Asubha isn’t just for Feb. 14th though. If you’re serious about your practice, it’s all asubha, all the time.
On this directory, you’ll find a nice PDF file of 32 body parts in pali, and 16 languages, with pictures.
Also a video of the same file with pali chanting of the 32 body parts, pronunciation sounds correct to me.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1F1jAFUCQtTBagqt1CrnVBQrQhinWUpa6
In EBT, it’s 31 body parts, not 32. Theravadins added the brain, and inserted it, poetically, right next to feces.
Another fun memory association with the number 31: I don’t think the brand is international, but in the USA, there’s 31 flavors of ice cream, one for every day of the month.
A local advertising agency, Carson/Roberts, advised a uniform identity and image under the name Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream. Their recommendations included the “31®” logo to represent a flavor for every day of the month, Cherry (pink) and Chocolate (brown) polka dots to be reminiscent of clowns, carnivals and fun …
For the serious practitioner, there’s a different flavor of asubha you can explore for every day of the month, or even more frequently than that.
excerpt from AN 6.29
(3. STED 31asb: 31 non-beautiful body parts for removal of kāma-rāga)
“Puna ca-paraṃ, bhante, bhikkhu |
“Again, and-furthermore, Lord, a-monk, |
Imam-eva kāyaṃ |
(In) this-very body, |
uddhaṃ pāda-talā |
up (from the) feet-base, |
adho kesa-matthakā |
below head-hair-(on)-top, |
Taca-pariyantaṃ |
Skin-enclosed, |
pūraṃ nāna-p-pakārassa A-sucino |
Full-of many-*-things Im-pure. |
paccavekkhati: |
(he) reflects: |
‘atthi imasmiṃ kāye |
There-are in-this body: |
kesā lomā nakhā dantā taco, |
Head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, |
maṃsaṃ nhāru aṭṭhi aṭṭhi-miñjaṃ vakkaṃ, |
flesh, tendons, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, |
hadayaṃ yakanaṃ kilomakaṃ pihakaṃ papphāsaṃ, |
heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, |
antaṃ antaguṇaṃ udariyaṃ karīsaṃ, |
Large-intestines, small-intestines, stomach, feces, |
pittaṃ semhaṃ pubbo lohitaṃ sedo medo, |
bile, phelgm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, |
assu vasā kheḷo siṅghāṇikā lasikā muttan’ti. |
tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucous, fluid-in-the-joints, (and) urine. |
Idaṃ, bhante, anus-satiṭ-ṭhānaṃ |
This, Lord, (is a) practice-to-be-recollected. |
evaṃ bhāvitaṃ evaṃ bahulīkataṃ |
Thus developed, thus pursued, |
Kāma-rāgap-pahānāya saṃvattati. |
sensuality-(and)-lust’s-removal (this) leads-to. |
(4. STED 9siv: stages of corpse decay, for removal of self and conceit Asmi-māna-samugghātāya)
“Puna ca-paraṃ, bhante, bhikkhu |
“Again, and-furthermore, Lord, a-monk, |
Puna ca-paraṃ, bhante, bhikkhu |
Again **-further, venerable-sir, the-bhikkhu |
seyyathāpi |
just as |
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
1. Swollen,blue,festering
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
Ekāha-mataṃ vā |
One-day-after, or |
Dvīha-mataṃ vā |
Two-days-after, or |
Tīha-mataṃ vā |
Three-days-after **, |
uddhumātakaṃ |
swollen, |
vinīlakaṃ |
(or) Turned-blue, |
vipubbakajātaṃ. |
(or) festering, |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
2.crows, hawks, devour
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
kākehi vā khajjamānaṃ |
Crows ** devoured (it), |
kulalehi vā khajjamānaṃ |
Hawks ** devoured (it), |
gijjhehi vā khajjamānaṃ |
Vultures ** devoured (it), |
sunakhehi vā khajjamānaṃ |
Dogs ** devoured (it), |
siṅgālehi vā khajjamānaṃ |
Foxes ** devoured (it), |
vividhehi vā pāṇaka-jātehi khajjamānaṃ. |
Diverse ** insects-born-inside devoured (it), |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
3. Skeleton with flesh, blood,
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhika-saṅkhalikaṃ |
Bone-chain, (skeleton) |
Sa-maṃsa-lohitaṃ |
with-flesh-(and)-blood |
nhāru-sam-bandhaṃ |
Sinews-together-bound, |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
4. Skeleton with blood smeared,
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhika-saṅkhalikaṃ |
Bone-chain, (skeleton) |
nim-maṃsa-lohita-makkhitaṃ |
without-flesh-(and)-blood-smeared, |
nhāru-sam-bandhaṃ |
Sinews-together-bound, |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
5. Skeleton no flesh no blood
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhika-saṅkhalikaṃ |
Bone-chain, (skeleton) |
apagata-maṃsa-lohitaṃ |
without-flesh-(and)-blood |
nhāru-sam-bandhaṃ |
Sinews-together-bound, |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
6. Skeleton bones scattered
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
Aṭṭhikāni apagata-sambandhāni |
bones dis-connected, |
Disā-vidisā-vikkhittāni, |
In-This-direction, that-direction, scattered. |
aññena hatth-aṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) hand-bone, |
aññena pād-aṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) foot-bone, |
aññena jaṅgh-aṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) lower-leg-bone, |
aññena ūruṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) thigh-bone, |
aññena kaṭiṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) hip-bone, |
aññena piṭṭhikaṇṭakaṭṭhikaṃ |
here (a) back-bone, |
aññena sīsakaṭāhaṃ", |
here (a) skull, |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
7. Bones like pearls
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhikāni |
bones |
setāni |
white, |
saṅkha-vaṇṇap-paṭibhāgāni |
Pearl-color-similarity. |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
8. Bones 3 yrs old
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhikāni |
bones |
Puñja-kitāni |
(in a) pile-******, |
Tero-vassikāni |
Three-or-four-years-old. |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
evaṃ-an-atīto’ti. |
such-(it has)-not-gone-beyond. |
Seyyathāpi vā pana |
Just-as ** **** |
9. Bones to dust
passeyya sarīraṃ |
(he) should-see a-body |
sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṃ |
in-a-cemetery, cast-away, |
aṭṭhikāni |
bones |
pūtīni |
putrid, |
Cuṇṇaka-jātāni. |
powder-(it has been)-reduced-to. |
So imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: |
he in-his body thus reflects: |
‘ayam-pi kho kāyo |
my-self-also, indeed, (my) body |
Evaṃ-dhammo |
such-(is its)-nature, |
Evaṃ-bhāvī |
such-(it will)-become, |
Idaṃ, bhante, anus-satiṭ-ṭhānaṃ |
This, Lord, (is a) practice-to-be-recollected. |
evaṃ bhāvitaṃ evaṃ bahulīkataṃ |
Thus developed, thus pursued, |
Asmi-māna-samugghātāya saṃvattati. |
conceit-(and)-pride’s-uprooting (this) leads-to. |