full bloom.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Might there be any other mountains or rivers between Kuru in the north and the northern reaches of Jambudvīpa?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that there is no land between the two continents. Therefore, what lies beyond is the northern continent of Kuru, which extends one thousand leagues and is densely inhabited, featuring three hundred and sixty million towns. This continent is extremely delightful, even when compared to the realms of other classes of beings. Except for the fact that they have bodies made of flesh, bone, and lymph, the humans on Kuru have no reason to feel intimidated before the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings. The gods, however, do not close their eyes. The people of Kuru in the north have bodies made of skin, flesh, bone, and lymph, and they do close their eyes. They have no sense of ‘mine,’ nor do they feel pride, and when they die, they are certain to be born among the gods. They know no falsity, deception, envy, or conceit, but are always perfectly happy. They are completely spared of rākṣasīs, piśācas, khumbāṇḍas, lions, tigers, leopards, jackals, nāgas, mahoragas, hooded serpents, starvation, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, disease, [F.195.a] or lack of rain due to the interference of gods. They enjoy themselves in each other’s company and are free from the terrors of kings, robbers, water, fire, or showers of weapons. Because of the light that the golden trees cast, there is no noticeable difference between day and night. The trees there are made of gold, red gold, coral, and silver. The birds on Kuru display various emanations of their bodies and they are always ecstatic, just like the humans there. Even the trees there appear to have a mind.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What other enjoyments and tremendous delights might be found on Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice ten great mountains on the northern continent of Kuru: Saṅkāśa, Equal Peaks, Tamer of Deer Enemies, White Cloud Keeper, Lofty Summit, Garland-Draped, Seasonal Joy, Holder of Joy, Delightful, and Endowed with Lotuses. These ten great mountains encircle Kuru in the north toward the sea. Just like four mountains‍—Himavat, Vindhya, Malaya, and Kailāśa‍—surround Jambudvīpa, those ten great mountains encircle Kuru. [F.195.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What flowers, climbing vines, lakes, rivers, birds, fruits, and wild animals might there be on those mountains?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that on Saṅkāśa the saṅkāśa trees are in bloom throughout the six seasons. These trees radiate light throughout day and night and are thus similar to the lamps used at night in Jambudvīpa. Their fragrance can be sensed across a league and is completely unlike anything in Jambudvīpa. Five forests are located on Mount Saṅkāśa: Blue Shadows, Home of Birds, Deep, White Cloud, and Flow. On Saṅkāśa, flowers resembling clouds bloom, thus making the mountain appear like the sky. That is why this mountain is called Saṅkāśa.627

“On one side of the mountain lies the forest of Blue Shadows. Whenever something of whitish colors enters this forest and moves around there, the light that the trees radiate will turn it beryl-colored. The birds in forest are also blue. Among them are birds called as one pleases. When the humans in Kuru enter the forest of Blue Shadows and act as they please, these birds will play with them. There are also some birds known as always joyous that live there, and when the people of Kuru spot these birds, it fills them with lasting joy. Upon seeing other birds called hot and cold, [F.196.a] people who feel cold will no longer feel so and those who feel hot will likewise be relieved of that sensation. Such is the power of those birds. Birds called wind raisers are capable of covering a thousand leagues in an instant. When humans see these birds, they too can travel wherever they want, across a thousand leagues in an instant, due to the power of these birds. The jīvaṃjīvaka is able to imitate the speech of the humans on all continents. Experiencing sexual bliss like humans, they always enjoy themselves. Their beautiful multicolored feathers bear the colors of the seven precious substances, thus resembling sapphire, emerald, diamond, musāragalva, crystal, ruby, and coral. There is no one to whom the sight of these birds is not enrapturing. Examining the forest of Blue Shadows on Saṅkāśa Mountain, the spiritual practitioner develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there forests other than Blue Shadows on Saṅkāśa Mountain in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a second forest on Saṅkāśa, known as Home of Birds. The birds there live in constant rapture even though the lotus ponds in that forest are constantly covered by ice. Whenever one of them dies during a time when the Dharma remains in Jambudvīpa the bird will be reborn in this forest as a king of swans.628 Also, the swan king from Lake Anavatapta can be found there, [F.196.b] along with a plethora of other birds. Thus, there are ducks, haritāla pigeons, turquoise gumānavā, pigeons, laṭukṣakā, ilvalikā, drumbeat birds, saṃhrādas, scent enjoyers, saṃrājyas, body birds, sound enjoyers, six season-fliers, birds that enjoy the moonrise, birds that enjoy the moonrise but when the moon does not rise have a color like the sun, birds constantly ecstatic due to external sounds, cakravākas, golden-colored ones, kura, kuraṇa dwellers, sun-touched birds, nicunlundhā, and those delighted only by affliction. The delightful humming of swarms of bees can be heard across a league, just as when bees in Jambudvīpa hover freely around the gopa plants growing at the base of trees. There are also these birds: kakā, mountain roamers, far-roamers, sārā, domestic fowl, barasturā, varaḍa, birds with anthers on their bodies that live among lotuses, birds with blooming blue lotuses on their throats, koyakṣtika, black chicks, wasp necks, bañjulakā, water lovers, constant singers, cloud lovers, shoulder spreaders, dew droppers, and lotus dwellers. These and many other beautiful birds that sing delightfully, joyous and entirely free from anger, live in the forest called Home of Birds where they accompany, play with, and enjoy themselves with the humans of Kuru in the north. In this way, examining the forest of the Home of Birds, he develops a correct understanding of the external body.

“Carefully considering the body and attending to it through the external body, [F.197.a] the spiritual practitioner will further wonder, ‘Is there a third forest on Saṅkāśa Mountain?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a third forest, known as Deep. In this forest, the trees stand close to each other, casting dense shadows everywhere. Moreover, their shadows are warm and cool, and thus the people of Kuru in the north come to this forest to play and enjoy themselves among the trees. The trees here are of the following kinds: tilaka, nāga flower, edhūśālmalā, kovidāra, sāllāla, pleasure enjoyment, bird rest, śālā, tālā, shāmā, golden ornament, āmra, karavīraka, śilindha, bakūla, scent enticer, madhoddhāmā, hintāla, tamāla, sindhūcāra, nakumālā, equal, moon circler, planet mover, ever-blooming, niculundha, mukulundha, aśvadthā, kiṃśuka, pale blue mind, kapittha, pivā, nāḍikerā, panasa, motsā, arjuna, kadaṃbaka, blue, heavenly tree, rudzāyāna leaf, water-born, mandhāra, kuśeśaya lotus, nilvalā, snow color, silver color, beryl leaves, peak rest, spreading through the land, even river-growth, kāśavakāshirā, intertwiner, oily, shoulder-born, aprāṇa flower, utkulina, saṃṣāṭakā, coral tree, camphor essence, corruptor, planted growth, smoke color, firelight, wind-agitated, plantain, cuckoo crazer, pollenless, eye closer, [F.197.b] divided in parts, resembling cooked rice, mistaken udruma, surrounded by bees, waving top, tired by the wind, aśoka, and happy eyes. Thus are included the sixty primary species of trees; the intermediate and minor species are not enumerated here.

“The forest known as Deep also contains great waterfalls and lovely flowers and fruits. Free from fears, diseases, exploitation, contagions, envy, and rivalry, the humans in Kuru in the north go to play and celebrate in that forest. In this way, examining the forests of the mountain known as Saṅkāśa, the practitioner develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What cool streams may be found in the fourth forest on Saṅkāśa, the first among the mountains in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a large number of rivers of cool water, adorned with exquisite flowers and fruits: One League of Cool Water, Deep Stream, Bright River, Clean Water, Milky River, Grape Water, Moving Moon, Rice-Milk Mud, Sloping Banks, Filled with Swans, Calling Geese, Melodious, Moving Flowers, Enticer, Roaring Flow, Wavy, Blissful Water, Studded with Kadambas, Jewel-Water Keeper, Abundant Kūrma Monsters, Surrounded by Nyaronya, Filled with Turtles, Surrounded by Nakra Crocodiles, Happy Flow, Foam Garlands, Water of Joy, [F.198.a] Equal to the Wind, Rain River, Flowing Colors of Melody, Timely Flow, Long, Pinnacle, Gold Water, Silver Hue, Pearly Sand, Mountain Stream, Cloud Companion, Adorned with Musāragalva, Studded with Vidruma Trees, Spring Joy, Clear Stream of Summer Clouds, Joyous Summit Visitor, Snowy, Untouched Sunrise, Swift Current, Undulating, Adūva, Culundha Stream, Fragrant Stream, Ketaka Fragrance, Summer Joy, Dhundhumāra, All-Reaching, Infinite Flow, Fed by Billowing Streams, Low River, Joyous Movement, Power of Past Smoke, Cloud Mode, Gandharva Melody, Drumbeat Melody, Lovely Voice, Joyous Nāga Girls, Secret Play, and Vidhyādhara Celebration. Thus, there are seventy primary rivers that flow through White Cloud, the fourth forest on Saṅkāśa Mountain; the intermediate and minor rivers have not been mentioned here. In this way, examining the qualities of this forest of cool streams with its immensely gorgeous trees, flowers, and birds, the practitioner develops a correct understanding of the exterior.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will use insight derived from hearing or see with the divine eye. He will then notice a fifth forest on the Saṅkāśa mountain. Within it revel formidable nāgas, such as Free from Anger, Vāsuki, Staṣkako, Venomous Fangs, Garland of Lightning, and Dharma Master Surrounded by Clouds. [F.198.b] All together seven thousand nāgas frolic there. Throughout Kuru in the north they cause a rain of Dharma to fall. In this place, the ground and the sky resemble the rest of the environment of Kuru in the north.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further think, ‘The forests on Saṅkāśa are just as described before. Their trees bear leaves, flowers, and fruits; through the forests flow rivers; there are rocks, flatlands, and meadows, mountain caves, caverns, and waterfalls. Yet, nowhere is there a spot, even the size of a mere pinhead, where sentient beings must not undergo hundreds and thousands of births, deaths, and rebirths. Nowhere is there a spot where they must not separate from, part with, lose, or see transformed all that they hold dear. There is no place where they can avoid their enemy‍—the body‍—for hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of lives. There is not even a gap the size of a pinhead where sentient beings must not die and be reborn.’ In this way, examining the mountain known as Saṅkāśa, he develops a correct understanding of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Might there be other delightful mountains on Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the mountain known as Equal Peaks, which resembles a heavenly garden filled with ecstatic gods. The bountiful joys of its trees, fruits, rivers, and caverns are just like on Saṅkāśa. [F.199.a] This mountain also displays numerous other special features suited to times of celebration. Three hundred of the peaks on Equal Peaks are of gold and unrivaled. Their bright light shines like a second sun. Five hundred additional peaks are of silver and endowed with similar qualities. The special qualities of this mountain permeate the environment, and thus the people of Kuru in the north who live by this mountain are all luminous like the full moon. Known as fearless people, these humans play and revel in the pleasures of the five senses together with the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, joyously celebrating throughout the four months of summer. What, then, is the difference between these fearless people and the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings? The gods have no flesh, bone, or lymph, but these fearless people still do. This makes them different from the gods. These fearless people also have no sense of ‘mine,’ no conceit, and are certain to proceed upward. That is not the case with the gods. Those are the differences between the fearless people and the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings.

