The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

Thirty-two Parts Of The BodyFirstly you should develop the fourth jhŒna using mindfulnessof breathing and then when your light of concentration is brightand radiant, and brilliant, with the assistance of that light you shoulddiscern the thirty-two parts of the body that are listed below one at atime.The 32 parts of the body are:Earth Element Group1. Head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin.2. Flesh, sinew, bones, marrow, kidney.3. Heart, liver, membrane, spleen, lungs.4. Intestine, mesentery, gorge, faeces, brain.Water Element Group5. Bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat.6. Tears, grease, saliva, mucus, synovia, urine.While discerning the thirty-two parts of the body you shoulddivide the twenty parts of the Earth element group into four sets offive each and also divide the twelve parts of the water element intotwo sets of six each and then discern the parts in the list one at a timein order.You should be able to clearly see and discern each of these thirtytwoparts just as clearly as you would be able to see your face clearlyin a clean mirror.If however while you are doing this your light of concentrationshould fade and the part of the body you are discerning becomesunclear then you should again re-establish concentration to thefourth jhŒna based upon mindfulness of breathing. Then when thelight of concentration is bright and strong you should again return tow 63