Asubhanupassana in Buddhist Meditation
Kyosho Hayashima
December 1, 1958 DOI: 10.4259/ibk.7.374 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that asubha meditation, the contemplation of a corpse as impure, serves to eliminate evil desires and is one of the forty meditative subjects detailed in the Visuddhimagga. The tenfold perception of impurity and ten comprehensions of impurity are presented as necessary for attaining concentration, and asubha appears as the first of five kinds of mindfulness in the preliminary training of Sravakas. |
Abstract
Asubha (Skt. Asubha) means 'impure' or 'impurity'. Especially in Buddhist meditation, the word asubha has been used for signifying a kind of meditation in which one should comprehend a corpse as impure and foul in order to eliminate one's own evil desires. The Theravada Buddhism says that the tenfold perception of impurity (dasa asubhasanna) (of the body) is to be obtained in observing ten characteristics of the corpse, and in order to realize its impurity completely the ten comprehensions of impurity (asubhasmriti, asubhanupassana or asubhanupassin) are needed for the attainment of one's concentration. The asubha as a meditation takes ten subjects out of the forty meditative subjects (cattalisa kammatthanani) about which detailed explanations are given in the Visuddhimagga. Among the various stages which should be gradually attained by Sravakas, the first stage belongs to the stage of preliminary training, and is divided into three degrees: (1) the five kinds of mindfulness, i. e., asubhabhavana, maitri, idampratyayatapratityasamutpada, dhatuprabheda and anapanasmrti, (2) the respective contemplation on the four smrtiupasthana from both their particular and common aspects and (3) the comprehensive contemplation of the four smrtiupasthana from their common aspects. First, the stage of the five kinds of mindfulness aims at suppressing desire, anger, ignorance, attachment and vagueness. This stage is practised for the accomplishment of samatha. Next, the four smrtiupasthana (satipatthana) i. e. body, feelings, mind and mental objects should be comprehended as impure, sorrowful, impermanent and soulless respectively from the view of their own aspects, and further the meditation on them en bloc should be developed by understanding their common characteristic i. e., impermanence,
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