“On Equal Peaks grow wish-fulfilling trees that shine like a second sun. Whatever people wish for will be fully provided by these trees: fabrics, jewels, [F.199.b] ornaments, and hundreds and thousands of rivers of food and drink. Infatuated birds of the kinds previously mentioned also play there. The trees are adorned with golden leaves and there are many hundreds of pools filled with lotuses of blue beryl. The pools are teeming with thousands of geese and ducks, and cakravākas roam there. Among the many different flocks of wild animals that inhabit this area, some are golden while others bear the colors of coral, musāragalva, rājapaṭṭi, and so forth. Vines draped with nets of pearl also decorate the landscape, and the calls of cuckoos, peacocks, and geese fill the atmosphere. There are hundreds of thousands of cascades, as well as abundant rivers and groves. In this way, the environment is endowed with infinite qualities. Noticing this second mountain, Equal Peaks, on Kuru in the north, the spiritual practitioner develops accurate knowledge of the body.

“All the rivers in that place flow with water endowed with eight qualities. That is, the water possesses exquisite taste and is perfectly fragrant, refreshing, cooling, healthy when consumed, free from any impurities of plants, untouched by makara crocodiles, and physically satisfying to drink. Drinking this water never causes sickness.

“There are also many lakes, such as the following forty-seven great ones: Sānu, Free from Sand, Five Trees, Duck Stream, Swan Waters, Conquered by Kadambas, Full of Hundreds of Birds, Great Flow, [F.200.a] Studded with Lotuses, Bamboo Growth, Shaded by Trees, Deep and Joyous for the Moon, Waters Always Mingled with the Moon, Circling Waves, Bamboos Everywhere, Joy of the Vidyādharas, Encircled by Crystal, Billowing Waves, Stable Water, Circling Fish, Fish Attractor, Summit Net, Garland of Bathing Ponds, Wavy, Clean Water, Moon Body, Circle, Stainless, Bamboo Water, Pond Garland, Reliever of the Sweaty, Moon Joy, Crystal Encounter, Billowing Waves, Stable Water, Constant Water, Joyous Gods, Water of Joy, Excellent Taste, Any Taste You Like, Enjoyment, Kouṭubha, Nectar Flow, Supreme Lake, Nāga Beru, Beauty, and Arjuna. In each of these rivers, the water is endowed with the eight qualities mentioned before.

“The mountain known as Equal Peaks is so high that it seems to pierce the sky. All the forests there are also endowed with special qualities. The soil is silvery and the forest itself has a color like the moon. Encircling one another, great silver trees extend one hundred leagues. Shining with a jewel light, these forests located so high up also contain pools with blooming lotuses. The sixteen629 primary pools are known as Free from Weeds, Bees Everywhere, Conch Color, Constant Water, Delightful Sight, Duck Lake, Splashing Swan Wings, Frolicking, Delighting the People, Seeing the Head, [F.200.b] Playful Abandon, Always Joyous, Constant Lotus Joy, and Place Where the Water is Enjoyed. There are also hundreds and thousands of intermediate and minor lakes that are not mentioned here. They are all free of mud and are never overgrown with weeds. Swans, ducks, and geese call out everywhere. The people of Kuru in the north, for whom every day is a celebration, also hear the calls of ever-infatuated birds, pheasants, bhṛṅgarājas, and peafowl in the forests and parks on Equal Peaks. In this way, examining the mountain known as Equal Peaks, the practitioner develops a correct understanding of the external body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body, and who has confidence in the four truths of noble beings, will again ask himself, ‘On the mountain known as Equal Peaks, might there be some place that endures, is stable, is delightful, involves a self, and is not empty?’ But there is not a single sentient being in cyclic existence who is not born, does not die, and does not age. Everyone must separate from all that is agreeable and delightful. All must leave, and everything will be lost and robbed. Hence, the spiritual practitioner does not see any such place on Equal Peaks. There is nothing anywhere that endures, is stable, is delightful, involves a self, and is not empty. There is no place where beings do not get born, age, and die. Everything disappears, and is lost, separated from, and robbed. [F.201.a] Because of that, all of cyclic existence is impermanent. There is no place that is not impermanent. There is no place, not even one the size of a pin prick, where beings are not born, do not die, and are not reborn. In this way, with mindfulness of the four truths of noble beings, the spiritual practitioner will observe the external body by examining the second mountain of Kuru in the north.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Might there be other delightful forests in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a third mountain, known as Tamer of Deer Enemies. All the pleasures that are found on the mountains of Saṅkāśa and Equal Peaks are also present on Tamer of Deer Enemies without any difference. Still, the latter mountain is unique with respect to its perfect cascades and streams, rivers of wine, and trees of garments. Trees of gold and silver bear garlands of flowers throughout the six seasons, blooming with rich delights. The trees possess a natural brilliance and shine like the sun, thus mutually illumining each other and the entire mountain of Tamer of Deer Enemies. The following four forests are found there: Endowed with Gold, Lofty Heaps of Silver, Egg-Born Infatuation, and Yielding to Pressure and Bouncing Back. The forest called Endowed with Gold covers one hundred leagues and bees buzz about everywhere among its golden trees. [F.201.b] The forest of Lofty Heaps of Silver covers three hundred leagues. Full of trees of silver, it shines like a hundred thousand moons. This forest is also full of lions. It always has a white radiance and abounds with ever-joyous birds of the species mentioned earlier. The third forest on Tamer of Deer Enemies is known as Egg-Born Infatuation. In that forest live birds in careless happiness. The people who live there are called the ever-subdued. They always enjoy themselves in the forest of Egg-Born Infatuation and because their splendor allows them to partake of whatever they please, they resemble gods. The fourth forest on Tamer of Deer Enemies is Yielding to Pressure and Bouncing Back. Its trees of gold, radiant gold, and coral are always full of birds and the forest covers five leagues. The people who inhabit this area are called the highly crazed. The ground in this forest is white and smooth like Kāśī silk or cotton wool, and when the highly crazed people play in the forest of Yielding to Pressure and Bouncing Back, the earth does just that. In the same way as described before, this forest also features flowers, fruits, trees, lotuses, lotus ponds, and swarms of humming bees. In this way, seeing Tamer of Deer Enemies, [F.202.a] the third mountain on Kuru in the north, the spiritual practitioner continues to develop accurate knowledge of the body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What other delights might there be in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the mountain known as Encircled by White Clouds, covering an area of one thousand leagues. This mountain is made of bright white silver, outshining even the moon with its radiance. As an example, when the moon rises in Jambudvīpa, the lights of the planets, stars, and the minor celestial bodies all disappear. Likewise, the mountain known as Encircled by White Clouds outshines the light of the moon. The people who live by Encircled by White Clouds are known as the flower garland wearers. From the time they are born on Encircled by White Clouds, they spend their lives in a constant pursuit of fun, adorning themselves with flower anthers, singing happy songs, and incessantly enjoying themselves in the lotus groves. These beautiful beings are always wandering, roaming, and meandering‍—always free and infatuated, and always free from anguish.

“On Encircled by White Clouds lie the following forests: Drumbeats, Calling Geese, Delightful, and Sounds of Water. The Drumbeats forest is visited by garland-bearer gods who go there to play their drums. The beautiful sounds of their drums are as captivating as the combined tunes of the vīṇās, flutes, paṇava drums, and conches in Jambudvīpa. This is how the gods play their drums in the Drumbeats forest. [F.202.b] No singers in Jambudvīpa can compare to even a sixteenth of their beauty. With respect to wild animals, birds, lotuses, trees, thickets, parks, bathing ponds, pools, the ground of gold and silver, and waterfalls, the Drumbeats forest possesses all the qualities that were mentioned before. There, accompanied by melodious drumbeats, the garland-wearer people remain attached to the enjoyment of pleasures, enjoying the delightful sounds, tastes, sights, and scents in a way that resembles the celebrations of the vessel-bearer gods in their heavenly parks.

“The second forest is known as Calling Geese, where the calls of geese can be heard everywhere. In this forest lie hundreds and thousands of ponds‍—so many that their names can neither be stated nor remembered. In the forest of Calling Geese live the following species of deer: kuraṅga, makāra, desirous makā, complete enjoyer, saṃbāvina, waving top-catcher, constant eye, karketa navel, gold horn, silver flank, wind power, tree root-roamer, water noise-pursuer, pursuer of the garland of forests, vidruma body, lagna side, round belly, barpotā, śaṅśārāṇā, black skin, root light, youth, utterly smooth, and white herd. Thus, there are twenty-five species of deer that the garland-wearer people play with, [F.203.a] experiencing various events in accordance with their karmic actions.

“On Encircled by White Clouds there is also a forest called Delightful. In that forest, the garland-wearer people obtain anything they wish for from the trees. The groves and parks in that forest are just as delightful as the ones described earlier.

