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36 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Standing meditation posture

the Buddhās in the past observed natural breathing as a bowl (any instrument, or tool), when you wear any
the meditation object for their attainment of Buddha- clothes or ornaments, when you eat, when you drink,
hood. The future Buddhās will also follow this same when you bite, when you taste; whenever you urinate or
method as the object for their attainment of Buddha- defecate, whenever you walk, stand, sit, lie down, and as
hood. When one observes one’s breath, one can realize long as you are awake, clearly comprehend the activities
different steps of breath. There are a total of sixteen of the body.” The Buddha further said, “Understand
stages of breath (See: Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta No.118). them internally and externally, and both internally and
externally. Then clearly comprehend the arising of the
Four Postures action and the passing of the action.” This is the way to

Then in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Buddha pointed out not attach to anything in the world, but to the complete
how to observe the four postures as meditation objects. understanding of things as they are.
The postures here mean the four deportments of the
body. Everything that we do, 24 hours a day and seven 32 Parts of the Body
days a week, we all have only four postures to assume The Buddha described the next object of meditation
in this body. They are ‘walking’, ‘standing’, ‘sitting’ and to be observed objectively as the loathsomeness of the
‘lying down’. The Buddha’s advice to us is to observe body. For this purpose, the Buddha classified the body
these four postures objectively. If anyone has any doubt into 32 parts and advised the practitioners to observe
about another posture, as we are changing our positions those different parts of the body objectively. There are
all the time, the Buddha further said in his language, in this body; the head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth,
“Yathā yathā vā panassa kāyo panihito hoti tathā skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart,
tathānam pajānāti” which means whatever way that you liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery,
keep your body, observe it objectively. This observation stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, puss, blood, sweat, fat,
is the way to the realization of truth in the world. tear, grease, saliva, mucus, oil in joints, urine, and fluid
in brain. All of these are to be observed objectively,
Clear Comprehension meaning without grasping them as yours.

Next the Buddha explained how to understand clearly
the different activities and movements of the body. Four Elements
Here, the Buddha said, “Understand clearly when you go The fifth subsection of the classification of the
forward, when you turn and come back, when you bend contemplation of the body is the observation of the four
your limbs, when you extend your limbs, when you take elements; namely solidity, liquidity, heat and motion.