Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, one, two or three days dead, bloated, discoloured, festering, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, eaten by crows, hawks or vultures, by dogs or jackals, or various other creatures, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, a skeleton with the flesh and blood, connected by sinews, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood, connected by sinews, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, skeleton detached from flesh and blood, connected by sinews, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, randomly connected bones, scattered in all directions, a hand-bone here, a foot-bone there, a shin-bone here, a thigh-bone there, a hip-bone-bone here, a spine there, a skull there, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, the bones whitened, looking like shells, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, the bones piled up, a year old, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
Again, a monk, as if were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel-ground, the bones rotted away to a powder, compares this body with that, thinking:
"This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from the fate."
So he abides contemplating body as body internally, contemplating body as body externally, contemplating body as body both internally and externally.
He abides contemplating arising phenomena in the body, He abides contemplating vanishing phenomena in the body, He abides contemplating both arising and vanishing phenomena in the body.
Or else, mindfulness that "there is a body" is present to him just to the extent necessary for the knowledge and awareness. And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating body as body.
