Introduction 3.8.5: Kāyagatāsativaggo - The Many Benefits Derived from the Awareness of the Body
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.8.5 - Kāyagatāsativaggo
The Benefits derived from the Awareness of the Body
Tasmā have appamatto,
Anuyuñjetha1 paṇḍito;
Evaṃ anekānisaṃsaṃ2,
Imaṃ kāyagatāsatinti.3
Truly a man, if he is wise,
Should devote himself persistently,
To what recompenses him so manifold,
And this is awareness directed to the body.
The Kāyagatāsativaggo presents a selection of short suttas4 collected as group/section –vaggo– found under Ekakanipātapāḷi in the first chapter –nipāta– of the Aṅguttaranikāyo. This selection describes multifarious positive benefits5 that someone may be able to derive who practices–ekadhammo–‘one thing’6: Any mediation technique that is summarised under the heading of: ‘Kāyagatāsati’.
‘Kāyagatāsati’ literally means: ‘Awareness gone to the body’ – ‘Awareness directed to the body’ – ‘Safeguarding of constant awareness of the body’! The Kāyagatāsatisutta7 highlights what is classified under this term. Here the ‘fully Enlightened One, accomplished in wisdom and sagacity likewise highlights the remunerations and fruits for anyone who practises, develops and perfects any meditation the category of ‘kāyagatāsati’8.
The Buddha itemizes different practises which he calls ‘kāyagatāsati’ for a meditator. They are designated in the same order as they are described in the kāyānupassanā-section of the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta.9 The trainings start with ānāpānassati, followed by iriyāpathapabbaṃ (maintaining awareness of postures)10, sampajānapabbaṃ (maintaining awareness through constant thorough understanding of impermanence)11, paṭikūlamanasikārapabbaṃ (reflections on repulsiveness)12, dhātumanasikārapabbaṃ (reflections on the material elements)13 and navasivathikapabbaṃ (nine charnel-ground observations).14 The Kāyagatāsatisutta additionally includes the benefits for a meditator who reaches the jhānic absorptions.15
The following main difference between the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta and the Kāyagatāsatisutta shall be underlined. The Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta summarises every paragraph independently of the described practise with unequivocal emphasis on realising the principle of impermanence - the phenomena of arising and passing:
Iti ajjhattaṃ vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati. Samudayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, vayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati. ‘Atthi kāyo’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati. Evampi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati.
Thus he dwells observing body in body internally, or he dwells observing body in body externally, or he dwells observing body in body both internally and externally. Thus he dwells observing the phenomenon of arising in the body, thus he dwells observing the phenomenon of passing away in the body, thus he dwells observing the phenomenon of arising and passing away in the body. Now 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, without clinging towards anything in the world [of mind and matter]. This is how, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu dwells observing body in body.
The Kāyagatāsatisutta terminates every paragraph with the following emphasis:
Tassa evaṃ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato ye gehasitā16 sarasaṅkappā17 te pahīyanti. Tesaṃ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṃ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. Evaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyagatāsatiṃ bhāveti.
In this way he dwells diligent, ardent with having left behind all memories and aspirations that are related to a householder’s life. Resultant from this rejection his mind gets stabilised internally, settles to one-pointedness and gets concentrated. In this way, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu develops awareness directed to the body.
Even so the above quotes confirm that the resultant benefits are the same the Visuddhimagga specifies different prominence and bases the practise of iriyāpathapabbaṃ, sampajānapabbaṃ and dhātumanasikārapabbaṃ on the improvement of Vipassana:
Tattha yasmā iriyāpathapabbaṃ catusampajaññapabbaṃ dhātumanasikārapabbanti imāni tīṇi vipassanāvasena vuttāni.
The observation of navasivathika is related to ‘contemplation of danger’, a specific phase of insight knowledge:
Navasivathikapabbāni vipassanāñāṇesuyeva ādīnavānupassanāvasena vuttāni.
Ānāpāna and paṭikkūlamanasikāra, these two foster especially the improvement of concentration:
Ānāpānapabbaṃ pana paṭikkūlamanasikārapabbañca imānevettha dve samādhivasena vuttāni.
Some selected benefits that are highlighted as result of ‘kāyagatāya satiyā’ in the current sutta may be mentioned here:
· kāyopi passambhati: it calms the body
· cittampi passambhati: it calms the mind18
· vitakkavicārāpi vūpasammanti: thoughts and the rolling in thoughts come to rest
· antogadhā19 tassa kusalā dhammā ye keci vijjābhāgiyā: it automatically includes all the wholesome states that are conducive to wisdom20
· mahato saṃvegāya saṃvattati: it gives rise to thrill
· mahato yogakkhemāya saṃvattati: one bears great security from bondage21
· satisampajaññāya saṃvattati: leads to the development of awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence
· ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṃvattati: leads to the attainment of insight knowledge and wisdom
· sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya, sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya, anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya, arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya saṃvattati: the realization of the fruits of Sotāpatti, of Sakadāgāmi, of Anāgāmi, of Arahatta may be achieved.
