Caraṁ vā yadi vā tiṭṭhaṁ,
nisinno uda vā sayaṁ;
Samiñjeti pasāreti,
esā kāyassa iñjanā.
When one is walking or standing,
sitting or lying down,
when one bends and stretches—
this is the movement of the body.
Aṭṭhinahārusaṁyutto,
tacamaṁsāvalepano;
Chaviyā kāyo paṭicchanno,
yathābhūtaṁ na dissati.
Held together by bones and |sinews::tendons and ligaments connecting muscle to bone [nhāru]|,
with a coating of tissue and meat,
covered by the skin,
the body is not seen |as it truly is::as it has come to be, as it is in actuality [yathābhūta]|.
Antapūro udarapūro,
yakanapeḷassa vatthino;
Hadayassa papphāsassa,
vakkassa pihakassa ca.
It is filled with intestines,
filled with a stomach,
with the liver and bladder,
the heart, lungs, kidneys, and |spleen::the blood-filtering organ under the left ribs [pihaka]|;
Siṅghāṇikāya kheḷassa,
sedassa ca medassa ca;
Lohitassa lasikāya,
pittassa ca vasāya ca.
with |nasal mucus::snot, fluid from the nose [siṅghāṇikā]|, saliva,
|sweat::perspiration exuded from pore spaces [seda]|, and |fat::thick, adipose tissue [meda]|;
with blood, |synovial fluid::lubricating fluid inside the joints [lasikā]|,
|bile::digestive fluid, usually visualized in the gall bladder [pittaṁ]|, and |grease::liquid fat or skin oils (distinct from solid fat) [vasā]|.
Athassa navahi sotehi,
asucī savati sabbadā;
Akkhimhā akkhigūthako,
kaṇṇamhā kaṇṇagūthako.
Further, from its nine openings
impurity flows constantly:
muck from the eyes,
wax from the ears;
Siṅghāṇikā ca nāsato,
mukhena vamatekadā;
Pittaṁ semhañca vamati,
kāyamhā sedajallikā.
mucus from the nose;
and from the mouth one sometimes
vomits bile and sometimes phlegm;
and from the body exudes sweat and grime.
Athassa susiraṁ sīsaṁ,
matthaluṅgassa pūritaṁ;
Subhato naṁ maññati bālo,
avijjāya purakkhato.
Further, its hollow head
is filled with brain.
The |immature one::lacking in discernment or good sense, child-like in understanding [bāla]|, led on by |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|,
|conceives::thinks, imagines, presumes, supposes [maññati]| it to be |beautiful::attractive [subha]|.
Yadā ca so mato seti,
Uddhumāto vinīlako;
Apaviddho susānasmiṁ,
Anapekkhā honti ñātayo.
And when it is lying dead,
bloated and discolored,
cast off in a charnel ground,
relatives care for it no more.
Khādanti naṁ suvānā ca,
siṅgālā ca vakā kimī;
Kākā gijjhā ca khādanti,
ye caññe santi pāṇino.
Dogs then devour it,
as do jackals, wolves, and worms;
crows and vultures devour it,
and whatever other creatures there are.
Sutvāna buddhavacanaṁ,
Bhikkhu paññāṇavā idha;
So kho naṁ parijānāti,
Yathābhūtañhi passati.
Having heard the Word of the Buddha,
a bhikkhu possessing wisdom here
|completely comprehends::fully understands [parijānāti]| it,
because he sees it as it truly is.
Yathā idaṁ tathā etaṁ,
Yathā etaṁ tathā idaṁ;
Ajjhattañca bahiddhā ca,
Kāye chandaṁ virājaye.
‘As this is, so is that;
as that is, so is this.’
One should let desire for the body fade away,
both internally and externally.
Chandarāgaviratto so,
Bhikkhu paññāṇavā idha;
Ajjhagā amataṁ santiṁ,
Nibbānaṁ padamaccutaṁ.
With |desire and attachment::desire-passion, sensual craving, intention of sensuality and lust [chandarāga]| faded away,
a bhikkhu possessing wisdom here
attains the |deathless::deathless state, epithet of Nibbāna [amata]| peace,
the |imperishable::stable [accutaṁ]| |state of Nibbāna::state of complete quenching [nibbānapada]|.
Dvipādakoyaṁ asuci,
Duggandho parihīrati;
Nānākuṇapaparipūro,
Vissavanto tato tato.
This two-footed body,
|impure::disgusting, filthy, unclean [asuci]| and |foul smelling::fetid, stinky [duggandha]|, is cherished,
though filled with various kinds of filth
and |oozing::lit. having raw meat quality [vissavant]| here and there.
Etādisena kāyena,
Yo maññe uṇṇametave;
Paraṁ vā avajāneyya,
Kimaññatra adassanāti.
With a body such as this,
whoever would think to exalt themselves,
or |look down on::be condescending to, despise [avajānati]| another—
what is that but |a lack of vision::lit. not seeing [adassana]|?