The Word of the Buddha The Nine Charnel Grounds
The Word of the BuddhaIV. The Path that Leads to the Extinction of Suffering
1.6. The Nine Charnel Ground Contemplations
Furthermore, a bhikkhu, just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground one day dead, two days dead, or three days dead, bloated, discolored, and decomposing, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’ Thus, he dwells observing the body in and of itself internally, or he dwells observing the body externally, or he dwells observing the body both internally and externally. He dwells observing the arising nature in the body, or he dwells observing the going-away nature in the body, or he dwells observing both the arising and going-away nature in the body. Or else, mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for knowledge and remembrance. He dwells independently and does not cling to anything in the world.
In this way too, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself.
Furthermore, just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, being eaten by crows, or hawks, or vultures, or herons, or dogs, or tigers, or leopards, or jackals, or by various kinds of creatures, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’ Thus, he dwells observing the body in and of itself internally, or he dwells observing the body externally, or he dwells observing the body both internally and externally. He dwells observing the arising nature in the body, or he dwells observing the going-away nature in the body, or he dwells observing both the arising and going-away nature in the body. Or else, mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for knowledge and remembrance. He dwells independently and does not cling to anything in the world.
In this way too, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself.
Furthermore, just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood and held together by sinews, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
or a skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood and held together by sinews, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
or a skeleton devoid of flesh and blood and held together by sinews, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
or bones disconnected and scattered in all directions—here a hand bone, there a foot bone, there an ankle bone, here a shin bone, there a thigh bone, here a pelvis bone, there a rib, here a spine, there a shoulder blade, here a neck bone, there a jawbone, here a tooth, and there a skull, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’ Thus, he dwells observing the body in and of itself internally, or he dwells observing the body externally, or he dwells observing the body both internally and externally. He dwells observing the arising nature in the body, or he dwells observing the going-away nature in the body, or he dwells observing both the arising and going-away nature in the body. Or else, mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for knowledge and remembrance. He dwells independently and does not cling to anything in the world. In this way, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself.
Furthermore, just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, bones bleached white, the color of conch shells, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
or bones heaped up, having lain for more than a year, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
or bones that are rotten and reduced to dust, a bhikkhu compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’
Thus, he dwells observing the body in and of itself internally, or he dwells observing the body externally, or he dwells observing the body both internally and externally. He dwells observing the arising nature in the body, or he dwells observing the going-away nature in the body, or he dwells observing both the arising and going-away nature in the body. Or else, mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for knowledge and remembrance. He dwells independently and does not cling to anything in the world.
In this way too, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself.
Last updated on October 20, 2026