What is the reality of the body?

Satipatthāna Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness
Contemplation of the Body - Section of Foulness or Repulsiveness.

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa !
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Supremely Enlightened One !
​
​“Again, monks, a monk reflects this same body up from the soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair, bounded by skin, as full of many kinds of impurity thus:   ​

---

“Again, monks, a monk reflects this same body up from the soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair, bounded by skin, as full of many kinds of impurity thus:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
 ‘In this very body there are head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones,
bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm  (pleura), spleen, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, gorge, feces, brain,  bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease ( skin oil ), spittle ( saliva ), snot ( mucus ), oil of the joints, and urine.’
​
 Just as though there were a bag with an opening at both ends full of many sorts of grain, such as hill rice, red rice, beans, peas, millet, and white rice, and a man with good eyes were to open it and review it thus: ‘This is hill rice, this is red rice, these are beans, these are peas, this is millet, this is white rice’;  so too, a monk reviews this same body up from the soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair, bounded by skin, as full of many kinds of impurity thus:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
‘In this very body there are head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm (pleura), spleen, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, gorge, feces, brain, 
 bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease ( skin oil ), spittle( saliva ), snot ( mucus ), oil of the joints, and urine.’
 “In this way he abides contemplating ( observing ) the body as a body internally,
Or he abides contemplating the body as a body externally,
Or he abides contemplating the body as a body both internally and externally.
Or else he abides contemplating in the body its nature ( phenomenon ) of arising,
Or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of vanishing ( passing away ),
Or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of both arising and vanishing.

The mind of the monk at this stage is absorbed in the wisdom of impermenence, suffering, and no–self of the body.
His awareness is established - “ This is body ”. Thus he develops his awareness to such an extent that there is mere understanding along with mere awareness.
In this way he dwells detached, thus “ This is not mine; This am not I; This is not my self ” , without clinging anything in the world.
This is how monks, a monk dwells observing body in body.

Saadu ! Saadu !! Saadu !!!
( Excellent ! Excellent !! Excellent !!! )
Namo Buddhaya!
Homage to the Supreme Buddha !
​( The Supreme Bliss of Nibbhana, 4th print 2011– Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, Dayawansa
Jayakody and Company, Sri Lanka )

download the pdf