SATIPAÞÞHÁNA SUTTA – FOUNDATIONS OF INSIGHT 419
“Thus he lives contemplating the body ... clinging to naught
in this world.[Reflection on the nine kinds of corpses
(Navasivathikápabba)]
[1] “A disciple would see the body, thrown in the charnel-ground,
one day dead, or two days dead, or three days dead, swollen, blue
and festering. He then applies (this perception) to his own body
thus: ‘Truly this body, too, is of the same nature, such it will
become, it has not escaped that state.
“Thus he lives contemplating the body ... clinging to naught
in this world.
[2] “A disciple would see the body, thrown in the charnel-
ground, being devoured by crows, or hawks, or vultures, or
dogs, or jackals, or by various kinds of worms. He then applies
(this perception) to his own body thus: ‘Truly this body; too, is
of the same nature, such it will become, it has not escaped that
state.’
“Thus he lives contemplating the body ... clinging to naught
in this world.
[3] “A disciple would see the body, thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to a skeleton, held together by sinews, with
some flesh and blood adhering to it ...
[4] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to a skeleton, held together by sinews, without
flesh, besmeared with blood ...
[5] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to a skeleton, held together with sinews, with-
out flesh and blood ...
[6] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to loose bones scattered in various directions—
bones of the hand, bones of the foot, shin bones, thigh bones,
pelvis, spine and skull.
[7] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to white bones of shell-like colour ...
[8] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to a heap of bones, more than a year old ...
[9] “A disciple would see the body thrown in the charnel-
ground, reduced to rotten bones, crumbling to dust. He then