“On Encircled by White Clouds there is also a fourth forest called Sounds of Water. Within it frolic vidyādharas who assume many different guises. Whenever they feel clammy, they don their favorite costumes and go bathing and swimming. The following classes of vidyādharas live in the forest: strongly attached to pleasure, moving without delay, power of space, cloud disperser, cruising the path of the sun, deer gait, paurva, most humble, kuśika, mountain based, scent of constant inebriation, sky traveler, mākṣāḍa, roaming the cimiśa cave, constant power, swan chariot, elephant chariot, lightning wielder, Malaya dweller, supreme ketaka garland bearer, woman craver, wine drinker, Sumeru dweller, pervasive attachment, constant enjoyer, flower-garland draped, ground traveler, and those with secret incantations. These are the thirty-two630 classes of vidyādharas and they all enjoy themselves within the forest of Sounds of Water on the mountain called Encircled by White Clouds. Adorned with all sorts of ornaments they indulge, pose, play, and enjoy themselves‍—all by the force of karmic actions. [F.203.b] They keep amorous company with females of a similar kind. In this way, examining all the forests and parks on Encircled by White Clouds, the practitioner develops a correct understanding of reality.

“Is there on this mountain, Encircled by White Clouds, any enjoyment that is thoroughly reliable, permanent, stable, enduring, and a method for attaining the transcendence of suffering? No such happiness‍—reliable, permanent, stable, enduring, or a method for attaining the transcendence of suffering‍—is to be seen at all, just as there is no darkness to be seen in the sun. All mundane pleasures are sweet when experienced, but nasty when they ripen. They are all afflictive and offer no deliverance from craving. Their fruits are terrible; they are poisonous like the kimbaka fruit, just like weapons and fire, and only enjoyed for a while. Like a dancer’s makeup, they are delightful for just a moment. They pass so rapidly, like flashes of lightning. Their force is like a waterfall, they bring harm, and they are deceptive, like a city of gandharvas. They destroy everyone. They are just like fruit that is bound to fall off. Their ripening resembles a poisonous meal and is extremely sharp, like a razor’s edge. They deceive in hundreds of thousands of ways and are like trees on the banks of a river, all bound to fall. As the spiritual practitioner regards all pleasures in this way, he develops a deep sadness. Thus, he sees things correctly, sees by means of correct mental engagement, and possesses purified perception. [F.204.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘Are there any species of lovely wild animals in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice the mountain known as Lofty Summit. Measuring one thousand leagues, this mountain presents a most lovely environment filled with light. The types of trees to be found there have beryl leaves, blazing gold trunks, coral leaves, silver trunks, and golden leaves. These trees shine like one hundred and eight butter lamps. There are also many hills, as well as other species of trees, types of lotuses, parks, wild animals, and mountain summits. All of these are as described before. The area that is covered by the various parts of Lofty Summit measures two hundred leagues. One of its summits is frequented by celebrating garland-bearer gods and triple-lute-bearer gods, who otherwise live on Sumeru. Because Lofty Summit is so delightful, triple-lute-bearer gods abandon the terraces of Sumeru to come and enjoy themselves on that mountain.

“The minor peaks that surround the central peak on this mountain are all made of precious substances and reach a height of fifty leagues. There are five such subsidiary peaks, covering an area of two hundred leagues. One peak is a mass of precious substances and all sorts of precious substances emerge from it, such as vidruma, coral, beryl, musāragalva, crystal, ruby, sukumārikā, blue sapphire, great blue sapphire, and unwoven fabrics. A second peak is made of silver and upon it grow silver trees, as well as the exquisite sandal tree known as gośīrṣaka. [F.204.b] During the wars between the gods and asuras, whenever a god is wounded and falls on the battlefield, those trees can heal the body of the fallen god. Gośīrṣaka is in fact both a name for the mountain and for the trees that grow there. A third peak is known as Celebrating Goddesses. Goddesses frolic there, enjoying the forests and parks; the anthers of gold, silver, and beryl; and the soft ground. In this way, they enjoy themselves, laugh, revel, and play. Corrupted by their craving for such pleasures, ordinary childish beings turn away from the sacred Dharma and thus, out of their incessant attachment to pleasure, keep assembling on that peak. On the fourth peak, gods from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings celebrate in groves and parks full of grapes. There are ever-inebriated animals, birds, guhyaka gods, vidyādharas, and humans. Also, rivers of grape wine flow there. Some taste like honey, others taste aromatic, and still others have a blended taste. Pure gold can be found along the banks of the rivers on that peak. Gold emerges in shapes that look like cows, buffalo, pigs, elephants, jackals, camels, cattle, wolves, nāgas, wildcats, lions, bears, foxes, and birds. There are also jewels of many different colors to be seen. The emergence of such pure gold on that peak is due to the nāgas that live there. On the fifth peak grow lotuses with golden petals and beryl stems, [F.205.a] and the environment abounds with trees of beryl. The following eleven lotus ponds can be found there: Blooming Park, Full of Lotuses, Timely Moving Lotuses, Covered by Red Lotuses, Sun Enjoyer, Smooth Ground, Unwavering, Great Trees, Deep, Fragrant Flowers, and Constant Water. This peak is also known as Covered by Lotuses. The rivers that flow through the area are endowed with various exquisite scents and flavors. Indeed, they are endowed with the six kinds of taste. All the pleasure groves with their life forms, trees, flowers, rivers, and bathing ponds are just as described previously. In this way, observing the fifth peak, he correctly considers the external body. And thus, observing the fifth mountain on Kuru in the north, known as Lofty Summit, he develops a correct understanding of the external body.

“As the spiritual practitioner continues to examine the mountain known as Lofty Summit in terms of the ripening of actions and phenomena, he will notice that all these sentient beings experience the ripening of the phenomena of karmic actions. All experience their own share of karmic action, supported by their own karmic actions. They are born there due to their own positive actions and when those actions are exhausted, they are certain to fall. Then, due to unvirtuous karmic actions, they will take birth in the realms of hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. Positive actions will make them take birth among gods and humans. The people who live in the area of Lofty Summit are called the pleasure enjoyers; [F.205.b] they are always absorbed in the insatiable enjoyment of pleasures. There is a verse on this:

“The spiritual practitioner will see by means of the stainless eye that whatever these sentient beings enjoy is actually the cause of tears. And yet they do not understand‍—all conditioned factors are of the nature of suffering. Everything is subject to exhaustion and cessation. All of this is meaningless and brings no light. None of this is ultimate happiness. It brings no well-being and no peace. Life, youth, health, and possessions as enjoyed by these sentient beings do not bring any happiness and they are not pure. They are impermanent, have no self, and lack essence, just like foam and bursting bubbles. Everyone alive is destined to die. All wealth will end in destitution. When the sun has risen it is bound to set, and thus, likewise, all these higher realms will surely give way to the realms of hell beings, starving spirits, animals, and humans. Whatever is born is certain to die. When the land is fresh and lush, all the trees, forests, parks, and ponds are also like that. Yet, as the land ages, so do the trees, forests, parks, ponds, and lotuses. That which was lush in spring has grown old by the time autumn rolls around. All the young are bound to age, [F.206.a] and yet the people of Kuru in the north do not understand this. Similarly, when it rains at night, the rivers swell, flowing strongly along both banks because of the downpour. In the autumn, all wealth is exhausted and depleted due to the diminishing water, while in the summer, the wealth appeared as the rains fell at night. When the summer rains come to a halt, the rivers will run dry in the autumn, and thus privation follows to the same degree that the water diminishes. In this way, in terms of external things, lotuses bloom flawlessly in the summertime and are relished by the bees. Yet, in winter, there is snow and the bees no longer can enjoy any flowers. In the summertime, the flowers are always healthy but in the winter that is not the case. Similarly, these sentient beings are destroyed by craving, but they have not the slightest idea about their own imminent destruction. In this way, keenly observing the forests, parks, trees, cascades, bathing ponds, pools, vidyādharas, animals, birds, mountainous retreats, and washing places on the mountain called Lofty Summit, the practitioner correctly considers the external.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will apply insight derived from hearing, or see with the divine eye, and so will notice a lovely, delightful, and joyous mountain in Kuru in the north known as Garland-Draped. This mountain is bathed in colorful light [F.206.b] and thus the trees are red, blue, white, blue, yellow, and multicolored. There are stavaka trees, aśokas, golden-leafed trees, vines, and bushes. There are wild vines with lovely leaves that wave in the breeze. There are niculas, beryl leafs, and wetland trees. There are rare ones, vidrumas, and sun enjoyers. There are tilakas and moonlight enjoyers. There are red lotus clusters and sun shifters. There are timely pleasures and delightful half-moons. There are blue lotuses and night lovers. There are bhandhujīvikas with fruits. There are mangoes and those enveloped in fragrant mist. There are blue aśokas and touch endurers. There and kuṇḍas and extremely smooth ones. There are śirīṣā and those that tolerate walking. There are fragrant ones that appreciate attention and warmth. There are kuṅkumas, kusumas, and those that move elsewhere. There are koviḍāras and excellent lookers. There are happy ones and divine birth-enjoyers. There are blue lotuses, pink lotuses, lake-born lotuses, and constant flower-bearers. There are lion svabhras and lovely kadambas. There are water delighters and footprint growers. There are aśokas and naturally fragrant and colorful ones. [F.207.a] There are also aḍaka. These are known as the primary species of flower-draped trees. There are twenty-two types of such flowering trees. On the mountain Garland-Draped, these trees brush against each other and their canopies intertwine.

