Paṭikkūlamanasikārapabba — Attention to the Nature of the Body (Exercise 4 in Satipaṭṭhāna Practice) Reflections by Bhante Dr. Chandima

                         

1.4. Kāyānupassanā Paṭikūlamanasikārapabba

(Section on Attending to the Nature of the Body as Mindfulness of the Body)

1.4.1

Puna ca paraṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṃ uddhaṃ pādatalā, adho kesamatthakā, tacapariyantaṃ pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati:

Again, monks, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body from the soles of the feet upward and from the crown of the head downward, enclosed by skin and filled with various kinds of unclean things.

• This passage introduces paṭikkūla-manasikāra—the contemplation of the body’s internal composition to counter sensual indulgence and pride. The phrase uddhaṃ pādatalā adho kesamatthakā marks a total examination—from feet to head—while tacapariyantaṃ (bounded by skin) points to the body’s fragile container. For lay practice, this reflection invites realistic mindfulness rather than aversion: to see the body not as repulsive, but as impermanent, composite, and not-self, thereby diminishing indulgence, temptations and vanity.

1.4.2

‘Atthi imasmiṃ kāye kesā lomā nakhā dantā taco maṃsaṃ nahāru aṭṭhi aṭṭhimiñjaṃ vakkaṃ hadayaṃ yakanaṃ kilomakaṃ pihakaṃ papphāsaṃ antaṃ antaguṇaṃ udariyaṃ karīsaṃ pittaṃ semhaṃ pubbo lohitaṃ sedo medo assu vasā khel̤o siṅghāṇikā lasikā muttan’ti.

In this body there are: head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, joint-fluid, and urine.

• This list of thirty-one body parts serves as a meditative inventory for cultivating asubha-saññā—the perception of unattractiveness (nature of the body). Each item demystifies bodily beauty by revealing its functional, impersonal nature. For modern or lay reflection, these can be contemplated as biological realities, fostering gratitude for bodily interdependence and humility about impermanence. The intent is not disgust but clear seeing: to free perception from craving and delusion.

1.4.3

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ubhatomukhā putol̤i pūrā nānāvihitassa dhaññassa, seyyathidaṃ—sālīnaṃ vīhīnaṃ muggānaṃ māsānaṃ tilānaṃ taṇḍulānaṃ. Tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso muñcitvā paccavekkheyya: ‘ime sālī, ime vīhī, ime muggā, ime māsā, ime tilā, ime taṇḍulā’ti.

Just as, monks, a sack with openings at both ends, filled with various kinds of grain—such as rice, barley, beans, peas, sesame, and husked rice—when opened by a man with good eyes, he would examine it, saying: “These are rice, these are barley, these are beans, these are peas, these are sesame, these are husked rice.

• The simile of the grain sack (ubhatomukhā putolī) illustrates the analytical clarity of paṭikkūla-manasikāra. Just as a discerning person inspects grains without emotional bias, the meditator examines bodily elements objectively. The emphasis is on discernment, not disgust—to see with wisdom (paññā-cakkhu), recognizing the body’s contents without delusion of ownership or beauty. For lay practitioners, this is an invitation to approach self-awareness with curiosity and composure.

1.4.4

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṃ uddhaṃ pādatalā, adho kesamatthakā, tacapariyantaṃ pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati: ‘atthi imasmiṃ kāye kesā lomā …pe… muttan’ti.

In the same way, monks, a bhikkhu, reflects on this very body from the soles of the feet upward and from the crown of the head downward, enclosed by skin and filled with various unclean things: “In this body there are head-hairs… and urine.”

• The repetition reinforces continuity of awareness. Like the sack of grains, the practitioner continually revisits the body with calm and wisdom. The reflection is not morbid but liberative, reminding that all conditioned phenomena—including one’s body—are impermanent, insubstantial, and impersonal. In lay application, this contemplation encourages mindfulness grounded in humility, moderation, and compassion, helping to loosen vanity and craving while deepening insight into the nature of existence.

1.4.5

Iti ajjhattaṃ vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati;

Thus, he/she dwells contemplating the body internally, or he dwells contemplating the body externally (universalizing the nature of body experience), or he dwells contemplating the body both internally and externally.

• The triadic formula—internal, external, and both—broadens mindfulness beyond the self. Observing one’s own body (ajjhattaṃ) cultivates introspective clarity; observing others’ bodies (bahiddhā) nurtures empathy and detachment; observing both dissolves the boundary of self and other, revealing universality in bodily processes.

1.4.6

Samudayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, vayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati.