Further importance of kāyagatāsati is also highlighted in two more suttas:
One, with the same title, the Kāyagatāsatisutta22 describes the path leading to the unconditioned, –asaṅkhatagāmimaggo23– the path that leads to the state beyond raga, dosa and moha, reaching freedom from any conditioning, liberated from all saṅkhara:
‘‘Asaṅkhatañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi asaṅkhatagāmiñca maggaṃ. Taṃ suṇātha. Katamañca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhataṃ? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo – idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhataṃ. Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? Kāyagatāsati. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo.’’
Further significance of kāyagatāsati is described in the chapter on deathlessness: Amatavaggo24:
“Amataṃ te, bhikkhave, na paribhuñjanti ye kāyagatāsatiṃ na paribhuñjanti25. Amataṃ te, bhikkhave, paribhuñjanti ye kāyagatāsatiṃ paribhuñjantī”ti.
They do not enjoy deathlessness, Bhikkhus, who do not practise safeguarding of constant awareness of the body. Those enjoy deathlessness, Bhikkhus, who practise safeguarding of constant awareness of the body.
“Amataṃ tesaṃ, bhikkhave, aparibhuttaṃ yesaṃ kāyagatāsati aparibhuttā. Amataṃ tesaṃ, bhikkhave, paribhuttaṃ yesaṃ kāyagatāsati paribhuttā”ti.
Not having practised safeguarding of constant awareness of the body, Bhikkhus, one does not meet deathlessness. Having practised safeguarding of constant awareness of the body Bhikkhus, one will participate in deathlessness.
“Amataṃ tesaṃ, bhikkhave, parihīnaṃ yesaṃ kāyagatāsati parihīnā. Amataṃ tesaṃ, bhikkhave, aparihīnaṃ yesaṃ kāyagatāsati aparihīnā”ti…….
Deathlessness, Bhikkhus, is missed without safeguarding of constant awareness of the body. Deathlessness, Bhikkhus, is not missed by those who maintain safeguard of constant awareness of the body.
May all enjoy amataṃ—deathlessness!
1. anuyuñjati: practice, devote oneself
2. anekānisaṃsaṃ: aneka + ānisaṃsa: various, manifold + benefit, advantage, reward
3. Kāyagatāsatikathā, Anussatikammaṭṭhānaniddeso, Visuddhimaggo
4. This vaggo contains actually up to 41 small suttas - dependent on if they are counted as respective pair or as individual sutta. The current text is only a selection.
5. The results and benefits selected here in quite similar wording present an useful exercise for reading and learning by heart for those dedicated to such exercises.
6. A note on the various suttas on ‘one thing’ are mentioned in the introduction to 3.8.3 Ekadhammasuttaṃ - The Value of Ānāpānassati and the Fruits gained thereof
7. Anupadavaggo, Uparipaṇṇāsapāḷi, Majjhimanikāye
8. Yāvañcidaṃ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena kāyagatāsati bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā vuttā mahānisaṃsā’ti.
9. Mahāvaggapāḷi, Dīghanikāyo
10. ‘‘Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gacchanto vā ‘gacchāmī’ti pajānāti, ṭhito vā ‘ṭhitomhī’ti pajānāti, nisinno vā ‘nisinnomhī’ti pajānāti, sayāno vā ‘sayānomhī’ti pajānāti, yathā yathā vā panassa kāyo paṇihito hoti, tathā tathā naṃ pajānāti. - Again Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu while he is walking, understands properly: “I am walking”; while he is standing, he understands properly: “I am standing”; while he is sitting, he understands properly: “I am sitting”; while he is lying down, he understands properly: “I am lying down.” In whichever position he disposes his body, he understands it properly.
11. ‘‘Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī hoti, ālokite vilokite sampajānakārī hoti, samiñjite pasārite sampajānakārī hoti, saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe sampajānakārī hoti, asite pīte khāyite sāyite sampajānakārī hoti, uccārapassāvakamme sampajānakārī hoti, gate ṭhite nisinne sutte jāgarite bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī hoti.
See for introduction and translation of the above 3.8.2 Satisuttaṃ - Remaining Sato and Sampajāno
See also (as an recurrent exercise) 3.8.6 Paṭhamagelaññasutta - Allow the Time to Ripen
12. ‘‘Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṃ uddhaṃ pādatalā adho kesamatthakā tacapariyantaṃ pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati – ‘atthi imasmiṃ kāye kesā lomā nakhā dantā taco, maṃsaṃ nhāru aṭṭhi aṭṭhimiñjaṃ vakkaṃ, hadayaṃ yakanaṃ kilomakaṃ pihakaṃ papphāsaṃ, antaṃ antaguṇaṃ udariyaṃ karīsaṃ pittaṃ semhaṃ pubbo lohitaṃ sedo medo, assu vasā kheḷo siṅghāṇikā lasikā mutta’nti - Again, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu reflects on this very body, that is covered with skin and full of impurities of all kinds from the soles of the feet upwards and from the hair of the head downwards, considering thus: “In this body, there are hairs of the head, hairs of the skin, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach with its contents, faeces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid and urine.
