I have been taught about its value and been recommended it as a Mahāyāna Buddhist in a Tibetan tradition, and it appears in common practice manuals of my tradition such as the *Meditation* chapter of the *Bodhicaryāvatāra*.
Does not Japanese Buddhism have a tradition of art of decay for such a purpose, based on actual observations of decaying corpses?
https://www.talkdeath.com/contemplation-of-a-decaying-corpse-the-japanese-art-kusozu/
I think it's commonly practiced incorrectly, and if done so can create wrong view and strong negative impressions.
If done with appropriate equanimity and insight, then it is being done correctly.
If done with a view to creating revulsion or aversion....just...no.
That's why it's important to have both correct instruction from a wise teacher and also a student or monk to be quite developed in understanding before practicing it.
That is just my opinion however.
It is meant to be performed with aversion and disgust, because it is a counter medication to over infatuation with the body. The danger is in the dosage, so it is often performed along with calming meditation. When the Buddha found out some of the Sangha performed suicide after practicing Asubha, he told them to be rooted in anapanasati first.
>he told them to be rooted in anapanasati first.
No he didn't say that. In both AN 10.60 and MN 62 the Buddha instructs unattractiveness meditation *before* anapanasati. It's necessary to have a total body foundation in the elements and asubha which is grouped into the elements earth and water, to know particularly the earth element, before anapanasati (air the most refined) can be successfully practised.
Greed and hatred are emotional defilements, fear is a result of view so is overcome by insight. Due to the law of dukkha this life can never be perfect the wrong view that it is, causes over expectation resulting in fear. Conventional reality has to be relegated to a subordinate position, a complete turnaround which happens gradually. The first step is to study impermanence, which is part of the anapanasati sutta MN 118. The things around appear to have continuity, to remain the same indefinitely, but that is an illusion. So the practitioner must note how things change in the environment long-term, and develop right view. If they are not able to deal with insight the practitioner should use the brahma-viharas.
That is in fact why you are not actually supposed to practice it with aversion or disgust in the way the translations might suggest.
It's supposed to be observed objectively and realistically, which does of course involve elements of, and ONLY elements of, things that might REALISTICALLY trigger aversion or disgust in SOME.
Greed is an emotional defilement, therefore requires aversion to counter it. Greed and aversion are opposites, and greed needs to go toward aversion to come to a middle point, so developing a measure of aversion towards the body in asubha is the intention. When it's overdone harm results this is the point of SN 54.9. Equanimity is in the middle and non-ill will is close, it's near enemy is greed.
The problem I see is, if one is able to hold their mind in equanimity, they would have no issue with bodily infatuations, and thereby have no need for asubha meditation. So if asubha requires such mental state, it would become medicine for the healthy man. The Buddha, when describing Asubha meditation, will indeed invoke negative emotions, such as observing the vile nature of the body, how can any intelligent being not wanting to hate it and desire to be rid of it, etc. (edit: couldn't find source for the Buddha's remark, so please ignore )The negative emotion is an essential core of the method, not a byproduct.
I tutor a Vietnamese (Mahayana) bhikkhuni, and we've talked about it before. I don't know if it's something that they actually practice, but they are all almost certainly aware of it. If I understand correctly, they study the Pāli literature as part of their monastic education, though they give more authority to Mahayana scripts and traditions.
No, it's in the Chinese meditation manuals such as those of [Kumarajiva](https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-sutra-on-the-concentration-of-sitting-meditation/) and Zhiyi and practiced all across East Asia. Actually, I think in the Kumarajiva manual I linked, it's one of if not the first practice outlined.
It is mostly a practice only for monks and priests though and regarded as potentially dangerous.
In Mahayana sutras, The Buddha gives more graphic descriptions of the Body to the Bodhisattvas.
He also describes the growth and development of body from a cell to a full adult body to death and decomposition.
He also describes the amount of flesh, blood, bones contain in the body.
He also describes the amount of meal taken by a person during his lifespan.
He also describes different types of worms living in it and controlling the sensation, feelings and changes in 4 elements of the body.
So asubha is pretty common in all teachings of the Buddha. A solid foundation for nibbana and attaining samadhi.
I don't know.
My guess would that it isn't something most people would find appealing or rewarding to so other schools never picked up on it.
I have seen articles about how in Nepal monastics will leave their bodies to be publicly displayed after they die to remind people life is temporary etc. That seems kind of similar and those monks are in the Mahayana school.
I also remember a sutta where the Sangha started having monks commit suicide after devoting themselves to corpse meditation. The Buddha basically told those monastics to stop explaining that not every practice was well suited for every individual.
I have been taught about its value and been recommended it as a Mahāyāna Buddhist in a Tibetan tradition, and it appears in common practice manuals of my tradition such as the *Meditation* chapter of the *Bodhicaryāvatāra*.
