The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

The learning sign is the visualised image which looks just thesame as the corpse you saw once with your eyes. The learning signappears as a hideous, dreadful, and frightening sight, but thepaÊibhŒganimitta appears like a man with big limbs lying downafter eating his fill.You should pay attention to that paÊibhŒganimitta as repulsive,repulsive, again and again repeatedly, and when your mind staysconstantly on that object for one or two hours then the jhŒna factorswill become clear. When they become clear that is the first jhŒna.Continue to practise in this way and develop the five masteries ofthis jhŒna.Recollection Of DeathIn accordance with the pŒÂi of MahŒsatipaÊÊhŒna sutta and theVisuddhimagga commentary recollection of death can be developedbased upon a corpse that you have seen before. Therefore todevelop the recollection of death you should again enter the firstjhŒna concentration based on the repulsiveness of a corpse. Thenwhen you have attained the first jhŒna using that external corpseas an object you should reflect that ÒThis body of mine too is of anature to die also. Indeed, it will die just like this. It cannot escapefrom becoming like this.Ó By keeping the mind concentrated andmindful of ones own nature to die you will also find the sense ofurgency (sa×vega) develops. When that knowledge is present inyou, you will probably see your own body as a repulsive corpse.Then perceiving that the life faculty has been cut off in that imageof your own corpse you should continue to meditate andconcentrate the mind on that object of the cutting off of the lifefaculty. While concentrating on that you should note either:1. I am certain to die, Life is impermanent (maraöa× me dhuva×,j´vita× me adhuva×).2. I will certainly die (maraöa× me bhavissati).w 103