“Swarms of bees hover everywhere among the trees. Some are colored like beryl, others like gold, and others like silver. Some are saffron-colored. Some are blue and some multicolored. Some flit by the water, some among the trees, some among fallen trees, and some fly everywhere. As for the birds there, some of them have a body colored like blazing gold with silver feathers. Some have a silver body and golden feathers. Some have a coral body and beryl feathers. Some have a body that is like beryl, with sapphire feathers. Some have a body like crystal, with feathers of gold. Some bear the colors of three precious substances, such that their body is golden, their feathers silver, and their backs are like beryl. Some bear the colors of seven precious substances, displaying colors of sapphire, emerald, crystal, musāragalva, vidruma, sukumārika, and ruby. In this way their bodies exhibit vivid colors that are created by their karmic actions. The bees and birds there thus have many different appearances and feathers, and they produce a rich variety of delightful sounds. Their colorful bodies are all created by a variety of karmic actions. There are also numerous flowers that appear with a variety of colors, fragrances, and formations. [F.207.b] These accord with the character of the karmic actions engaged in by the people. The trees also have many different forms and fragrances. In accord with the inhabitants of Kuru in the north, the ornamented trees, rocks, streams, and bathing ponds are all endowed with sundry pleasures that manifest in whichever colorful form one may wish for. Because of their past positive actions, the inhabitants of Kuru in the north can play and celebrate among precious substances, enticing rivers of food and drink, and stunning trees and landscapes. The people who live on Garland-Draped Mountain in Kuru are also known as ‘the ever-infatuated.’ Except for the fact that the gods do not close their eyes and have no flesh, bone, lymph, or skin, the ever-infatuated people of Garland-Draped Mountain are just like the gods who celebrate at the feet of the Pārijāta tree during the four months of summer.

“As the spiritual practitioner continues to correctly observe actions and phenomena, he will notice that these beings fail to practice positive actions due to three kinds of infatuation: infatuation with physical form, infatuation with youth, and infatuation with being alive. Because of such infatuations, they do not practice any positive activity of body, speech, or mind. Yet due to residual past positive actions, they are later born as gods. Once they die and transmigrate from the world of the gods, they are born among hell beings, starving spirits, animals, or humans, [F.208.a] because craving is like the strongest poison mixed with food, bringing torture, bondage, and misery to sentient beings. Bound by craving, these sentient beings have invariably remained ignorant in the past and will be ignorant in the future as well.

“Pleasures are extremely sweet, but their effects are excruciating, just like the ripe kimbaka fruit. They are like a snare hidden in the soil, but sentient beings do not understand that. They are like a precipice‍—everything is lost, death is painful, and the pains are incomparable. With the force of a waterfall in the mountains, all is in flux and thus youth is impermanent. No situation is stable and unchanging‍—there is no such context anywhere in the five realms of beings. The cyclone of flawed action keeps whirling, over and over, and yet living beings do not even feel sad. In this way, correctly observing the ever-infatuated people who live on Garland-Draped Mountain, he correctly considers the external body.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What other joys, tremendous enjoyments, and supreme delights might the mountains, rivers, and bathing ponds in Kuru in the north provide?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice another extremely delightful mountain that is located in Kuru in the north. Known as Seasonal Joy, this mountain covers an area of one thousand leagues and is thirty leagues high. At any point in time, all six seasons can be experienced on this mountain, [F.208.b] for there are always regions with early winter, late winter, early spring, late spring, summer, and fall.

“What are the flowering trees that grow in the region of early winter? The trees that bloom in early winter are these: sāriśāṅgana, wrath, aged by moisture, visited by bees, delicious fragrance, sproutless, calling cakravākas, supremely delightful flowers, perfect song, depth grower, nitānta, sunny, and the fifteen-flowered. These are the trees that flourish in the early winter.

“In a second region of the Seasonal Joy mountain, the environment is that of late winter. Specific flowers bloom on that part of Seasonal Joy. That effect occurs due to the Kuru people who inhabit the area of that mountain in Kuru in the north.

“In another region of Seasonal Joy, the environment is that of early spring. Here the following kinds of flowers can be found: great bloom, lotus, kurabakaṃ, sweet scent, surrounded by bees, samamata, aśoka, kiṃśuka, blue aśoka, shadeless fragrance, kumuda, amraḍekang, river growth, nicita, lamra, bīṇti kaṃ, bird-attracting flower, constant bloomer, and thousand petals. These twenty631 species all bloom in the early spring. There are also yūthika and seasonal flowers.

“In another region of Seasonal Joy, flowers of late spring flourish. Those are cambaka, suṃmanasa, golden yūthika, [F.209.a] tika, seasonal movements, smoke-free fragrance, lotus, bee home, pasasaṃ, śītati, amra, equal fragrance, constant fragrance, copper taste, wind-fanned, hundred petals, tama taste, half sun, culvalan, tila color, infant flower, and jatilva. These twenty632 flower species bloom during late spring, and it is due to the positive karmic actions of the people of Kuru in the north that they blossom in late springtime on Seasonal Joy Mountain.

“Elsewhere on Seasonal Joy Mountain the following flowers of summer flourish: ketaka, kuṭajang, hundredfold movement, posing and enjoying the earth, mountain garland, grown from stone, kādamba enjoyer, circling swans, delightfully fragrant flower, copper taste, salīla, candradikā, stream growth, and summit sight.

“There are also twenty kinds of flowers that grow during the fall.

“In this way, Seasonal Joy Mountain displays all six seasons and its environs are thus replete with all seasons. These seasons always provide the people of Kuru in the north with the delights of lovely flowers, fruits, druma fruits, trees, bathing ponds, and riverbanks. The various other features of the seasons are as described before. The people who live on Seasonal Joy Mountain are also called inhabitants of the long valleys.

“As the spiritual practitioner observes karmic phenomena, he will see how all these beings are exhausting their positive karmic actions without engaging in any new ones, [F.209.b] and yet they do not realize this. As the wheel of time spins, their lives are cut short. The fire of time consumes the fuel of their lives. The thunderbolt of time destroys the crops of their lives. The lion of time subdues and devours these deer-like people. The time of the Lord of Death is like a torrent surging against the trees of the people and destroying them. Time is like wolves or snakes, killing people off. The Lord of Death takes lives like an elephant devouring katapata grass. The Lord of Death is like a storm cutting down the trees of human beings at their roots. Why does everyone not understand that these terrors of the Lord of Death are inevitable? He harbors enmity for all beings in the prime of life, extinguishes all their strength, and mocks everyone with aging, yet people do not see that. He humbles them with their physical condition and lays waste to their eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies, and minds. He causes them to drool and makes their backs crooked. He destroys their jaws, teeth, skull, joints, vital points, and intestines. He ensures that they will be unable to move about freely. He is the adversary of all youth. He conquers all who are young. The Lord of Death forces them to enter his city where he proceeds to destroy all their joy, strength, and happiness.

“Yet, worldly people remain fond of deception and laziness. Full of snot, urine, and excrement, they lounge slothfully on their beds. [F.210.a] Why do these careless beings not understand this? They are extremely close to shock and terror. Their psychophysical elements will all become imbalanced and the functioning of their faculties as well as their intestines, marrow, vital fluids, skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, and semen will all dry up. The enemy of disease will attack their vital fluids. Whether they stand or sit, their experiences will be unbearable. They will desperately seek relief through medicine and doctors, but anything they eat, drink, swallow, or ingest will turn to waste. They will become emaciated, weak, and sleep most of the time. Their bodies will become nothing but skin and bone. Everyone‍—along with their family, friends, relatives, children and spouse‍—will plunge into these terrors of disease that are as agonizing as the Lord of Death himself. With this understanding, the spiritual practitioner becomes lovingly concerned for these careless people. As his empathy grows, he also takes the abodes of Brahmā as the focus of his attention: love, compassion, and joy. This is how the spiritual practitioner becomes lovingly concerned for the careless people of Kuru in the north. He sees the nature of cyclic existence as exceedingly base. He regards the body as if it were foam or water bubbles. He regards illusory consciousness by means of wakefulness. He regards all wealth as being like that in a dream. He becomes decisively disenchanted. [F.210.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What other joys, tremendous enjoyments, and supreme delights might the mountains, rivers, and trees in Kuru in the north provide?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice another extremely delightful mountain that is located in Kuru in the north. Known as Holder of Joy, this mountain extends one thousand leagues and is home to the forest known as Overflow, which measures five hundred leagues. In the forest there are all sorts of riches, such as gold, silver, copper, wine, honey, and the six tastes, as well as many other natural resources.

“The environment on Holder of Joy is delightful, featuring beryl-like trees draped with flowering vines. In the ponds grow lotuses with golden petals and silver stems, silver petals with golden stems, and gold and silver petals with stems of beryl. Numerous beautiful birds live in such ponds, which are filled with lotuses that are red like the color of the rising sun. There are swans, cranes, small cranes, lake cranes, ducks, deer necks, water birds, matabhāva, blavā, cakravāka, bālukā, ādyā, sārasī, vilvalā, timely callers, uṣṇavīrava, night roamers, lotus pollen-lovers, sindhu waves, and wave-born ones. These twenty species of birds live at the lotus ponds. [F.211.a]

“Beyond the forest called Overflow, halfway up on the mountain Holder of Joy, after a distance of one hundred leagues, live people known as inhabitants of the bamboo forest. There they sing among the golden trees and their songs cause even goddesses to come and listen, hovering in the sky. The rivers, ponds, parks, and birds in this area are all just as splendid as those described previously.

“As the spiritual practitioner correctly observes the ripening of the karmic actions of sentient beings, he will see that these beings are singing about topics that are actually the cause of tears. Why do they not see that? Due to their carelessness, they roam about carelessly, which will later cause them to cry in the hells. Yet they do not understand this. Tied by the noose of craving, sentient beings engage in flawed conduct of body, speech, and mind. The ripening of such actions will make them take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. In precise accordance with their actions, they will then be destroyed‍—wailing and wretched‍—in the hells of Reviving, Black Line, Crushing, Howling, Great Howling, Heat, and Intense Heat. Tied by their fivefold craving for desirable sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and smells, they keep spinning in cyclic existence. Just as they have always done in the past, so they will continue into the future. Observing the people known as the inhabitants of the bamboo forest in this fashion, the spiritual practitioner correctly observes the external body. [F.211.b]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What other joys and great delights might be found in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice another mountain on Kuru in the north, which is known as Delightful. This mountain is one thousand leagues high. A tremendously delightful feature of that mountain is the fact that kinnaras always sing among its peaks and throughout its forests, parks, slopes, caverns, ponds, ketaka forests, nāga forests, nārikela forests, panasa forests, myrobalan forests, āmra forests, plantain forests, glorious golden fruit tree forests, kappittha forests, peacock forests, cuckoo forests, parrot forests, rivers, bathing ponds, parks, lotus groves, blue lotus groves, five-leaved chaste tree forests, thorn apple forests, mango groves, kurara forests, living forests, taṇḍaka forests, and lovely pools. Everywhere can be heard precious melodies that enchant the ears of everyone and that increase the fire of craving one hundred times in the minds of childish beings who are overcome by craving. Such are the songs of the kinnaras. Their tunes are so lovely that even the wild animals join in and begin to sing. Likewise, the flocks of birds that live in the forests also join the playful festivities. They also swallow fruits that are always full of elixirs‍—elixirs which bees also drink. [F.212.a] Vidyādharas and divine ladies gather there in the sky to listen. That is how lovely and beautiful the songs of the kinnaras are on that mountain known as Delightful.