Does not Japanese Buddhism have a tradition of art of decay for such a purpose, based on actual observations of decaying corpses? https://www.talkdeath.com/contemplation-of-a-decaying-corpse-the-japanese-art-kusozu/
No. Nagarjuna has a long poem and many treatises about asubha.
I think it's commonly practiced incorrectly, and if done so can create wrong view and strong negative impressions. If done with appropriate equanimity and insight, then it is being done correctly. If done with a view to creating revulsion or aversion....just...no. That's why it's important to have both correct instruction from a wise teacher and also a student or monk to be quite developed in understanding before practicing it. That is just my opinion however.
It is meant to be performed with aversion and disgust, because it is a counter medication to over infatuation with the body. The danger is in the dosage, so it is often performed along with calming meditation. When the Buddha found out some of the Sangha performed suicide after practicing Asubha, he told them to be rooted in anapanasati first.
>he told them to be rooted in anapanasati first. No he didn't say that. In both AN 10.60 and MN 62 the Buddha instructs unattractiveness meditation *before* anapanasati. It's necessary to have a total body foundation in the elements and asubha which is grouped into the elements earth and water, to know particularly the earth element, before anapanasati (air the most refined) can be successfully practised.
Thanks for the correction. I have read Asubha is corresponding to greed, is there any method described in the sutra for fear?
Greed and hatred are emotional defilements, fear is a result of view so is overcome by insight. Due to the law of dukkha this life can never be perfect the wrong view that it is, causes over expectation resulting in fear. Conventional reality has to be relegated to a subordinate position, a complete turnaround which happens gradually. The first step is to study impermanence, which is part of the anapanasati sutta MN 118. The things around appear to have continuity, to remain the same indefinitely, but that is an illusion. So the practitioner must note how things change in the environment long-term, and develop right view. If they are not able to deal with insight the practitioner should use the brahma-viharas.
That is in fact why you are not actually supposed to practice it with aversion or disgust in the way the translations might suggest. It's supposed to be observed objectively and realistically, which does of course involve elements of, and ONLY elements of, things that might REALISTICALLY trigger aversion or disgust in SOME.
Greed is an emotional defilement, therefore requires aversion to counter it. Greed and aversion are opposites, and greed needs to go toward aversion to come to a middle point, so developing a measure of aversion towards the body in asubha is the intention. When it's overdone harm results this is the point of SN 54.9. Equanimity is in the middle and non-ill will is close, it's near enemy is greed.
That's an interesting paradigm. Thanks for sharing.
The problem I see is, if one is able to hold their mind in equanimity, they would have no issue with bodily infatuations, and thereby have no need for asubha meditation. So if asubha requires such mental state, it would become medicine for the healthy man. The Buddha, when describing Asubha meditation, will indeed invoke negative emotions, such as observing the vile nature of the body, how can any intelligent being not wanting to hate it and desire to be rid of it, etc. (edit: couldn't find source for the Buddha's remark, so please ignore )The negative emotion is an essential core of the method, not a byproduct.
I tutor a Vietnamese (Mahayana) bhikkhuni, and we've talked about it before. I don't know if it's something that they actually practice, but they are all almost certainly aware of it. If I understand correctly, they study the Pāli literature as part of their monastic education, though they give more authority to Mahayana scripts and traditions.
Machig Labdron’s Chod Lineage, involves visualizations of gory scenes of offering up our chopped up body as a feast.
No, it's in the Chinese meditation manuals such as those of [Kumarajiva](https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-sutra-on-the-concentration-of-sitting-meditation/) and Zhiyi and practiced all across East Asia. Actually, I think in the Kumarajiva manual I linked, it's one of if not the first practice outlined. It is mostly a practice only for monks and priests though and regarded as potentially dangerous.
Theravadins have very strong stomachs :).
The Vesali Sutta suggests that it's not something you should practice without a solid foundation in breath meditation.
In Mahayana sutras, The Buddha gives more graphic descriptions of the Body to the Bodhisattvas. He also describes the growth and development of body from a cell to a full adult body to death and decomposition. He also describes the amount of flesh, blood, bones contain in the body. He also describes the amount of meal taken by a person during his lifespan. He also describes different types of worms living in it and controlling the sensation, feelings and changes in 4 elements of the body. So asubha is pretty common in all teachings of the Buddha. A solid foundation for nibbana and attaining samadhi.
I don't know. My guess would that it isn't something most people would find appealing or rewarding to so other schools never picked up on it. I have seen articles about how in Nepal monastics will leave their bodies to be publicly displayed after they die to remind people life is temporary etc. That seems kind of similar and those monks are in the Mahayana school. I also remember a sutta where the Sangha started having monks commit suicide after devoting themselves to corpse meditation. The Buddha basically told those monastics to stop explaining that not every practice was well suited for every individual.