Discursive Reflections on the Body

Along with non-discursive observations of the body and its activity, discursive (i.e. directed use of the intellect / directed thought) reflections on the body are also prominent in the Theravada Canon.  These reflections are sometimes referred to as “reflections on repulsiveness” and focus on both dis-identifying an aspirant from, and disenchanting an aspirant with, their body.  An example of this type of discipline is found in the Mahahatthipadopama Sutta (Majjima Nikaya, 28) in which the Buddha classifies elements of the body into “earth, water, fire, and air” elements:

“And what is the material form aggregate affected by clinging?  It is the four great elements and the material form derived from the four great elements.  And what are the four great elements?  They are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.

What, friends, is the earth element?  The earth element may be either internal or external.  What is the internal earth element?  Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung-to; that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidifies, and clung-to: this is called the internal earth element.  Now both the internal earth element and the external earth element are simply earth element.  And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’  When one sees it thus as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the earth element and makes the mind dispassionate toward the earth element.”

By breaking the body up and focusing on its many parts, an aspirant is intended to see the body as “not-self” and become disenchanted/dispassionate towards it.  

Comparing one’s body to a corpse, knowing that it is of the same nature and destined for the same fate, is a similar technique and is included in the Satipatthana Sutta:

“Again, monks, as though he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground – one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter… being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various kinds of worms… a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together with sinews… a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood, held together with sinews… a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together with sinews… disconnected bones scattered in all directions… bones bleached white, the color of shells… bones heaped up, more than a year old… bones rotten and crumbling to dust – he compares this same body with it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’”

From a Theravada perspective, disenchantment with one’s own body is a possible means by which an aspirant could be led away from worldly pursuits, and toward a seeking of Nibbana.