Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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Watana
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Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by Watana »

I think there's a sutta like this right ?
SarathW
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Re: Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by SarathW »

What are the six elements?
Do you mean 32 body parts?
"There are in this body:

Kesa head-hair
Loma body-hair
Nakha nails
Danta teeth
Taco skin
Mamsam flesh
Naharu sinews
Atthi bones
Atthimiñjam bone-marrow
Vakkam kidneys
Hadayam heart
Yakanam liver
Kilomakam membranes
Pihakam spleen
Papphasam lungs
Antam gut
Antagunam gut
Udariyam gorge
Karisam dung
Pittam bile
Semham phlegm
Pubbo pus
Lohitam blood
Sedo sweat
Medo fat
Assu tears
Vasa grease
Khelo spit
Singhanika snot
Lasika joints
Muttam urine."
(to which is added "brain in the skull" to make up 32 parts).

"In this very body, from the soles of the feet up, from the crown of the head down, surrounded by skin, full of these various mean impurities, he reviews thus."

— M. 10, Satipatthana Sutta, trans. Ven. Ñanamoli
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/aut ... el271.html
Last edited by SarathW on Sat Jul 03, 2021 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
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Re: Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by SarathW »

"Just as when a space is enclosed by timber and creepers, grass and clay, there comes to be the term 'house,' so too, when a space is enclosed by bones and sinews, flesh and skin, there comes to be the term 'form'."

— M. 28, para 36, trans. Ven. Ñanamoli
That is in regard to space

"This my body consists of the four great elements, is procreated by a mother and father, is built up out of boiled rice and bread, is of the nature of impermanence, of being worn and rubbed away, of dissolution and disintegration, and this my consciousness has that for its support and is bound up with it."

— M. 77, trans. Ven. Ñanamoli
This is in regard to conscioiusness.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Watana
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Re: Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by Watana »

Hmm, I remember reading something where the "space" element was equated with the various orifices of the human body.
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Re: Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by Sam Vara »

Watana wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 1:03 pm Hmm, I remember reading something where the "space" element was equated with the various orifices of the human body.
Do you mean this, from MN 62?
And what is the space property? The space property may be either internal or external. What is the internal space property? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that's space, spatial, & sustained: the holes of the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the [passage] whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, & tasted gets swallowed, and where it collects, and whereby it is excreted from below, or anything else internal, within oneself, that's space, spatial, & sustained: This is called the internal space property.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
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Watana
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Re: Looking for a sutta that equates the 31 body parts to the 6 (not just 4) elements

Post by Watana »

Yes, that's probably the sutta I read a long time ago.

But if you know about any other sutta that mention those 5 elements in a similar fashion, let me know !
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