Delimitation of Impurity

This body is full of impurities. If one really sees the body as it truly is they will see that, no matter how handsome or how pretty the body may be at this moment, it is made up of many unclean parts and it is composed of organs and liquids which we would be mortified to see if they were not hidden beneath the skin.

There is nothing valuable like a gem in this body internally or externally, the body is full of impurities. Lord Buddha said, “Monks, contemplate this body, from the feet to the hair on the head, covered by skin and impurities. When anyone searches this two-meter body, from the feet to the top of the head, covered by skin, that person will see nothing clean, no pearl, no crystal and no gem. There is nothing clean in any part of the body, for example, the head hair and body hair, both smell bad and are ugly.” 

When the meditator contemplates every organ in the body, such as the hair on the head, by color, shape, sector, place of origin and delimitation, he becomes mindful of the impurities by color, shape, odor, place of origin and delimitation. Like a man with good eyes who sees a garland made of thirty-two different colored flowers on one string, he can see all the flowers in that garland in order.

When a meditator can contemplate his own organs objectively, he can contemplate the same way for all beings, other human and animal beings walking around. The food and water that these beings eat is accumulated in their organs.

The examination of the parts of the body, such as hair on the head, by color, shape, sector, place of origin and by delimitation produces the Learning Sign (Uggaha-nimitta). Examination of every part of the body by impurities produces the Counterpart Sign (Patibhaga-nimitta). As the meditator keeps practicing, the counterpart sign and attainment concentration (Appana-samadhi) will be attained by the power the first Jhana, as already mentioned in Asubha meditation in Chapter Six.