1 “What is the concentration connected with perception of foulness? Concerning this, a monk who is at the foot of a tree or in an empty house or in an open space examines this very body, as it is placed, 2 as it is disposed, upward from the sole of the foot, surrounded by skin, downward from the tip of the hair, (full) of impurity of (various) kinds. (There are in this) body: head hair, 3 body hair, nails, teeth, dust, networks, outer skin, thin skin, bones, bone marrow, (flesh, sinews, kidney, liver), heart, pleura, spleen, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, anus, bladder, 4 fecal matter, tears, sweat, saliva, mucus, pus, blood, (bile, phlegm, fat, grease), joint fluids, head, and brain. It is the undistracted one-pointedness of mind of a person so positioned 5 which is called ‘the concentration connected with the perception of foulness.’

“(What) is the concentration connected with the perception of death? Concerning this, a monk who is 6 at the foot of a tree or in an empty house or in an open space, this one … [thinks,] ‘I will die, I will not live long, I will perish, I will die, 7 I will disappear.’ (It) is the undistracted one-pointedness of mind of a person so positioned which is called ‘the concentration connected with the perception of death.’

“What is the 8 concentration connected with the perception of the repulsiveness of food? By ‘food’ is meant porridge, sour gruel; this, the monk … realizes, is ‘fecal matter’; he realizes [it is] ‘saliva’; he realizes [it is] ‘vomit’; 9 he realizes [it is] ‘a lump of putrid bodily secretions’—‘black filth.’ It is the undistracted (one-pointedness of mind) of a person so positioned which is called ‘the concentration connected with the perception of the repulsiveness of food.’

10 “What is the concentration connected with the perception of nondelight in the entire world? Concerning this, a monk (upon seeing) a village sees (a nonvillage); or upon seeing a town sees a nontown; or upon seeing a district sees a nondistrict. 11 He is dissatisfied. He reflects. He does not take pleasure. He does not delight. He tames and controls [his] mind [with regard to] that and makes it (pliant) and workable. Having tamed and controlled his mind [with regard to] that and having made it pliant and workable, 12 then, some time later, when he sees a delightful park or a delightful grove or a delightful lotus pool or a delightful (river) or delightful grounds or a delightful mountain, he is dissatisfied. 13 He reflects. He does not enjoy. He does not delight. He tames and controls [his] mind [with regard to] that and (makes it) pliant and (workable). Having tamed and controlled his mind [with regard to] (that) and having made it pliant and workable, then, some time later … 14 thus above, below, across, everywhere, in every respect … He is dissatisfied. He reflects. He (does not enjoy. He does not delight). It is the undistracted one-pointedness of mind of a person so positioned which is called 14M ‘the concentration connected with the perception of nondelight in the entire world.’”

15 The setting is in Śrāvastī.

16 “What, Monks, is not yours, you should abandon that. When abandoned, that will be for [your] benefit and ease.

(Moreover, what is not yours?) Form is not yours; you should abandon that. When abandoned, that will be for [your] benefit and ease. 17 Feeling, perception, conditioned forces, perceptual consciousness are not yours; you should abandon them. (When abandoned), that will be for [your] benefit and ease.

“[It is] just as if 18 a person were to cut or carry off or (burn or) do as they please with the grass, sticks, branches, leaves, and foliage in this Jetavana. Then what do you think? Would this occur to you: 19 ‘Now then, this person cuts us or carries us off or burns us or may do as he pleases with us’?” “Indeed, this is not the case, (sir). Why is (that)? [Because] this [Jetavana], sir, neither is the self nor belongs to the self.” “In the same way, you should abandon what is not 20 yours. When abandoned, it will be for [your] benefit and ease.

(In the same way,) form is not yours; you should abandon that. When abandoned, it will be for [your] benefit and ease. 21 Feeling, conception, conditioned forces, perceptual consciousness are ⟨not⟩ yours; you should abandon that. When abandoned, it will be for [your] (benefit and ease).”

This is what the Lord said.

22 The setting is in Śrāvastī.

23“For one having faith, Monks, for a noble son who has gone forth from the home to homelessness out of faith, this accords with the dharma: 24 That he should live full of disgust with respect to form; he should live (full of) disgust with respect to feeling, perception, conditioned forces, and perceptual consciousness.

“Living full of disgust with respect to form, he fully understands form. 25 (Living full of) disgust with respect to feeling, perception, conditioned forces, and perceptual consciousness, [he] fully understands perceptual consciousness.

“Fully understanding form, 26 fully understanding feeling, perception, conditioned forces, and perceptual consciousness, he is released from form; [he] is released from feeling, perception, conditioned forces; [he] is released from perceptual consciousness; 27 [he] is released from birth, aging, sickness and death, grief, lamentations, (suffering, despair,) and frustration. [He] is released from suffering, so I say.”

27M This is what the Lord said.

28 The Lord was staying in Śrāvastī.

29 “Monks, I say the destruction of the taints is for one who knows [and] sees, not for one who does not (know [and] does not) see. I say the destruction of the taints is for one who knows how and sees how? To wit: [for one who knows] 30 ‘This is form, this is the arising of form, this is the (passing away) of form; (this) is feeling; this is perception; these are the conditioned forces; this is perceptual consciousness, this is the 31 arising of perceptual consciousness, this is the passing away of perceptual consciousness.’ So I say the destruction of the taints is for one (who knows thus), who sees thus.”

Then a certain 32 monk said this to the Lord: “You say that the destruction of the taints is for one who knows thus, who sees thus. Then, why, in this case, is 33 the mind of some monks not liberated from the taints without clinging?”

“It must be said, ‘due to (its) noncultivation.’ Due to the noncultivation of what? Due to the noncultivation of the wholesome states. Of which wholesome states? Due to the noncultivation of the four 34 foundations of mindfulness, of the four right strivings, of the (four) bases of supernatural power, of the four meditations, of the five mental faculties, of the five powers, of the seven factors of awakening, 35 and of the Noble Eightfold Path—due to the noncultivation of these wholesome states.

“A monk who 36 lives without engaging in the practice of meditation may well form the desire ‘Oh, let (my) mind be liberated from the taints without clinging!’ But in fact his 37 mind is not liberated from the taints without clinging. For what reason? It must be said, ‘due to (its) noncultivation.’ Due to the noncultivation of what? Due to the noncultivation of the wholesome 38 states. Of which wholesome states? Due to the noncultivation of the (four) foundations of mindfulness, of the four right strivings, of the four bases of supernatural power, of 39 the four meditations, of the five mental faculties, of the five powers, of the (seven) factors of awakening, and of the Noble Eightfold Path—due to the noncultivation of 40 these wholesome states.

“[It is] just as if a hen might have eight, ten, or twelve (eggs). [And suppose] these 41 eggs were not properly sat upon by this hen day in and day out, were not properly incubated day in and day out, 42 were not properly nurtured day in and day out …”