Samyuktagama 176

Saṃyuktāgama 176. [First Discourse on Establishing Contemplation of the Body]

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “For the sake of eradicating impermanent things, one should accordingly be established in contemplating the internal body as a body. What things are impermanent? That is, bodily form is impermanent. For the sake of eradicating that [thing], one should accordingly be established in contemplating the internal body as a body. In the same way feeling … perception … formations … consciousness is impermanent. For the sake of eradicating that [thing], one should accordingly be established in contemplating the internal body as a body.”

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.

Just as “[bodily form] is impermanent”, in the same way “past bodily form is impermanent”, “future bodily form [is impermanent]”, “present bodily form [is impermanent]”, “past and future bodily form [is impermanent]”, “past and present bodily form [is impermanent]”, “future and present bodily form [is impermanent]”, “past, future, and present bodily form is impermanent. For the sake of eradicating that [thing], one should accordingly be established in contemplating the internal body as a body. Feeling … perception … formations … consciousness is also like this.

Just as “[one should] accordingly be established in contemplating the internal body as a body” in eight modes, in the same way “[one should] accordingly be established in contemplating the external body as a body”, “in contemplating the internal and external body as a body”, “in contemplating internal feelings as feelings”, “in contemplating external feelings as feelings”, “in contemplating internal and external feelings as feelings”, “in contemplating internal mental states as mental states”, “in contemplating external mental states as mental states”, “in contemplating internal and external mental states as mental states”, “in contemplating internal dharmas as dharmas”, “in contemplating external dharmas as dharmas”, “in contemplating internal and external dharmas as dharmas”, eight discourses are also to be recited for each of these as above.

Just as for “the sense of cultivating the four establishments of mindfulness for eradicating what is impermanent”, in the same way for “the sense of accordingly cultivating the four establishments of mindfulness for understanding [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of extinguishing [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of vomiting out [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of ending [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of relinquishing [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of bringing to cease [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of making disappear [what is impermanent]”, are also to be recited as above.