Bag of Bones: A Miscellany on the Body (The Wheel Publication No. 271/272) (1980)

From the Introduction:

"The body is thought to be most obviously "me", what I regard as the most tangible part of myself. Around it therefore are constructed many views, all of them distorted to some extent, which prevent insight arising into the body as it really is. This book is a small anthology relating to the body in various ways, and presents material which, if contemplated by the earnest and sincere student of Dhamma, will eventually provide fruitful insight and, thereby, freedom from the many desires and fears centered on the body".

One of the most deeply rooted deceptions in the mind is its tendency to identify the body as "self." Recognizing that this seductive but distorted view of reality can be a stubborn impediment to progress in the Dhamma, the Buddha taught his students some practices and reflections specifically designed to undercut this illusion. This book is a marvelous anthology of many of these teachings, taken from the Pali canon and related texts, plus many more from the author's own writings.

Caution: The readings in this book are very powerful, and are probably not suitable for beginning meditators. To paraphrase the author's comments in the Introduction: Meditation on the unattractiveness of the body should be practiced with moderation and care, especially if one has no personal contact with a meditation teacher.

From the Introduction:

"The body is thought to be most obviously "me", what I regard as the most tangible part of myself. Around it therefore are constructed many views, all of them distorted to some extent, which prevent insight arising into the body as it really is. This book is a small anthology relating to the body in various ways, and presents material which, if contemplated by the earnest and sincere student of Dhamma, will eventually provide fruitful insight and, thereby, freedom from the many desires and fears centered on the body".

One of the most deeply rooted deceptions in the mind is its tendency to identify the body as "self." Recognizing that this seductive but distorted view of reality can be a stubborn impediment to progress in the Dhamma, the Buddha taught his students some practices and reflections specifically designed to undercut this illusion. This book is a marvelous anthology of many of these teachings, taken from the Pali canon and related texts, plus many more from the author's own writings.

Caution: The readings in this book are very powerful, and are probably not suitable for beginning meditators. To paraphrase the author's comments in the Introduction: Meditation on the unattractiveness of the body should be practiced with moderation and care, especially if one has no personal contact with a meditation teacher.