vi. Navasivathika Pabba (Section on Nine Stages of Corpses)

Part 1

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, one day dead, or two days dead, or three days dead, swollen, blue and festering, discarded in the charnel ground, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."note44

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 2
And again, bhikkus, if a bhikkhu should see a body discarded in the charnel ground, being devoured by crows, being devoured by hawks, being devoured by vultures, being devoured by herons, being devoured by dogs, being devoured by tigers, being devoured by leopards, being devoured by jackals, or being devoured by various kinds of worms, he then compares it to his own body thus: ''Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it.''

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 3

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body discarded in the charnel ground, that is just a skeleton held together by the tendons, with some flesh and blood still adhering to it, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 4

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is just a skeleton held together by the tendons, blood-besmeared, fleshless, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 5

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is just a skeleton held together by the tendons without flesh and blood, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."
Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 6

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is just loose bones scattered in all directions; at one place bones of a hand, at another place bones of a foot, at another place ankle-bones, at another place shin-bones, at another place thigh-bones, at another place hip-bones, at another place rib-bones, at another place spinal-bones, at another place shoulder-bones, at another place neck-bones, at another place the jawbone, at another place the teeth, and at another place the skull, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 7

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is just white bones of conch-like colour, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 8

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is bones more than a year old, lying in a heap, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in himself…. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.

Part 9

And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, discarded in the charnel ground, that is just rotted bones, crumbling to dust, he then compares it to his own body thus: "Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it."

Thus he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body (not mine, not I, not self, but just a phenomenon) in himself; or he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in others; or he dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body in both himself and in others. He dwells perceiving again and again the cause and the actual appearing of the body or he dwells perceiving again and again the cause and the actual dissolution of the body; or he dwells perceiving again and again both the actual appearing and dissolution of the body with their causes. To summarize, he is firmly mindful of the fact that only the body exists (not a soul, a self or I). That mindfulness is just for gaining insight (vipassana) and mindfulness progressively. Being detached from craving and wrong views he dwells without clinging to anything in the world. Thus, bhikkhus, this is also a way in which a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body.