The Buddha teaches on the bone-washing ceremony, presenting a tenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 10.107 The Bone-Washing Ceremony -

“Atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇesu janapadesu dhovanaṁ nāma. Tattha hoti annampi pānampi khajjampi bhojjampi leyyampi peyyampi naccampi gītampi vāditampi. Atthetaṁ, bhikkhave, dhovanaṁ; ‘netaṁ natthī’ti vadāmi. Tañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, dhovanaṁ hīnaṁ gammaṁ pothujjanikaṁ anariyaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.

Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ desessāmi, yaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Katamañca taṁ, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ, yaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti?

Sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, micchādiṭṭhi niddhotā hoti; ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti te cassa niddhotā honti; sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti.

Sammāsaṅkappassa, bhikkhave, micchāsaṅkappo niddhoto hoti …pe… sammāvācassa, bhikkhave, micchāvācā niddhotā hotisammākammantassa, bhikkhave, micchākammanto niddhoto hotisammāājīvassa, bhikkhave, micchāājīvo niddhoto hotisammāvāyāmassa, bhikkhave, micchāvāyāmo niddhoto hotisammāsatissa, bhikkhave, micchāsati niddhotā hotisammāsamādhissa, bhikkhave, micchāsamādhi niddhoto hotisammāñāṇissa, bhikkhave, micchāñāṇaṁ niddhotaṁ hoti …pe….

Sammāvimuttissa, bhikkhave, micchāvimutti niddhotā hoti; ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti te cassa niddhotā honti; sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti. Idaṁ kho taṁ, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccantī”ti.

Sattamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇesu janapadesu dhovanaṁ nāma.

“Mendicants, in the southern lands there is a ceremony named ‘bone-washing’.

Tattha hoti annampi pānampi khajjampi bhojjampi leyyampi peyyampi naccampi gītampi vāditampi.

There they have food, drink, snacks, meals, refreshments, and beverages, as well as dancing, singing, and music.

Atthetaṁ, bhikkhave, dhovanaṁ; ‘netaṁ natthī’ti vadāmi.

There is such a washing, I don’t deny it.

Tañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, dhovanaṁ hīnaṁ gammaṁ pothujjanikaṁ anariyaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.

But that washing is low, crude, ordinary, ignoble, and pointless. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ desessāmi, yaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti.

I will teach a noble washing that leads solely to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. Relying on that washing, sentient beings who are liable to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are freed from all these things.

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Katamañca taṁ, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ, yaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti?

“And what is that noble washing?

Sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, micchādiṭṭhi niddhotā hoti;

For one of right view, wrong view is washed away.

ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti te cassa niddhotā honti;

And the many bad, unskillful qualities that arise because of wrong view are washed away.

sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti.

And because of right view, many skillful qualities are fully developed.

Sammāsaṅkappassa, bhikkhave, micchāsaṅkappo niddhoto hoti …pe…

For one of right purpose, wrong purpose is washed away. …

sammāvācassa, bhikkhave, micchāvācā niddhotā hoti

For one of right speech, wrong speech is washed away. …

sammākammantassa, bhikkhave, micchākammanto niddhoto hoti

For one of right action, wrong action is washed away. …

sammāājīvassa, bhikkhave, micchāājīvo niddhoto hoti

For one of right livelihood, wrong livelihood is washed away. …

sammāvāyāmassa, bhikkhave, micchāvāyāmo niddhoto hoti

For one of right effort, wrong effort is washed away. …

sammāsatissa, bhikkhave, micchāsati niddhotā hoti

For one of right mindfulness, wrong mindfulness is washed away. …

sammāsamādhissa, bhikkhave, micchāsamādhi niddhoto hoti

For one of right immersion, wrong immersion is washed away. …

sammāñāṇissa, bhikkhave, micchāñāṇaṁ niddhotaṁ hoti …pe….

For one of right knowledge, wrong knowledge is washed away. …

Sammāvimuttissa, bhikkhave, micchāvimutti niddhotā hoti;

For one of right freedom, wrong freedom is washed away.

ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti te cassa niddhotā honti;

And the many bad, unskillful qualities that arise because of wrong freedom are washed away.

sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti.

And because of right freedom, many skillful qualities are fully developed.

Idaṁ kho taṁ, bhikkhave, ariyaṁ dhovanaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati, yaṁ dhovanaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccantī”ti.

This is the noble washing that leads solely to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. Relying on this washing, sentient beings who are liable to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are freed from all these things.”

Sattamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Dispassion

Dispassion

The fading of desire and attraction toward conditioned things. It arises through seeing the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of experience. It is the natural fragrance of understanding and the forerunner of release.

Also known as: detachment, disinterest, fading of desire, disentanglement
Pāli: virāga, visaṁyutta
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026