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