Forty Meditation Subjects

Why did Lord Buddha teach 40 meditation subjects?

Lord Buddha taught 40 concentration devices or meditation subjects for tranquilizing the mind (Buddhaghosa, The Path of Purification). A meditator can select any one or combination of these 40 meditation subjects, according to his or her own character. For example, Kasina concentration is very suitable for those with sensual desire, restlessness of mind, or inclination toward anger, hatred or ill will. For those whose habits are intellectual thought, devotion or delusion, Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati) and Recollection of Buddha’s virtues (Buddhanussati) are most suitable.

What are those 40 meditation subjects?

According to the Path of Purification or Visuddhimagga, those forty are:

1. Ten Kasina [Kasina means a Meditation Object]

1. Earth Kasina, 
2. Water Kasina, 
3. Fire Kasina, 
4. Wind Kasina, 
5. Green Kasina,       
6. Yellow Kasina, 
7. Red Kasina, 
8. White Kasina, 
9. Light Kasina,  
10. Space Kasina.

Note: The first four are called Element Meditation Objects.
The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth are called Color Meditation Objects.

2. Ten meditations on corpses (Asubha)

1. A Bloated Corpse is a swollen corpse shortly after the day of death. When a person dies their body begins to decay and this decay causes the bloating of the body due to internal gasses. 
2. A Bluish Discolored Corpse refers to the bluish-green tint the skin gets after death. The skin of the corpse turns different colors such as blue, black or purple. Usually, the body will turn green. 
3. A Festering Corpse is when the corpse becomes pus-filled. 
4. A Cut up Corpse is a corpse which has been dissected or cut into two pieces.
5. A Gnawed Corpse is a corpse whose parts have been eaten by wild animals such as dogs or vultures. 
6. A Scattered Corpse is a corpse whose parts have become separated from the body and are lying in different places. 
7. A Hacked and Scattered Corpse is a corpse which has been cut up or chopped apart. 
8. A Blood-stained Corpse is a corpse which is covered with blood or one which still has blood issuing from the body.
9. A Worm-Infested Corpse is a corpse which is full of worms eating the flesh. 
10. A Skeleton is a corpse which is only bones. For this meditation, the meditator might need only a piece of bone as the object of meditation. 

3. Ten recollection (Anussati) 

1. Recollection of Lord Buddha (Buddhanussati),  
2. Recollection of Dhamma (Dhammanussati),  
3. Recollection of Sangha (Sanghanussati),
4. Recollection of Morality (Silanussati),
5. Recollection of Generosity (Caganussati),
6. Recollection of Deities (Devanussati),
7. Mindfulness of Death (Maranassati),
8. Mindfulness of the Body and its parts to see that it is ugly, impure  and disgusting (Kayagatasati),
9. Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati), and
10. Recollection of Nirvana  (Upasamanussati).

4. Four divine abodes (Brahmavihara)

1. Loving-Kindness (Metta): Wishing love and support for all beings.,
2. Compassion (Karuna): Seeing, hearing of or recalling those who suffer and wishing to release them from suffering.,
3. Sympathetic Joy (Mudita): Seeing or knowing about other beings with happiness then sharing in their joy, congratulating and wishing them continued success,
4. Equanimity (Upekkha): Making the mind neutral after helping those with suffering, when one cannot help them further, becoming neither happy nor sad.

5. Four formless jhana (Arupa-jhana)

1. Infinity of Space,
2. Infinity of Consciousness,
3. Nothingness of Space,
4. Neither Perception nor Non-perception.

6. Contemplation of the loathsomenss of food,

7. Contemplation of the four elements.

Which one should an individual meditate?

First of all, you need to understand six characteristic temperaments and second, there is a recommendation for what meditation subject is appropriate with the characteristic.

Six sharacteristic temperaments (Carita)

Meditation recommended by temperament