Hi members ,
What does the term kaya or body refers to ? Physical body or five aggregates ?
Thank you
Hi Max,
This question has been discussed a number of times on the forum. Using the search function to go through those previous threads might be useful.
With Metta,
trusolo
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Here is a more explicit text:
"Sensing a feeling of pleasure, one discerns that it is fleeting, not grasped at, not relished. Sensing a feeling of pain… Sensing a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one discerns that it is fleeting, not grasped at, not relished. Sensing a feeling of pleasure, one senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a feeling of pain… Sensing a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one senses it disjoined from it. When sensing a feeling limited to the body, one discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to the body.’ When sensing a feeling limited to life, one discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to life.’ One discerns that ‘With the break-up of the body, after the termination of life, all that is sensed, not being relished, will grow cold right here.’
—Majjhiama Nikaya 140
Hi Paul ,
Thanks for the reference , so your take is the meaning of kaya refer to physical body right ?
No it means both body and mind. The intention in the sutta is to cause the individual to realize their feelings are limited to 1) their entity, and further 2) the cosmic perspective.
But kaya in SN36.7 says dependent on the body ! Is it proper to say dependent on kaya as mind then ?
Physical body.
An example that is still related to SN36.7:
A bhikkhu is being mindful (sata) and aware (sampajāna) while drinking his favorite beverage. This results to a pleasant feeling arisen.
From that example we know that pleasant feeling arisen due to (paṭicca) the action of his physical body, which is: drinking his favorite beverage.
He knows that his body is impermanent. This means he cannot drink his favorite beverage ‘permanently’. Hence, that pleasant feeling -which has arisen- is impermanent too.
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