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31asb: asubha. There are 31 body parts in EBT Theravada Pali, not 32.



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In most of the EBT Pali suttas, it's almost always 31 body parts. If a sutta has 32 (brain added in), it's a sure sign of late editing. By the time of Visuddhimagga, 32 body parts had become the new standard.

If we compare to other EBT schools, like the Chinese agamas representing Sarvastivada, mula sarvastivada, and other schools, there doesn't seem to be a set standard on number of body parts, it varies quite a bit. In the MN 10 satipatthana sutta parallels, EA has 25, MA has 28. So who knows how many the Buddha originally designated?

But what's nice about the number 31, there's a nice association with 31 days of a month. There's a  different flavor of asubha for every day of the month. In other words, the number 31 has the added association that you should be thinking about 31 body parts every day of the month, every day of the year.



Vism. and Abhidhamma may have won the previous round.

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But the duty of the EBT jedi is to take a stand and fight against Dharma corruption.
So, not on my watch.



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The Pa Auk Vism. Abhidhamma monastic tradition has a nice booklet with color photos with 32 parts. I've taken the liberty of changing it back to 31 body parts, and adding the brain as  #9, combining that as part of bone marrow.  Yes, I've modified all 32 images and renumbered them so they match the Pali EBT tradition.

4👑☸ Cattāri Ariya-saccaṃ 四聖諦

31asb🧟

a-subha

(31) un-attractive [body parts]

4👑☸ → STED   (⤴)
31 body parts
1. Kesa: head-hair
31 body parts
2. Loma: body-hair
31 body parts
3. Nakha: Nails
31 body parts
4. danta: dental (teeth)
31 body parts
5. taco: skin
31 body parts
6. mamsam: muscle/flesh
31 body parts
7. nharu: sinews
31 body parts
8. atthi: skeleton/bones
31 body parts
9. atthi-minja: bone-marrow
31 body parts
9b. matthalungam: brain is part of bone-marrow
31 body parts
10. vakkam: kidneys
31 body parts
11. hadayam: heart
31 body parts
12. yakanam: liver
31 body parts
13. kilomakam
31 body parts
14. pihikam
31 body parts
15. papphasam: lungs
31 body parts
16. antam: large intestines
31 body parts
17. anta-gunam: small intestines
31 body parts
18. udariyam: stomach
31 body parts
19. karisam: feces
31 body parts
20. pittam
31 body parts
21.semham
31 body parts
22. pubbo: pus
31 body parts
23. lohitam: blood
31 body parts
24. sedo: sweat
31 body parts
25. medo: fat
31 body parts
26. assu: tears
31 body parts
27. vasa: sweat
31 body parts
28. khelo: saliva
31 body parts
29. singhanika: snot
31 body parts
30. lasika: oil of the joints
31 body parts
31. muttam: urine


☸ Lucid 




Comments

  1. bippinikkiFebruary 8, 2025 at 6:25 AM

    I noticed Thanissaro Bhikkhu has Vakkaṁ translated as Spleen, and Pihakaṁ as Kidneys. Have you seen this reversal in translation with other sources, or do you know why there is this alternate version?
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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