Overview
This is the fundamental meditation subject for Kāyagatāsati (Mindfulness of the Body). To cure the mind of its infatuation with physical beauty and sexual lust, the meditator mentally dissects their own body into 32 distinct biological components, realizing it is just a sack of impure substances. (Note: Suttas list 31; the commentaries add the brain to make 32).
The List
The Skin Pentad:
- Kesā - Head hair, 2. Lomā - Body hair, 3. Nakhā - Nails, 4. Dantā - Teeth, 5. Taco - Skin. The Kidney Pentad:
- Maṃsaṃ - Flesh/Muscle, 7. Nhāru - Sinews/Tendons, 8. Aṭṭhi - Bones, 9. Aṭṭhimiñjaṃ - Bone marrow, 10. Vakkaṃ - Kidneys. The Lung Pentad:
- Hadayaṃ - Heart, 12. Yakanaṃ - Liver, 13. Kilomakaṃ - Pleura/Membranes, 14. Pihakaṃ - Spleen, 15. Papphāsaṃ - Lungs. The Brain Pentad:
- Antaṃ - Intestines, 17. Antaguṇaṃ - Mesentery, 18. Udariyaṃ - Undigested food, 19. Karīsaṃ - Feces, 20. Matthalungaṃ - Brain. The Fat Sextet:
- Pittaṃ - Bile, 22. Semhaṃ - Phlegm, 23. Pubbo - Pus, 24. Lohitaṃ - Blood, 25. Seda - Sweat, 26. Meda - Solid fat. The Urine Sextet:
- Assu - Tears, 28. Vasā - Liquid fat/Grease, 29. Kheḷo - Saliva, 30. Siṅghāṇikā - Snot/Mucus, 31. Lasikā - Synovial fluid (joint oil), 32. Muttaṃ - Urine.
Textual References
- Canonical: Dvattiṃsākāra (Khp 3) – The standard list recited by all monastics.
- Canonical: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10) – The Buddha gives the simile of opening a bag of mixed grains to describe inspecting these parts.