“That mountain has faces of beryl, caves of gold, rocks of silver, trees of vidruma, sands of pearl, boulders of coral, rocks of crystal, boulders of smooth conch, golden lotus ponds adorned with swans, deer whose bodies are formed from numerous precious substances, forests that resound with the calls of cuckoos, the lovely calls of peacocks and pheasants, and bathing ponds where humming bees buzz about. Such are the joys of the mountain called Delightful. All that the people see with their eyes and hear with their ears there is beautiful and majestic. They are always happy, excited, reveling, frolicking, and enjoying themselves. The men and women, as well as the various birds, are always in an ebullient state of mind.

“Like a second Sumeru, this mountain is two thousand leagues high. The luminescence from this high mountain bathes everything within a distance of two thousand leagues in a bright light. The splendor of that beryl light outshines even the colors of the gold and the green of the trees, thus giving the entire mountain a whitish hue. As an example, just as the splendor of the pure gold on Sumeru lends all the grass a golden color, so the splendor of the mountain known as Delightful lends everything a whitish hue. The richness of the deer, birds, waters, ponds, rivers, trees, and lotuses on that mountain is just as described before.

“The people who live on Delightful are called those who appear whitish.’ The people who appear whitish [F.212.b] are magnificent, have large bodies, and are supremely joyous and beautiful. They bear flower garlands, colored powders, perfumes, and ointments. Excited and infatuated, they dance, sing, and enjoy themselves to music. They have overcome the flaws of mutual envy and stinginess, have no sense of personal property, and are free from pride. The bodies of the people who appear whitish are adorned with garlands, powders, scents, and ointments. Enjoying the delightful music, song, and tunes of the gandharvas, they are all happy. Any wish or desire they have is granted just by thinking of it. They wear a wide range of unwoven fabrics, crystals, and striking ornaments. Whether they are asleep or awake, they always listen to the most lovely and enchanting, rich symphony of songs made by hundreds of thousands of birds. They also constantly enjoy the delicious fragrances arising from ponds with hundreds of different types of lotuses. Thus, the people who appear whitish enjoy the delightful effects that have been created by their own positive actions. Their pleasures thus correspond to the quality of their causal positive actions, which may be minor, intermediate, or supreme.

“As the spiritual practitioner observes the ripening of karmic phenomena, he will think, ‘Alas, these beings do not see that positive actions are being depleted! Isn’t that perceptible to them?’ [F.213.a] The suffering of birth begins when the semen and blood from the father and mother meet within the pelvic region without being expelled through the urine. At that point, a skeletal entity, with a shape similar to a wooden bracelet, is formed. This is the seed for consciousness to enter the womb. Next, as the wind of karmic actions circulates within the uterus for a period of seven days, the oval shape emerges. As an effect of having given up taking the lives of others, consciousness will not transmigrate but remain in the womb. Over the course of another week, the fetus then develops into an oblong shape. Due to possessing karmic actions and afflictions, consciousness will continue to remain there in an obscured state. Thereafter, it takes another seven days for the lumpy flesh to develop. The mother’s urine and feces in the lower part of her abdomen, the various movements of her body, and her consumption of food are all painful for the fetus, which feels like sugarcane in a juice press. Meanwhile the lump of flesh enlarges, driven by the wind of karmic actions. Next emerge the five protrusions of the legs, arms, and head. Moreover, due to the circling of the winds of karmic actions, the embryo that was born in the womb will now transfer into the belly of the mother, a process through which the umbilical cord is formed. The umbilical cord emerges from the mother’s kidneys. At that point, whatever the mother digests, the fetus will receive through the umbilical cord, whether cold or warm, delicious or foul. The food consumed by the mother will thus sustain the baby through the umbilical cord. The baby then undergoes torturous sensations while in the womb and experiences, in particular, much filth. Still, unless the baby dies prematurely, the period amid the blood and urine in the womb will finally culminate in the tenth month, as the child emerges from the mother’s birth canal while its major and minor limbs are being squeezed like a sugarcane through a juice press. [F.213.b] Immediately upon birth, the infant feels tremendous pain due to the wind and rough textures. Also, once the child has been born, its mother will abandon it and go where she wants to, leaving the child to take its own thumb as a breast, and try to get milk from it. In this way, the child will have to fend for itself. Such is the time of infancy‍—later follows youth.

“When beings are swayed by the winds of time, they experience the consequences of their own past actions. They are born in accordance with their actions and live on account of their actions. Whether wholesome or unwholesome, beings are governed by their former actions. And yet, these humans still do not clearly understand the way karmic actions ripen. Alas, these careless people are subject to extreme suffering because they are born from the roots of the tree of horrendous suffering! Once born, they will experience heat, cold, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, humiliation, encounters with the unpleasant, separation from the pleasant, aging, and death. Within cyclic existence, they have been born into a condition of utmost suffering. Within cyclic existence, they must balance the uncertainty of wealth and destitution. Cyclic existence is impermanent, painful, empty, and devoid of self. The mountains, forests, cool abodes, groves, parks, streams, trees, birds, flowers, fruits, mountains, cliffs, and precious stones are all going to disappear‍—why don’t the people of Kuru in the north understand this? [F.214.a] There will be pain and loss, and with time, everything will be reduced to dust. Even this northern continent of Kuru will become nothing. With the passage of time, all these people will emerge in the world of the gods, and from there, they will be born among hell beings, starving spirits, and animals, because they must all experience their individual shares of karmic action. Seeing the ripening of the effects of karmic action in this light, a spiritual practitioner develops loving concern for the people who appear whitish, because he sees that the nature of cyclic existence is vile.

“Carefully considering the body and attending to it through the external body, a spiritual practitioner will further wonder, ‘Might there be other joys and great delights in Kuru in the north?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice another mountain in Kuru in the north known as Endowed with Lotuses. It extends across one thousand leagues. On this mountain, Endowed with Lotuses, lies a five hundred-league-wide lotus lake known as Endowed with Cool Water. The lake is full of golden lotuses, free from mud, and adorned with bees, swans, ducks, and cakravākas. On this lotus lake grow heavenly lotuses, divine mandāravas, and kusumas. All the trees, flowers, fruits, rivers, mountainous retreats, birds, forests, parks, joyous pools, and cool waters are just as described previously.

“The five hundred leagues that constitute the other half of Endowed with Lotuses contain eighty-four thousand supremely delightful palaces. Some are made of gold and silver and feature beryl railings. [F.214.b] Some are made of beryl and have crystal railings, others are made of sapphire and have musāragalva railings, and still others are made of musāragalva and feature railings of sapphire. Likewise, they are also mutually adorned by various people and draped with nets of larger and small bells. The people sing, dance, laugh, play drums, and are ever jubilant. The palaces are surrounded by rivers of grape wine and everywhere among the palaces stretch groves and parks. Thus, the eighty-four thousand palaces on Endowed with Lotuses appear just like the assembly hall of the gods, Sudharma, in the divine city of Sudarśana. The glories of the forests, parks, ponds, trees, and fruits are all just as described before. The people who live at Endowed with Lotuses are known as the colorful. Always exuberant, elegant, and playful, they enjoy dance, music, food, drink, and lovemaking.

“As the spiritual practitioner observes the ripening of karmic factors, he will wonder, ‘Why do these beings not see the suffering that comes from losing one another? These beings will have to separate from all that they like and enjoy. It will all disappear, be lost, and turn into something else. All that these beings find delightful and enjoyable will be gone, disappear, fall apart, and become something else. [F.215.a] All of them will be driven onward in accordance with their karmic actions‍—virtuous actions will cause them to appear among gods and humans while unvirtuous actions will make them take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. Since the colorful people live in carelessness, they are insatiable in their pursuit of sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and scents. Their craving makes them attached and controls them. They are carried away by the river of craving, the fire of desire consumes them, and they are plunged into the darkness of ignorance‍—thus, they do not realize the facts of exhaustion and decline. Aging makes the young decrepit; it leads to destruction. This terrible onslaught will sweep away all family, friends, and companions, and burn down the tree of life. Without leaving anyone behind, the fire of death consumes the forest of sentient beings, and it arrives without warning. And yet they do not even see it.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘On the northern continent of Kuru stand ten great mountains‍—Saṅkāśa, Equal Peaks, Tamer of Deer Enemies, White Cloud Keeper, Lofty Summit, Garland-Draped, Seasonal Joy, Holder of Joy, Delightful, and Endowed with Lotuses. What makes sentient beings take birth on those mountains?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that, just as before, beings are born there due to virtuous actions. Living in virtuous ways, they have given up killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, [F.215.b] just as they have also given up intoxication due to wine and other alcoholic drinks that lead to carelessness. They have practiced the ten types of virtuous action and are born there due to such conditions of virtuous action.

“Examining karmic action, phenomena, and ripening, the spiritual practitioner will also ask himself, ‘Are there actions that, when compared to those of these people and others, lead to an even more distinguished physique, strength, endurance, and appearance?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that when sentient beings obtain the true view, are free from deceit, inflict no harm on others, are honest and sincere, are gentle and of noble character, practice and follow the Dharma, and associate with those who are righteous, such causes and conditions will, upon the disintegration of their bodies, cause them to go to the higher realms and take birth among the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, or the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When they later die there, they will be born here‍—and when they die here, they will be born there.

