Eightfold Path Seventh Step - Right Attentiveness WHAT, now, is Right Attentiveness? The only way that leads to the
attainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, to
the end of pain and grief, to the entering upon the right path and the
realization of Nirvana, is the "Four Fundamentals of
Attentiveness." And which are these four? In them, the disciple
dwells in contemplation of the Body, in contemplation of Feeling, in
contemplation of the Mind, in contemplation of the Mind-objects, ardent,
clearly conscious and attentive, after putting away worldly greed and
grief. But, how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the body?
There, the disciple retires to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to
a solitary place, sits himself down, with legs crossed, body erect, and
with attentiveness fixed before him. With attentive mind he breathes in,
with attentive mind he breathes out. When making a long inhalation, he
knows: "I make a long inhalation"; when making a long
exhalation, he knows: "I make a long exhalation." when making
a short inhalation, he knows: "I make a short inhalation";
when making a short exhalation, he knows: "I make a short
exhalation." "Clearly perceiving the entire [breath]-body, I
will breathe in": thus he trains himself; "clearly perceiving
the entire [breath]-body, I will breathe out": thus he trains
himself. "Calming this bodily function, I will breathe n":
thus he trains himself; "calming this bodily function, I will
breathe out": thus he trains himself. Thus he dwells in
contemplation of the body, either with regard to his own person, or to
other persons, or to both. He beholds how the body arises; beholds how
it passes away; beholds the arising and passing away of the body.
"A body is there- - "A body is there, but no living being, no
individual, no woman, no man, no self, and nothing that belongs to a
self; neither a person, nor anything belonging to a person"- - this
clear consciousness is present in him, because of his knowledge and
mindfulness, and he lives independent, unattached to anything in the
world. Thus does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the body. And
further, whilst going, standing, sitting, or lying down, the disciple
understands the expressions: "I go"; "I stand";
"I sit"; "I lie down"; he understands any position
of the body. [The disciple understands that it is not a being, a real
Ego, that goes, stands, etc., but that it is by a mere figure of speech
that one says: "I go," "I stand," and so forth.] And
further, the disciple is clearly conscious in his going and coming;
clearly conscious in looking forward and backward; clearly conscious in
bending and stretching; clearly conscious in eating, drinking, chewing,
and tasting; clearly conscious in discharging excrement and urine;
clearly conscious in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep and
awakening; clearly conscious in speaking and in keeping silent. "In
all the disciple is doing, he is clearly conscious: of his intention, of
his advantage, of his duty, of the reality." And further, the
disciple contemplates this body from the sole of the foot upward, and
from the top of the hair downward, with a skin stretched over it, and
filled with manifold impurities: "This body consists of hairs,
nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver,
diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels, stomach, and excrement; of
bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph, tears, semen, spittle, nasal
mucus, oil of the joints, and urine." Just as if there were a sack,
with openings at both ends, filled with all kinds of grain-with paddy,
beans, sesamum and husked rice-and a man not blind opened it and
examined its contents, thus: "That is paddy, these are beans, this
is sesamum, this is husked rice": just so does the disciple
investigate this body. And further, the disciple contemplates this body
with regard to the elements: "This body consists of the solid
element, the liquid element, the heating element and the vibrating
element." Just as a skilled butcher or butcher's apprentice, who
has slaughtered a cow and divided it into separate portions, should sit
down at the junction of four highroads: just so does the disciple
contemplate this body with regard to the elements. And further, just as
if the disciple should see a corpse thrown into the burial-ground, one,
two, or three days dead, swollen-up, blue-black in color, full of
corruption he draws the conclusion as to his own body: "This my
body also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot escape it."
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And further, just as if the disciple should see a corpse thrown into the
burial-ground, eaten by crows, hawks or vultures, by dogs or jackals, or
gnawed by all kinds of worms-he draws the conclusion as to his own body:
"This my body also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot
escape it." And further, just as if the disciple should see a
corpse thrown into the burial-ground, a framework of bones, flesh
hanging from it, bespattered with blood, held together by the sinews; a
framework of bones, stripped of flesh, bespattered with blood, held
together by the sinews; a framework of bones, without flesh and blood,
but still held together by the sinews; bones, disconnected and scattered
in all directions, here a bone of the hand, there a bone of the foot,
there a shin bone, there a thigh bone, there the pelvis, there the
spine, there the skull-he draws the conclusion as to his own body:
"This my body also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot
escape it." And further, just as if the disciple should see bones
lying in the burial ground, bleached and resembling shells; bones heaped
together, after the lapse of years; bones weathered and crumbled to
dust;-he draws the conclusion as to his own body: "This my body
also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot escape it " Thus
he dwells in contemplation of the body, either with regard to his own
person, or to other persons, or to both. He beholds how the body arises;
beholds how it passes away; beholds the arising and passing of the body.
"A body is there" this clear consciousness is present in him,
because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives independent,
unattached to anything in the world. Thus does the disciple dwell in
contemplation of the body.