They dwell observing the body as subject to origination, as subject to vanishing, or as subject to both origination and vanishing.

• This section deepens contemplation into anicca-saññā—the perception of impermanence. One sees the body as a process, continuously arising and ceasing. Awareness of this flux uproots craving and builds insight into dukkha and anattā. The body is no longer “mine,” but a transient flow of conditions.

1.4.7

‘Atthi kāyo’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti. Yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.

Or mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. And they dwell unassociating, not grasping at anything in the world.

• At this stage, awareness becomes purified of grasping. The practitioner does not think “I am the body,” but merely recognizes “there is a body.” This detached observation marks the maturity of mindfulness: awareness for the sake of knowing, not for owning. One abides free from worldly attachment (anissito ca viharati).

1.4.8

Evampi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati.

In this way, monks, a monk dwells observing the body in the body.

• This refrain concludes each section of kāyānupassanā, reinforcing the integration of mindfulness into bodily existence. The phrase “observing the body in the body” (kāye kāyānupassī viharati) points to direct, experiential awareness—not of concepts about the body, but of the living reality itself as it unfolds in the present.

Notes for Paṭikkūlamanasikārapabba — Attention to the Nature of the Body

1. See Clearly, Not Cruelly

The Buddha never meant us to hate the body; he wanted us to see it truthfully. By observing the body from head to toe—skin-bound, changing, filled with many elements—we strip away illusion without turning to disgust. This honesty diminishes desire naturally. When we stop idealizing beauty or youth, temptation loses power. True mindfulness is not gloomy—it is liberating clarity that transforms fascination into freedom.

2. From Craving to Caring

Paying attention to the nature of the body turns blind craving into wise, compassionate care. We learn that the body needs food, rest, exercise, and respect—not indulgence or neglect. The Buddha encouraged householders to enjoy comfort with mindfulness—to clothe, feed, and cherish the body while remembering its impermanence. Understanding its fragility deepens gratitude and leads to gentler living. What once fueled craving now inspires kindness and responsibility.

3. Respect the Vessel, Not the Vanity

The body is a vessel of virtue, not a trophy of ego. When seen as a dynamic assembly of parts, it becomes a means to practice generosity, patience, and compassion. We care for it to sustain ethical life and service—not to glorify it. The reflection turns vanity into humility and helps us root dignity in conduct, not cosmetics. Through this view, the body regains its sacredness as the ground of wholesome action.

4. Like Sorting Grains, Not Judging Flesh

The grain-sack simile shows that the right attitude is objective, not emotional. Just as a wise person inspects grains calmly, the practitioner examines the body’s parts without disgust. This cultivates paññā-cakkhu—the “eye of wisdom”—which sees usefulness and impermanence together. The point is not to condemn the body but to study it with composure. When observation replaces judgment, the body becomes a classroom for equanimity, not a battlefield of shame.

5. From “My Body” to “A Body”

When we extend contemplation from self to others (ajjhatta-bahiddhā), lust and pride fade. Seeing that all bodies share the same composition—hair, bones, breath, decay—we loosen possessiveness and awaken empathy. This insight breaks the root of exploitation: one no longer sees others as objects of desire or comparison but as fellow travellers in fragility. Shared embodiment becomes a foundation for compassion and ethical respect, cooling temptation before it grows.

6. Let Pleasure Be Gentle

By reflecting on origination and passing away (samudaya-vaya-dhamma), we learn that every sensation—sweet or bitter—arises and vanishes. The Buddha’s goal was not to destroy joy but to refine it. Pleasure can nourish when touched lightly; it poisons when gripped tightly. Understanding impermanence helps laypeople enjoy ethical pleasures—art, affection, comfort—without drowning in them. Joy becomes softer, wiser, and free from the anxiety of loss.

7. There Is a Body—That’s All

Advanced mindfulness reaches simplicity: “Atthi kāyo”—“There is a body.” This quiet knowing ends identification. We no longer think I am this body or this is mine; we just dwell with awareness. This state allows deep peace: we live in the world, engage fully, yet cling to nothing. The body is seen as a process, not a possession—allowing freedom within embodiment, not escape from it.

8. Balanced Living: Care Without Clinging

The essence of paṭikkūlamanasikāra is balance—a middle way between indulgence and aversion. We care for the body as a duty of wisdom, not as a symbol of worth. We restrain unethical sensual pleasure through understanding, not repression. We even soften attachment to ethical pleasures, finding contentment in simplicity. When contemplation matures, the body is no longer a trap of craving but a temple of practice, where mindfulness, compassion, and serenity unite.