“As he examines the ripening of karmic phenomena, the spiritual practitioner will also ask himself, ‘What karmic actions make these beings so highly extraordinary?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that these beings have in the past practiced giving freedom from fear. They have given the gift of life to terrified people who were being taken to the southern gate of the city, with their hands tied tightly behind their back, being led to the charnel ground to the beating of the execution drum, and followed by the brutal executioner. [F.216.a] To such people, they have given the gift of life. Due to such causes and conditions, when their bodies disintegrate, they will take birth among the gods in the joyous higher realms. In this way, they will be born in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, or the Heaven Free from Strife.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further wonder, ‘What are the past positive karmic actions that cause those sentient beings to experience such extraordinary and exceptional joys, fine physical forms, supreme miraculous powers, and veneration by all beings?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that this occurs to beings who previously had a natural disposition toward the treasure of having faith in the Great Vehicle, and who delighted in the proclamation of the Great Vehicle. They also listened to the buddhas’ proclamation of the hearers’ Dharma-Vinaya and they memorized and passed on the oral tradition of the buddhas. By the causes and conditions associated with hearing even a single word of Dharma taught by the buddhas, they become kings, ruling universally across the four continents. When such a king dies, he is next born as a god, and this is repeated one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven times. Then, he once again becomes a king who rules across the four continents. When such a king dies, he is born as a god among the gods in the realm of desire, taking birth in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma Heaven, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, or the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. When he later dies and passes from such divine realms, he is then born in this place, where he can enjoy the sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and scents found here. [F.216.b] Then, such beings will once again be born in the heavens.

“When later they die, the seed that is produced from listening to the Great Vehicle will make them achieve the first concentration, thus taking birth in the realms of Brahmā, the High Priests of Brahmā, and Great Brahmā. Due to having listened to the Great Vehicle, and by practicing what they have heard, they will also achieve the second concentration. In this way, they will be born in the realms of Limited Light, Limitless Light, and Luminosity. Again, the seed of having listened to the Great Vehicle‍—along with their observance and practice of the teachings that they heard‍—will make them achieve the third concentration, and so they will be born in the realms of Limited Virtue, Perfected Virtue, and Limitless Virtue. Thereafter, the seed of having heard the Great Vehicle‍—along with their continuous practice and mastery of the Great Vehicle, and their deep familiarity with all its principles‍—will make them achieve the fourth concentration. Thus, they will be born in the Cloudless Heaven, Increased Merit, and Great Fruition. The fire of wakefulness, free from desire, will then incinerate the trees in the wildwood of the afflictions, and so they will take birth in the heavens of Unlofty, No Hardship, Sublime, Gorgeous, and the Highest Heaven. Moreover, the seed of having heard the Great Vehicle‍—along with their observance and practice of the Great Vehicle, and their complete familiarity with this vehicle‍—will enable them to dispel the wrong views of sentient beings and establish them in the authentic view. In this way, the seed of having heard the Great Vehicle may transform them into solitary buddhas who have destroyed the prison of existence, or it may ripen as the mind of true and complete awakening. They may also become bodhisattvas who are fully immersed in the mind of unsurpassable great compassion, the source of happiness for all beings. In this way, the very seed of having listened to the Great Vehicle [F.217.a] will at that time turn them into bodhisattva great beings, and into buddhas‍—learned and virtuous, well-gone ones, knowers of the world, unsurpassed beings, charioteers who guide beings, teachers of gods and humans, blessed buddhas.

“All that follows because the seed of having listened to the Great Vehicle is rooted in generosity, discipline, and hearing. And how is that so? Because hearing grounds one in the Great Vehicle. Yet, if one dedicates this toward the awakening of a solitary buddha or toward the awakening of a hearer, then such awakenings will follow. Monks and householders practice generosity because of having heard about the fruits of generosity, and they practice discipline because of having heard about the fruits of discipline. They become familiar with wakefulness because of having heard about the fruits of wakefulness.

“Therefore, the higher realms and liberation are both rooted in hearing the Great Vehicle. Hence, among all forms of generosity‍—such as giving freedom from fear, material things, and discipline‍—the proclamation of the Great Vehicle is supreme. Similarly, among all types of discipline, the discipline of listening to the Great Vehicle is supreme. The Great Vehicle is the source of all hearers, solitary buddhas, and thus-gone ones. Therefore, always listen to the Great Vehicle!

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further ask himself, ‘Are there other areas with names on the northern continent of Kuru?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a land known as Eyes Beyond the World, which covers an area of two thousand leagues. Within that lies a place called Vast Sky, [F.217.b] covering three hundred leagues. The people who live there are called garment dwellers, and the trees, bathing ponds, flowers, fruits, parks, branches, vines, and rivers are all as exquisite as in the previous cases. Beyond Vast Sky flows a river called Immeasurable, stretching seven hundred leagues. The streams, trees, forests, parks, and ponds there are all as exquisite as in the previous cases. Five areas are situated by the river called Immeasurable: Endowed with Crown Ornaments, Covered by Palāśas, Garland Abode, Peacock Call, and Situated by the End of Karaṇa. Endowed with Crown Ornaments spans two hundred and fifty leagues, Covered by Palāśas occupies two hundred and fifty leagues, Peacock Call covers one hundred leagues, and Situated by the End of Karaṇa extends one hundred leagues. The second633 covers ten times one hundred leagues. Ten other areas, each of which measuring one hundred leagues, are the following: Living in Kuttāṃgati, Moving Fragrance, Black Belly, Moving among Eyes, Living in Mountain Ranges, Born Triangular, Born Round, Stomach, Moved, and Gathered. As he beholds all those regions, he will notice that the rivers, trees, ponds, and parks are just as exquisite as before. This continent is square, and so are the faces of its people. Likewise, Jambudvīpa is triangular and the faces of the humans in Jambudvīpa have a similar shape. The same type of relationship obtains in Kuru in the north. [F.218.a]

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further observe the wealth of rocks, forests, ponds, flowering fields,634 bright flowers,635 and fruits, and thus he correctly observes the external world.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will further ask himself, ‘Are there any oceans and mountains between Kuru in the north and Godānīya in the west?’ With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the ocean called Eyes of the Environment, which covers ten thousand leagues between Kuru in the north and the northern coasts of Godānīya. In some places it is one league deep and elsewhere two. Because of the presence of subterranean nāga rulers, there are also sudden upsurges of water in the sea.

“Beyond the ocean of Eyes of the Environment lies a mountain called Garland of Play that measures ten thousand leagues. Because of the scorching breath of the nāgas, its summits are black like ink. Beyond that mountain lies an ocean, ten thousand leagues wide, called Conch Sound, which is full of fish, great fish, turtles, nakra sea monsters, makara sea monsters, and conches. Extremely treacherous and terrifying, this ocean is the abode of rich nāgas that are very angry and aggressive. Beyond the Conch Sound ocean lies another ocean called Pervasive Waters. Normally, this ocean measures ten thousand leagues, but it may extend a further ten, twenty, or thirty leagues due to the wind. [F.218.b] Far beyond Pervasive Waters lies an island called Śukati Pearls. When nāgas or fish die there, they are carried upward by the current, bringing pearls with them. This island is one thousand leagues wide. Beyond Śukati Pearls lies a mountain called Jewel Friends, which measures five thousand leagues. The summits of that mountain contain the seven precious substances, and with its beryl and numerous other gems it is like a second Sumeru. Beyond Jewel Friends stretch two thousand leagues of flowering forests full of all sorts of delights. Beyond that stands the five thousand-league-high Well-Consumed, a mountain that features ponds with golden lotuses and the lovely calls of cakravākas. Beyond the kiṃśuka forests on this mountain stand other mountains, rivers, and trees, and then ten thousand leagues of sea full of golden waters, for the light of Sumeru is reflected upon it. Known as Golden Waters, this sea spans five hundred leagues.

“The continent known as Godānīya is nine thousand leagues large and contains a million towns and a thousand cities. Among them, twelve towns and five hundred cities are the primary ones. Headed by Pāṭaliputra, three cities in Jambudvīpa are particularly large.636 Similarly, headed by Abhrakūṭa, there are five hundred such cities in Godānīya. The city of Abhrakūṭa covers twelve leagues and features boulevards and an abundance of mansions with railings, courtyards, and arches. The primary cities in the center of Godānīya are Hundred Arches, Delightful Ground to Watch, Stainless and Clear, [F.219.a] Gaṅkara, and so forth. The primary cities in the center also include Free from Action, Attraction, Extent of Failed Power, and Aṇira.

“Just as Jambudvīpa has Kāśī, Kosala, and Magadha, Godānīya in the west also has primary lands. Those include the lands known as Mithila, Caturo, Koraṇḍo, Mental Stain, and Roaming Sumeru. All the lands in Godānīya can be subdivided into a set of twenty-five, resembling the similar set of eighteen in Jambudvīpa. Moreover, just as Jambudvīpa has four great rivers‍—the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Pakṣu, and Sitā‍—Godānīya in the west has five: the Vaiśālī, Cuñcumātī, Moon Power, Excellent Water, and Mixed. And just as Jumbudvīpa has Himavat, Vindhya, Malaya, and Kailāśa, there are five great mountains in Godānīya in the west: Nāḍoḍina, Three Horns, Precious Arch, Hundred Peaks, and Fierce. The continent of Godanīya also has three great lakes: Gambhīrajala, Continuous, and White Gambhīra, just as Jambudvīpa has Anavatapta and Mānasarovara.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘What commerce do the people in Godānīya engage in?’ [F.219.b]

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that the people there engage in cattle trading and that the land is teeming with cows. He will also see that all the humans there have three breasts and that all the inhabitants produce milk just like the women in Jambudvīpa, when after ten months they have given birth to a child. The rivers, forests, parks, ponds, flower meadows, and fruits are all just like in Jambudvīpa, yet the fruits are only half as tasty as in Jambudvīpa and the flowers only half as fragrant.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘What type of ripening of karmic actions leads to birth as a human on Godānīya, and what are the inferior, intermediate, or superior aspects of such ripening?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that the people who are born there previously were weak in discipline and generosity, as well as in the performance of karmic actions and the Dharma. How were they weak in discipline? In past lives, those people were poor and would only observe the one-day precepts for a price, and they only bowed their heads to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha for fear of royal punishment and not out of faith. Nor did they properly practice generosity. For the sake of serving the king, they failed to train their minds and they did not recite the words of the Buddha. In order to serve the king, or out of greed, they were generous toward those with wrong view or improper recipients. They failed to practice the ten avenues of virtuous action in a way that is uncorrupted and long-lasting. [F.220.a] When such people die and transmigrate from Jambudvīpa, those conditions make them take birth in Godānīya‍—having food that is only half as tasty, lacking understanding of the effects of virtuous and unvirtuous karmic actions, having base minds, being feeble-minded, and craving women. All that is due to the conditions of the seeds of their past karmic actions.

