The Nine Cemetery Contemplations

 1.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body dead discarded in the charnel ground swollen, blue, and festering.

2.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, being eaten by birds (crows, hawks, ultures …), by animals (dogs, leopards, tigers…), by worms.

3.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced by skeleton, joined together by the tendons, with some flesh (blood-smeared) adhering to it.

4.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced by skeleton, joined together by the tendons, with some flesh blood-smeared, fleshless.

5.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced by skeleton, joined together by the tendons, without flesh and blood.

6.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced to loose bones scattered in all directions.

7.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced to bleached bones of shell-like colour.

8.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced to bones morethan a year old, lying in a heap…

9.     When a Bhikkhu sees a body discarded in the charnel ground, reduced to rotten bones, crumbling to dust.

          He then applies this perception to his own body. “Truly, this body too is of the same nature. It will become like that and will not go beyond that nature”.

          Thus, he dwells contemplating the body in the body, internally, he dwells contemplating the body in the body externally, or he dwells contemplating the body in the body both internally and externally. He dwells contemplating the origination factors in the body, or he dwells contemplating the dissolution factors in the body, or he dwells contemplating both the origination factors and dissolution factors in the body.

          Or, his mindfulness is established as “there is the body only.” And that mindfulness is established to the extent necessary to further knowledge and mindfulness.

          Not attached to any thing by way of craving and wrong view, he dwells, Nor does he cling to anything in the world of the five aggregates of clinging. Thus a Bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body.