Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

170 Vimuttimaggaconscious moment, one did not live, one is not living, one will not live. Inthe future conscious moment, one did not live, one is not living, one will notlive. In the present conscious moment, one did not live, one will not live,only one is living". 1And again, it is taught in this stanza:"Life and personality, sorrow, happiness and allare joined to one thought; quickly the moment passes.By the yet-not-become, nothing is born; by the present one lives.When mind's shattered, the world dies; 2 so the world's end was taughf\Thus one practises mindfulness of death through the shortness of themoment. That yogin through these ways practises mindfulness of death anddevelops (the perception of) disagreeableness. Owing to facility in (theperception of) disagreeabieness and owing to facility in mindfulness, his mindis not disturbed. When his mind is undisturbed, he is able to destroy thehindrances and cause the arising of the meditation (jhana) factors and attainto access-concentration.Q. What is the difference between the perception of impermanence andmindfulness of death ?A. The perception of the passing away of the aggregations is called theperception of impermanence. The mindfulness of the destruction of thefaculties is called mindfulness of death. The practice of the perception ofimpermanence and the perception of not-self is called the rejection of pride.He who practises mindfulness of death can dwell in the perception of impermanenceand the perception of subjection to ill through the thought of thecutting off of life and the destruction of the mind. These are the differencesbetween them.Mindfulness of death has ended.MINDFULNESS OF BODYQ. What is mindfulness of body? What is the practising of it? Whatare its salient characteristic and function? What are its benefits? What isthe procedure?1. Looked at from the point of view of the changing khandhas, there is no important divergenceto be noted here. For instance, in Vis. Mag. 301 this occurs:Khanikattd ca dhammdnam, yehi khandhehi te katamamandpam niruddha te kassa ddni 'dha kujjhasilThe so-called being of the present did not exist in the past and will not exist in the future.2. Ndi. 42, 117-18: Jivitam attabhdvo ca sukhadukkhd ca kevaldekacittasamdyuttd lahuso vattati-kkhano.Anibbattena na jdto, paccuppannena jivati,cittabhangamato loko