Udāyīsutta

Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: How many, Udāyī, are the bases of recollection?

When this was said, the venerable Udāyī remained silent.

For the second time, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: How many, Udāyī, are the bases of recollection?

For the second time, the venerable Udāyī remained silent.

For the third time, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: How many, Udāyī, are the bases of recollection?

For the third time, the venerable Udāyī remained silent.

Then the venerable Ānanda said to the venerable Udāyī: The Teacher is addressing you, friend Udāyī.

I hear, friend Ānanda, the Blessed One.

Here, sir, a disciple recollects his manifold past lives: such as one birth, two births…

Thus, he recollects his manifold past lives in detail and in full.

This, sir, is a base of recollection.

Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: I knew, Ānanda: This Udāyī, this foolish man, does not dwell pursuing higher mind.

How many, Ānanda, are the bases of recollection?

There are five, sir, bases of recollection.

Which five?

Here, sir, a disciple, having secluded himself from sensual pleasures…

enters and dwells in the third jhāna.

This, sir, when developed and cultivated, leads to happiness here and now.

Furthermore, sir, a disciple develops the perception of light, determines the perception of day, just as by day so by night, just as by night so by day; and with an open and unenveloped heart, he develops a mind that is bright.

This, sir, when developed and cultivated, leads to the attainment of knowing and vision.

Furthermore, sir, a disciple examines this very body from the soles of the feet up and from the top of the hair down, a body filled with various impurities: In this body, there are head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spit, snot, oil of the joints, and urine.

This, sir, when developed and cultivated, leads to the removal of greed for sensual pleasures.

Furthermore, sir, a disciple sees a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter.

He then applies this perception to his own body: This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate. Just as if he were to see a corpse in a charnel ground being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various kinds of worms. He then applies this perception to his own body: This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.

Just as if he were to see a corpse in a charnel ground reduced to a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews…

reduced to a blood-besmeared skeleton without flesh but held together by sinews…

a fleshless, bloodless skeleton held together by sinews…

disconnected bones scattered in all directions: here a hand bone, there a foot bone, a shin bone, a thigh bone, a hip bone, a back bone, a rib bone, a breast bone, an arm bone, a shoulder bone, a neck bone, a jaw bone, a tooth, a skull. He then applies this perception to his own body: This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.

This, sir, when developed and cultivated, leads to the uprooting of conceit I am.

Furthermore, sir, a disciple, having abandoned pleasure…

enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna.

This, sir, when developed and cultivated, leads to the penetration of many elements.

These, sir, are the five bases of recollection.

Good, good, Ānanda.

Therefore, Ānanda, you should also remember this sixth base of recollection.

Here, Ānanda, a disciple proceeds with mindfulness when going forward and returning; he acts with mindfulness when looking ahead and looking away; he acts with mindfulness when flexing and extending his limbs; he acts with mindfulness when wearing his robes and carrying his outer robe and bowl; he acts with mindfulness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting; he acts with mindfulness when defecating and urinating; he acts with mindfulness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, and keeping silent.

This, Ānanda, when developed and cultivated, leads to full awareness.