Necessity of Meditation with the Aid of a Corpse

Necessity of Meditation with the Aid of a Corpse

Question: Venerable Sir, what is the type of meditation referred to as Navasivathika Pabba (Section on Nine Stages of Corpses) in the Kayanupassana and for what purpose do we need this type of meditation practice? How could a person proceed with this meditation as there are no charnel grounds to find corpses at present?

Answer: This deals with the existence of our physical bodies which are subjected to changes followed by seven stages. All the sections listed under the kayanupassana deal with some information about “deeds”. When we consider vedananupassana, cittanupassana and dhammanupassana, it becomes evident that this deal with the deeds (actions / functions) of the mind. When an action takes place, it causes a feeling to arise. This feeling carries a certain degree of heat. The feeling, backed by a degree of heat, has the potential to attach to or resist something. This is the potential known as “citta”. Dhamma (mental phenomena) would arise depending on the intensity of attachment in the mind. Intense attachment would generate akusala dhamma (unwholesome mental phenomena) and less intense attachment would generate kusala dhamma (wholesome mental phenomena). These are only two dimensions of the function of a single mind.

We have been respiring since the time we began our journey in samsara (cycle of birth and death). Our existence is continuously sustained by the heat generated by our respiration. Therefore, our existence is a direct result of the persistent heat present in the mind. How is this particular heat generated in the mind?  Sense faculties, always, come into contact with external objects and  these contacts result in the process of producing rupa, vedana, sanna and sankhara in the sense faculties. The energy, produced following the process of rupa, vedana, sanna and sankhara in the sense faculties, would trigger the heart base to produce a similar degree of energy . The energy thus produced in the heart is known as “viñña” (consciousness). The heat energy (heat element) generated in the heart in this manner sustains our lives. Under the circumstance, what is meant by existence? In essence, existence means all the processes, functions that take place within an object (body) which is not subjected to decay due to the persistent presence of the heating element. The object of body keeps on maintaining itself and continues to exist as it is not subjected to decay due to the persistent presence of the heat element. At this stage, a meditator is presented with a new insight with regard to the life. The meditator realizes the main factor that dominates our existence to be the “heat element”. What would happen to our existence if it lacks the element of heat? This where the attention of the meditator is drawn towards the section of Navasivathika. This fresh understanding brings about shock waves to a meditator. He begins to perceive the dominance of the heat element in an existence and how unstable a body could become as a result of the lack of the heat element. If a meditator is not subjected to shock waves in this manner, he needs to understand that his meditation practice has not been perfect on the basis of the Insight perspective (vipassana). This difference stems from varied degrees of wisdom accomplished (pañña sampatti) by individuals.

I went this far describing the background material prior to answering your question directly because one cannot derive expected benefits fully from the meditation practice without this background knowledge. The whole process, therefore,demonstrates one aspect of the culmination of mental development, produced by the tranquil state of mind (Samadhi) resulting from the initial observation of respiration, followed by the subsequent analytical stages of sampajanna, patikula mnasaikara and dhatu mansiakara. What contributes to this stage of advancement in respect of a meditator? It is the sutamaya- ñana (knowledge acquired by learning, listening), the cintamaya- ñana (knowledge acquired by reasoning) and the pañña sampatti (accomplishment of wisdom).

Many are of the opinion that we cannot practice Navasivathika Pabba (Section on Nine Stages of Corpses), especially, due to the lack of the charnel grounds nowadays. The single answer to this uncertainty is that the Buddha has never directed one to observe someone else’s corpse in order to attain Nibbana for oneself. If we misapprehend any concepts similar to this, we would not be able achieve expected results. This is precisely why we cannot derive much benefit from meditation. The Buddha had made use of a corpse on one occasion to settle a certain issue. The Buddha, once, exemplified the reality to a monk who had a crush on a courtesan named Sirima and was distraught,  using her dead body. The Buddha’s action, in this case, was not directed towards assisting this particular monk to attain Nibbana. This was purely done to enable this monk to get rid of his mental agitation, erotic feelings caused by the fascination with the courtesan, Sirima. Here, the object of a dead body was used as a tool to demonstrate the reality and assist the monk to get rid of his inherent clinging towards that object. In other words, the external object of a dead body induced internal mental changes through the observation and comprehension of reality. Therefore, we need to observe within in order to realize Nibbana. There is no way out by observing without.

As mentioned earlier, the functioning of our physique is sustained by the heat element. The whole body is revived by the energy, warmth generated by the heat element. Any lack of heat energy causes the body to collapse. The heat generated by the heat element brings the air element (vayo dhatu) into action. Air activated by the heat generated by the element of heat moves the blood within circulation system. Blood is just an object which cannot move on its own. So blood could only move along with the heated air. Any obstruction to the function of air would bring the blood circulation to a stop. Any loss of blood to the brain (mano dhatu), would obstruct the brain function, causing the body to collapse instantly.

Navasivathika Pabba (Section on Nine Stages of Corpses), illustrates the stages of regression of a physical body which is kept alive and devoid of decay due to the presence of heat element. A meditator becomes aware of the aftermath of the incident of death. He realizes the different stages of decay followed by the death and how the body is reduced to a heap of bones at the end. He perceives inwardly the futileness of attaching to one’s life and body which is subjected to death followed by different stages of decay. There is nothing within this physical body to attach to, as for example, the lack of heat energy alone could cause the body to collapse. This perception would lead the meditator  to an understanding that nothing belongs to him, nothing remains at his disposal. His expectations towards his life and body begin to ease, diminish. He confines his expectations to the level of a “user” in respect of his body. With this understanding he accesses his body and body parts only as a user, not as an owner. This aspect of knowledge brings a lot of relief, ease to a meditator as if he has put away a heavy burden carried on his head. Therefore, Navasivathika Pabba (Section on Nine Stages of Corpses) brings about changes in a meditator in such a way that he is able to uncover the hidden phenomena to escape from the inherent attachment to life and physical body and proceed from a perception of  “self” to

“no-self”.

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