“Sentient beings go wherever their karmic actions take them and they experience their individual allotments of karmic actions. They are involved in karmic actions and live lives of karmic action. Whether their past actions were virtuous or unvirtuous, their present fortunes are determined by those very actions. Those who practiced unvirtuous activities are born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Karmic effects resemble their seeds, just as the kodrava seed produces a kodrava grain, and not wild millet, and barley seeds produce barley crops. Likewise, from inferior qualities and inferior fields stem inferior effects. And similarly, good crops grow from good seeds‍—red rice from red rice seeds, mung beans from mung bean seeds, and sugarcane from sugarcane seeds.

“Based on special fields and qualities, special effects manifest. Thus, some have qualities, some have suffering, and some have both. Those who have only qualities are intermediate, those who have both qualities and suffering are superior, and those who have only suffering are inferior, unless mental qualities are present. Similarly, there are also three types of fields in the external world. Those that are free from water moss are intermediate; those that are free from grass and water moss, and not prone to water problems or bandit attacks, are superior; [F.220.b] those that are damaged by reeds637 and water moss, and are prone to water problems, terrors, and bandit attacks, are inferior‍—unless farmers clear and cultivate them. All inner and outer entities are thus one’s karmic lot. They are based on karmic action and constitute realms of karmic action. They are subject to external powers, serve as each other’s conditions, and produce one another. The people in Godānīya in the west experience the effects of stained karmic actions; they are born there due to stained karmic actions. When they die and transmigrate, the wind of karmic actions will make them spin around in cyclic existence.

“When the spiritual practitioner has thus correctly comprehended karmic actions and phenomena with respect to the external, he will continue to consider the body and attend to it through the external body. Thus, he will wonder, ‘What other mountains, rivers, and oceans might there be beyond Godānīya in the west?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that between the continents of Godānīya in the west and Videha in the east lies an ocean known as Porridge, measuring twelve thousand leagues. It receives its name because the water looks like porridge, thick with massive quantities of conches, fish, great fish, nakra monsters, makara monsters, turtles, and infant-eating crocodiles. Beyond the ocean called Porridge lies a mountain known as Vidruma. Extending five hundred leagues, it is home to some highly poisonous snakes. [F.221.a] Beyond that lies an ocean called Warm. It is so named because the noxious breath of the snakes that live there makes the water hot. No other species of sentient beings live in that sea because they all die when exposed to the poisonous breath of the snakes. The water is warm because of the poison. Next comes the ocean of Red Water, covering five thousand leagues and inhabited by nāgas and subterranean asuras who live in mutual animosity. They oppress one another, consume each other’s food, and fight. Not even the powerful nāgas that live in these currents can defeat the asuras there.

“On the other side of that sea lies an island of rākṣasas. It is two thousand leagues across and home to the rākṣasī known as Braided. She wears perfumes and in her mouth she holds flower garlands, which she devours. She is fast, capable of covering a thousand leagues in the wink of an eye, and is always looking for ways to harm humans. That is all that she thinks about, and thus the island reeks of flesh, blood, and bones. Beyond Braided’s island lies an island of piśācas, five thousand leagues across. The piśāca known as Covered by Hair lives there.

“Farther yet looms a mountain known as Abundance. Five thousand leagues tall, Abundance is studded with a wealth of tree species: nālikera, panasa, mauca, hintāla, tamāla, raktamāla, yellow, cutchtree, tilaka, arjuna, kadamba, nicula, amra, picumarda, badarī, vaṭā, kiṁśuka, nāga flower, kadamba, [F.221.b] aśoka, śilindha, ketaka, extremely loose karsikara, fresh mālikā, pāṭāla, kapittha, tree of splendor, divine tree, juniper, karavīra, blue aśoka, kurabaka, and kunda. Such trees cover Abundance, along with hundreds of waterfalls. Deep in the heart of these wildwoods, piśācas frolic and enjoy themselves.

“Beyond the mountain of Abundance stretches the Milky Sea, covering five thousand leagues. Its waters both look and taste like milk and it is home to some fish that reach a size of five leagues. Beyond the Milky Sea lies Sandy Stretch, one thousand leagues of trees and ravines. Then follows Neutralization of Nāga Poison, six thousand leagues of sea that is home to the so-called power nāgas, who live in perpetual hostility and thrive on trouble. Beyond the ocean Neutralization of Nāga Poison stretches Even Waters, two thousand leagues of placid, clear, deep sea that is teeming with fish, makara monsters, conches, nakra monsters, and infant-eating crocodiles.

“As the spiritual practitioner who has an understanding of the ripening of karmic phenomena observes this, he will see that there is no one within these oceans, rivers, islands, forests, mountains, trees, and areas who is not born, who does not die, who does not transmigrate, and who does not take rebirth. There is no one for whom all that is agreeable and delightful will not vanish, disappear, [F.222.a] depart, become lost, or be transformed. There is no one‍—whether at sea or on land, in the mountains or in the forests‍—who does not die, transmigrate, and take rebirth as a result of their individual allotments of karmic actions. They all depend on their karmic actions and have to experience the effects of their own karmic actions. There is no one at all638 who has not been born, died, and been reborn again a thousand times, eight thousand times, or even a trillion times over. Hundreds, thousands, and even quadrillions of times, all that was agreeable and delightful has been lost‍—it disappeared, fell apart, vanished, or was transformed. In cyclic existence without beginning, everyone is tied by the shackles of desire, anger, and ignorance, spinning through the realms of hell beings, starving spirits, and animals‍—being born, dying, and taking birth again. Therefore, quick, quick, you must grow disenchanted with cyclic existence! Do not crave and yearn for cyclic existence! Cyclic existence is painful. It is a burning agony, an excruciating agony, a painful agony. It is full of aging, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, and unhappiness. It ends in a fall and is a gateway to exhaustion. There is no durability or happiness whatsoever in cyclic existence, just as the sun contains no darkness whatsoever. In this way, the spiritual practitioner carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body. [F.222.b]

“Correctly understanding the outer body, the spiritual practitioner will also ask himself, ‘Are there any rivers, oceans, or mountains beyond the sea of Even Waters?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the eastern continent known as Videha, which is eight thousand leagues large and circular in shape. This continent features exquisite towns, cities, and markets, as well as rivers, trees, forests, parks, bathing ponds, islands, mountains, waterfalls, dense jungles, flowers, fruits, deer, and birds. There are six especially tall mountains: Great Slope, Forest Garlands, Flocking Peacocks, Deer Abode, Upward Ocean, and Eye Garland. Those six mountains encircle Videha in the east just as the aforementioned four mountains encircle Jambudvīpa.

“Great Slope measures three thousand leagues and has three forests that each cover one thousand leagues. The forests are known as the Suvelang Forest, the Forest of Cascading Water Sounds, and the Mālikagaṅkara Forest. These forests are lush with exquisite trees of the following species: lvilika, mountain growth, even branches, growing-in-places-difficult-to-reach, river growth, utpala tree, and rock growth, as well as the previously mentioned trees that also grow in Jambudvīpa. [F.223.a] The people who live on this great mountain are called the fire crowns. There are also the following rivers: Strewn Sand, Sāmreḍā, Billowing Waters, Nāga River, Forest Course, and Caraca.

“The mountain called Forest Garlands measures one thousand leagues and supports the following forests: Kukkuṭācīra, Divine Trees, Cilika, Smoky, and Utterly Unborn. Also, the following rivers can be found there: Covered by Vines, Summit Encircler, Black Waters, Hanging Leaves, and Joyous Smoke. The people who live on Forest Garlands Mountain are known as the crooked.

“When the spiritual practitioner observes the third mountain, Flocking Peacocks, he will see that it measures three thousand leagues and supports the following forests: Cloud Forest, Constant Lightning, Elevated Sounds, Special Drink, and Maṇḍala. There are also the following rivers: Niculundha Flow, Sagely Joy, Blue Stream, and Excellent. The people who live on the Flocking Peacocks mountain are known as ‘the blue necks.’

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘Are there any other mountains or rivers in Videha in the east?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then notice a fourth mountain, known as Deer Abode. This mountain supports the forests known as Tangled Forest, Joyous Forest, and Horse Cloud Forest. The trees, flowers, [F.223.b] and fruits found in those forests are just as exquisite as in the cases mentioned before. Here the following rivers can also be found: Wild Water, Delightful Environs, and Confluence. The wild animals that live on this mountain are of the following species: vaineyā, delighting-in-the-shadows-of-the-land, fleeing-upon-sight, kuraṅgā, excellent path, envy of the nāgas, cow ear, elephant drink, supreme infant, delighting-in-the-shadows, rabbit sheep, camel body, black tail, white head, wounded, snake tongue, hundred teeth, partner, and hidden throat. Some of these flocking animals are not found in Jambudvīpa. The sylvan highlands, parks, ponds, trees, birds, flowers, and other gorgeous features of this mountain are just as described before. All the flowers in Jambudvīpa can also be found on Deer Abode. The people who live on Deer Abode Mountain are called combined strength.

