Ten contemplations for meditation (sutra)

Ven. Piyadassi Thera (trans.), Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Ellie Askew, Wisdom Quarterly

It is an interesting feature of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment that if one who has practiced them successfully and one later becomes ill, recollecting them by having someone else recite them will immediately lift one from that illness. This does not seem to be limited to those factors. In this sutra Ven. Ananda is advised to help a meditator who is sick recollect them by reciting these ten contemplations, and this cures his affliction. It's mind over matter because it seems all illness is at least in part psychosomatic.

From the Girimananda Sutra

One is simply aware of these ten reflections.

Girimananda Sutra: "Discourse to Girimananda Thera" (AN 10.60, PTS: A v 108)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavana at the monastery of Anathapindika.

Now at that time, the monk Girimananda was afflicted with a disease, was suffering from it and gravely ill. Ven. Ananda approached the Buddha, saluted him, sat respectfully to one side, and said:

"Venerable sir (Bhante), Ven. Girimananda is afflicted with a disease, is suffering and gravely ill. It were well, Bhante, if the Blessed One would visit him out of compassion."

[The Buddha said:] "Ananda, should you visit the monk Girimananda and recite to him the Ten Contemplations then that monk Girimananda, having heard them, will be immediately cured of his disease.

"What are the ten?

1. Contemplation of impermanence
2. Contemplation of impersonality (anatta, no-self)
3. Contemplation of foulness (asubha)
4. Contemplation of disadvantage (danger)
5. Contemplation of abandonment
6. Contemplation of detachment
7. Contemplation of cessation
8. Contemplation of distaste for the whole world
9. Contemplation of impermanence of all component things
10. Mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing.

i. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence? Herein [within this Doctrine and Discipline], Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to an empty house (any withdrawn place) contemplates:

"'Matter (visible objects) is impermanent; feeling (sensation) is impermanent; perception is impermanent; mental formations are impermanent; consciousness is impermanent. One dwells contemplating impermanence in these Five Aggregates clung to as self.' This, Ananda, is called contemplation of impermanence.

ii. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of impersonality (anatta)? Herein, Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to a withdrawn place contemplates:

"'The eye is not self; visible objects are not self; the ear is not self; sounds are not self; the nose is not self; smells are not self; the tongue is not self; tastes are not self; the body is not self; bodily contacts (tangible objects) are not self; the mind is not self; mental objects are not self.' One dwells contemplating not self in these internal and external bases. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of impersonality.

iii. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of foulness (asubha)? Herein, Ananda, a meditator contemplates this body up from the soles of the feet, down from the top of the hair, enclosed in skin, as being full of many impurities. In this body there are head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, intestinal tract, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nose mucous, synovium (joint oil), and urine. One dwells contemplating foulness in this body. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of foulness.

iv. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of disadvantage (danger)? Herein, Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to a withdrawn place, contemplates: 'Many are the sufferings, many are the disadvantages (dangers) of this body because diverse diseases afflict this body, such as: 

• Eye-disease
• ear-disease
• nose-disease
• tongue-disease
• body-disease
• headache
• mumps
• mouth-disease
• toothache
• cough
• asthma
• catarrh
• heartburn
• fever
• stomach ailments
• fainting
• dysentery
• swelling
• gripe
• leprosy
• boils
• scrofula
• consumption
• epilepsy
• ringworm
• itch
• eruption
• tetter
• pustule
• plethora
• diabetes
• piles
• cancer
• fistula;
• diseases originating from bile
• from phlegm
• from wind
• from imbalance of the humors
• from changes of weather
• from adverse condition (faulty deportment)
• from devices (practiced by others)
• from karma-vipaka (results of karma);
• from cold
• heat
• hunger
• thirst
• excrement
• and urine.'

"One dwells contemplating disadvantage (danger) in this body. This Ananda, is called contemplation of disadvantage.

v. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of abandonment? Herein, Ananda, a meditator does not tolerate a thought of sensual desire that has arisen but instead immediately dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it.

"One does not tolerate a thought of ill-will that has arisen but instead immediately abandons, dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it.

"One does not tolerate a thought of cruelty that has arisen but instead abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it. One does not tolerate unskillful, unprofitable states that arise from time to time but instead immediately abandons them, dispels them, makes an end of them, and annihilates them. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of abandonment.

vi. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of detachment? Herein, Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to a withdrawn place, contemplates:

"'This is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, the stilling of all conditioned things, the giving up of all factors contributing to becoming, the extinction of craving, detachment, nirvana.' This, Ananda, is called contemplation of detachment.

vii. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of cessation? Herein, Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to a withdrawn place, contemplates: 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, the stilling of all component things, the extinction of craving, cessation, nirvana.' This, Ananda, is called contemplation of cessation.

viii. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of distaste for the whole world? Herein, Ananda, [a meditator] by abandoning any concern or clinging to this world, by abandoning mental biases, wrong views, and latent tendencies concerning [incessant craving for] this world, by no longer grasping them, but by letting go of them (giving them up), becomes free and detached. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of distaste for the whole world.

ix. "What, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence of all component things? Herein, Ananda, a meditator is wearied, humiliated, and disgusted with all conditioned things. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of impermanence of all component things.

x. "What, Ananda, is mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing? Herein [within the Buddha's Doctrine and Discipline], Ananda, a meditator having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to a private place, sits down, having folded legs crosswise, keeping the body erect, and mindfulness activated, mindful one breathes in, mindful one breathes out.

"When one is breathing in a long breath, one knows: 'I am breathing in a long breath,' when one is breathing out a long breath, one knows: 'I am breathing out a long breath.'

"When one is breathing in a short breath, one knows: 'I am breathing in a short breath,' when one is breathing out a short breath, one knows: 'I am breathing out a short breath.'

"'Conscious of the entire process,* I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself. 'Conscious of the entire process, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

• *Sabba-kaya: literally, "the whole [breath] body." According to The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), kaya here does not mean the physical "body" but the whole mass of in-breathing and out-breathing.

"'Calming the entire process, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself. 'Calming the entire process I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Experiencing rapture, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself. 'Experiencing rapture, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Experiencing bliss, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'experiencing bliss, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Experiencing the mental formations [feeling and perception], I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself. 'Experiencing the mental formations, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Calming the mental formations, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'calming the mental formations, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Experiencing the mind [according to the four meditative absorptions, the jhanas], I shall breathe in,' Thus one trains oneself; 'experiencing the mind, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Exceedingly gladdening the mind [by tranquility/samatha as well as insight/vipassana], I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'exceedingly gladdening the mind, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"'Concentrating the mind [on the breath], I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; concentrating the mind I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

Ven. Ananda with ola palm leaf texts

"'Liberating the mind [from the hindrances/nivaranas], I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself, 'liberating the mind I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating impermanence [in body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousnesses], I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating impermanence, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating detachment, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating detachment, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating cessation, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself. 'Contemplating cessation, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating abandonment, I shall breathe in.' Thus one trains oneself; 'contemplating abandonment, I shall breathe out.' Thus one trains oneself.

"This, Ananda, is called mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing. If, Ananda, you visit the monk Girimananda and recite to him these ten contemplations, then that monk, Girimananda, having heard them, will be immediately cured of his affliction."