13. ‘‘Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṃ yathāṭhitaṃ yathāpaṇihitaṃ dhātuso paccavekkhati – ‘atthi imasmiṃ kāye pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti. - Again, Bhikkus, a Bhikkhu reflects on this very body, however it is placed or disposed, considering it according to the characteristic of each element: “In this body, there is the earth-element, the water-element, the fire-element and the air-element.”
14. Here a meditator who is strongly attached to the illusion of (the beauty of) body is requested to visit a charnel-ground and to observe the different stages of decay to understand that his own body cannot escape this nature of putrefaction: ‘So imameva kāyaṃ upasaṃharati – ‘ayampi kho kāyo evaṃdhammo evaṃbhāvī evaṃanatīto’ti.’ - ‘He considers regarding his own body considers thus: “Indeed, this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape it.”
This observation of paying attention to the decay of corpses starting from ‘dead for one, two or three days, swollen, discolored and festering’ follows a progressive order down to ‘bones piled up in a heap more than a year old’ and finally ‘rotted away to powder’ which also not only shuold remind the observer of the fate of his own body but also as a demonstration of the body’s impermanence.
15. See under next chapter 3.9 ‘sammāsamādhi- right concentration’: Kāyagatāsatisutta – Similes in regards to entering and dwelling in jhānic absorptions.
16. gehasitā: connected with householders life
17. sarasaṅkappā: sara + saṅkappā: remembering + aspiration, wish
18. See introduction to 3.8.4 Ānāpānassatisuttaṃ cont. – How does the full Cultivation of Ānāpānassati nurture full Development of the four Satipaṭṭhāna for notes on quietening of physical reactions–‘passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ’ and calming of mental activity–‘passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ’
19. antogadhā tassāti tassa bhikkhuno bhāvanāya abbhantaragatāva honti — gone towards the inside: of a Bhikkhu, who for his developement is gone (with his awareness) towards the inside.
20. vijjābhāgiyā: wisdom + part, constituent
Kāyagatāsatisuttavaṇṇanā: vijjābhāgiyāti ettha sampayogavasena vijjaṃ bhajantīti vijjābhāgiyā, vijjābhāge vijjākoṭṭhāse vattantītipi vijjābhāgiyā. Tattha vipassanāñāṇaṃ manomayiddhi cha abhiññāti aṭṭha vijjā, purimena atthena tāhi sampayuttadhammāpi vijjābhāgiyā.— conducive to highest wisdom and universal knowledge: in this respect through the power of association knowledge gets divided, in this sense it is conducive to highest wisdom and universal knowledge; further in parting of knowledge, divided into knowledge to proceed it is conducive to highest wisdom and universal knowledge. Thus it is insight wisdom through Vipassanā, mind made (supernatural) power, the six higher knowledges, the eight wisdom - on account of this first reason these associated states are conducive to highest wisdom and universal knowledge.
(cha abhiññā: iddhippabhedo; dibbasotaṃ; parassa cetopariyāyañāṇaṃ, pubbenivāsānugatañca ñāṇaṃ; dibbacakkhu, āsavakkhayakarañaṇaṃ)
21. yogakkhemāya: lit.: rest from exertion, fig.: peace from bondage, thus epithet of Nibbāna. The four bondages are: kāmayoga, bhāvayoga, diṭṭhiyoga and avijjāyoga.
Kāyagatāsatisuttavaṇṇanā: Ettha ca mahāsaṃvego nāma vipassanā, mahā-attho nāma cattāro maggā, mahāyogakkhemo nāma cattāri sāmaññaphalāni. Atha vā mahāsaṃvego nāma saha vipassanāya maggo, mahā-attho nāma cattāri sāmaññaphalāni, mahāyogakkhemo nāma nibbānaṃ. - In this respect the great thrill is Vipassanā, great benefit are the four paths, great security from bondage are the four fruits of recluse ship. Thus the great thrill is the path together with Vipassanā, the great benefits are the four fruits of recluse ship, the great security from bondage is Nibbāna.
22. Kāyagatāsatisuttaṃ, Paṭhamavaggo, Asaṅkhatasaṃyuttaṃ, Saḷāyatanavaggo, Saṃyuttanikāyo
23. asaṅkhatagāmimaggo: a + saṅkhata (pp. of saṅkharoti) + gāmi +maggo: non + compounded, conditioned + going + path
24. Amatavaggo, Ekakanipātapāḷi, Aṅguttaranikāyo
25. na paribhuñjanti ye … …. na paribhuñjanti: Although here the same verbs (paribhuñjanti —paribhuttaṃ (pp.)—parihīnā(pp.) ) are repeated, the translation tries to convey the sense of the repetition by using different connotations according to the subject referred.
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Pāli lesson (with audio) 3.8.5
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