“Next, the spiritual practitioner will observe the forests and parks on the fifth mountain on the continent of Videha in the east. Known as Upward Ocean, this mountain measures a thousand leagues and abounds with forests, parks, and ponds just as described before. On this mountain, the forests of Triple Circle, Blocked Neck, and Joyous Mountain flourish, and the rivers called Triple Horns, Babbler, and Scattered Stones run their courses. The people who live at the Upward Ocean mountain are called the clever ones. [F.224.a] Thus, observing Upward Ocean Mountain, the practitioner correctly observes the external.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also ask himself, ‘Are there any other mountains on the continent of Videha in the east?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see the mountain called Eye Garland, measuring one thousand leagues. Its exquisite forests, parks, ponds, and waterfalls, as well as its many different animals, birds, flowers, and fruits, are all as explained previously. The river known as Invisible descends from Eye Garland Mountain, reaching a depth of one league. The people who live on Eye Garland Mountain are called the eyes of the land. Thus, six mountains encircle the eastern continent of Videha.

“Three large cities lie inside this ring of mountains: Excellent Joy, Forest Joy, and Celebrations throughout the Land. There are also sixty intermediate and minor cities. The intermediate ones include City of Hills and Sounds of the Land, and among the minor cities are Movement Everywhere and Isolated Highlands. Those are the foremost among the intermediate and minor cities. In all, Videha in the east contains three cities with ten million people, five towns with one hundred thousand people, three with one thousand people, and fifty more with five hundred or six hundred people. The primary towns include Sky Scent, Bubbles, Vrikṣīrang, All the People, Numerous Leaves, [F.224.b] Bhīduram, Ripe Vessel, Concise, Viṣkaṭā, Harmful Forest, Beneficial Eyes, Bādūtam, Tree Made of Anthers, and Timely Water.

“The shape of this continent is round and so are the faces of the people who inhabit it. In Jambudvīpa people affix ornaments to their ears and hair, in Kuru in the north they wear them on their eyes and shoulders, in Godānīya people adorn their stomachs and necks, and in Videha in the east they decorate their thighs and shoulders. Thus, the inhabitants of the four human abodes each decorate their bodies differently.

“As the spiritual practitioner continues to observe the ripening of karmic phenomena, he will ask himself, ‘What karmic actions cause sentient beings to be born here? And what are the superior, intermediate, and inferior actions that make them experience superior, intermediate, and inferior circumstances?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that in the past these beings had no understanding of karmic action, phenomena, and ripening. They would therefore practice inferior forms of generosity in relation to inferior recipients. For example, they would, as mentioned previously, be generous in order to receive benefits, or in a disingenuous manner, or out of duty to their master. Based on such actions, they are born on this continent. Those of intermediate status practiced inferior discipline. In this regard, they may have given up killing in order to serve the king, rather than due to pure motivation. When their bodies disintegrate, such causes and conditions lead them to be born in an intermediate way among the gods in the joyous higher realms. [F.225.a] Superior individuals, however, proceed based on superior karmic actions. That is to say, they listen to the Great Vehicle, accomplish it, and rejoice in it. Apart from those who listen to the Great Vehicle, teach it, rejoice in it, and accomplish it, I have not seen a single person who escaped the jungle of cyclic existence. This is supreme generosity‍—letting the Great Vehicle be heard is supreme generosity. This is supreme insight‍—the insight of listening to the Great Vehicle is supreme. The benefits of proclaiming the Great Vehicle are just as these were explained previously.

“Having seen the karmic action, phenomena, and ripening that pertain to sentient beings on Videha in the east, the spiritual practitioner will continue correctly considering the body and attending to it through the external body, and so will ask himself, ‘Might there be any other mountains or rivers around Videha in the east?’

“With insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will then see that eight thousand leagues off the coast of Videha stands a mountain called Heap of Iron. This mountain rises three thousand leagues and its extremely subtle iron soil is scattered across ten thousand leagues. Beyond Heap of Iron Mountain stretches the ocean called Circular Design that covers seven thousand leagues. Circular Design is surrounded by five mountains: Needle Eye, Great Belly, Bhaṇḍanā, Snake, and Superior. Beyond the ocean of Circular Design lies an island called Endowed with Elements that measures three thousand leagues. [F.225.b] Here live vidyādharas, guhyakas, and kinnaras. This island is extremely delightful and has gorgeous rivers, ponds, and trees. The species of animals and trees found in Jambudvīpa and in Videha in the east are also represented on this island.

“Far beyond that island towers a mountain known as Numerous Celestial Bodies, the summits of which are not very far from Sumeru. While the mountain is situated there, it can nevertheless be visible in Jambudvīpa due to the force of extraordinary karmic actions‍—namely the wind of virtuous or unvirtuous actions of the humans on Jambudvīpa. When the mountain is observed by brahmin scholars in Jambudvīpa, who have no understanding of the nature of karmic actions and results, they believe that it is caused by the planets or stars, and they proclaim this to the king and the royal ministers. However, that is only the perception of brahmin scholars who harbor wrong views. The auspiciousness of the planets, and the sun and moon, actually depends on virtuous or unvirtuous karmic actions. If the planets could indeed create auspiciousness, just as virtuous and unvirtuous karmic actions can, then, since the sun and the moon are such special celestial bodies, they should be able to govern auspicious and inauspicious times. Hence, there should be flowers and fruits during all seasons. But the sun and moon may also be eclipsed by another celestial body; Rāhu may interfere with the sun and the moon, and the other celestial bodies may also interfere with each other. Therefore, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness are not created by the planets or stars. Thus, the spiritual practitioner observes the behavior of the planets and the other celestial bodies, and carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body, which is an effect of karmic action. As he observes the behavior of the planets, the appearance of Numerous Celestial Bodies in the sea, Mount Sumeru, and the appearance of the summits, [F.226.a] he correctly observes the external world.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also notice an island of gorgeous rocks, rivers, and trees, known as Bharata Abode, which lies seven thousand leagues into the sea beyond Numerous Celestial Bodies. All the trees, flowers, and fruits that grow in Jambudvīpa can also be found on this island, which measures three thousand leagues. Vidyādharas and guhyakas live among its wealth of delightful trees, flowers, and fruits.

“Farther beyond looms Border Mountain, which marks the border between Videha in the east and the regions of Jambudvīpa. The water in the sea, which spans three thousand leagues, is cool. This sea between Videha in the east and Jambudvīpa is teeming with conches, great fish, nakra monsters, makara monsters, turtles, infant-eating crocodiles, kumbhīra monsters, and fish. Beyond Border Mountain stretches the sea known as Red. From the edge of Jambudvīpa, this cold sea of five thousand leagues appears red. Located not too far from Jambudvīpa, this sea abounds with fish and is filled with blood. When the fish feed and prey on one another, the killing makes the water become very bloody, thus turning it red. It is because of this red hue that the sea is called Red.

“Beyond this sea extends another ocean, called Blue, which covers seven thousand leagues. [F.226.b] This ocean abounds with fish everywhere and is extremely deep. Thereafter stretches an ocean called Jewel Islands. Measuring three thousand leagues, it contains numerous mountains, jewels, golden sands, rocks, sasyaka gems, musāragalva rocks, pearl sands, vidrūma trees, sukumārikā gems, and other precious substances. There are also trees called sweet-poison-mind-transfer. The fruits of these trees are lethal for both birds and humans from Jambudvīpa, causing death within seven days of consumption. Any bird that eats this fruit will die. After that sea comes Salty, an ocean measuring eleven thousand leagues that is full of great fish, śukati, turtles, nakra monsters, crocodiles, nāgas, and birds. Numerous rākṣasas and piśācas roam there. White vidrūma trees grow out of the water and there are submarine seamounts.

“Five hundred islands are found in the vicinity of Jambudvīpa. The primary ones among them are, for example, Golden Ground, Jewel Rocks, Ketaka, Mālikā, Conch, Pearl, Mekala Source, Plow, Place for Austerities, Excellent Forest, Peacock Forest, Fragrant Garlands, Triple Summits, Excellent Armies, Spānāśetu, Laṅkapuri Rākṣasas, Twelve Mountains, Bilvaka of Sumeru, Mountain Dwellings, Red Conches and Pearls, Snowy Regions, Silvery Sands, Roadless, [F.227.a] Five Fences of Gold and Other Materials, Śukti Realm, and Female Trees. These are all inhabited by humans. Such special regions surround Jambudvīpa, extending seven thousand leagues. The delights and mountains are like those mentioned before.

“The spiritual practitioner who carefully considers the body and attends to it through the external body will also inquire about the reach of the light of the sun and moon. Thus, with insight derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye, he will see that the four faces of Sumeru and the four human abodes are all illuminated by the sun and moon. Moreover, within a distance of eighty-four thousand leagues from the faces of Sumeru, the first half of the sea is lit up by their light, but the second half lies in a terrifying, deep darkness. Farther out lies a chain of three hundred sixty million vajra mountains known as the Fence Ring, which are all ablaze with the unbearable flames of karmic actions. When the sea water approaches this ring, it first turns into milk, and as it comes still closer, the milk becomes yogurt, and then butter. When the butter touches the mountains, it melts and the liquid butter is then consumed by the fires of the hells. The liquid also floods the ground there.

“Such indeed is the realm of desire, and this is how the spiritual practitioner correctly understands. With accurate knowledge and a perception of reality, he will conclude with perfect understanding that there is nothing here that is permanent, stable, enduring, or unchanging. [F.227.b] In cyclic existence, which knows no beginning or end, we experience our individual shares of karmic effects. Everyone suffers from the effects of their own actions. He will observe that there is no one who has not died and been reborn hundreds and thousands of times. When one correctly and continuously observes and attends to the internal body and the external body‍—the internal body and other bodies‍—one will no longer be attached to the body. Attractive sounds, tastes, forms, scents, and textures cannot bring one down.”

In this way, the brahmins and householders of Nālati and all the monks who endeavored in the application of mindfulness of the body no longer remained in the presence of the māras. As they heard about the application of mindfulness of the body, a great many of them rid themselves of the cataract of the view of the transitory collection and achieved the eye of Dharma that sees the unsurpassable teachings.

“Monks, you must teach the application of mindfulness of the body just as I have done here. These are the explanations to be given. Monks, in mountains, mountain retreats, mountain caves, charnel grounds, and in unsheltered places, you should practice concentration on your seat of straw! Do not remain careless! Make sure you have no regrets at the time of death! This is my instruction to you.”

When the Blessed One had said this, all the monks rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One. This is the application of mindfulness of the body.