Untitled in the source — Rāgapeyyāla — the twenty-third and final chapter of the Tens, closing the entire nipāta
Setting
None stated in the source
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
A second set of ten perceptions to be developed for insight into greed
Length
under 1 minute to read
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — the second of three foundational lists opening this chapter
Why this discourse
This discourse gives the second of this chapter's three ten-item lists, built around the classical nine-stage charnel-ground meditation on a decomposing corpse — among the most vivid and traditionally significant perception-sequences in this entire canon.
Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
For insight into greed, ten things should be developed: the perceptions of impermanence, not-self, the repulsiveness of food, dissatisfaction with the whole world, and the nine progressive stages of a decomposing corpse.
Sharing four items with AN 10.237, differing in the rest
This list shares its first four items' general territory with AN 10.237 (impermanence-adjacent perceptions, food's repulsiveness, dissatisfaction with the world), though reordered, before diverging sharply into the nine specific corpse-stages that give this list its own distinct character.
The nine corpse perceptions, a classical sequence
Skeleton, worm-infested corpse, livid corpse, festering corpse, split-open corpse, and bloated corpse are drawn from the traditional charnel-ground observation sequence — though this list gives only six of the traditional nine stages explicitly, the sequence is among the most concretely visual and unflinching meditation objects in the entire canon, designed to cut through desire by direct confrontation with bodily decay.
Two lists, two strategies toward the same insight
Where AN 10.237's list moved from specific repulsion toward increasingly abstract and philosophical insight (impermanence, suffering, not-self), this list stays concretely embodied throughout — both aim at insight into greed, but through markedly different meditative strategies.
Key terms
aniccasaññā, anattasaññā — “the perceptions of impermanence, not-self” — the opening two items of this discourse's list, reordered relative to AN 10.237's own placement of these themes.
aṭṭhikasaññā — “the perception of a skeleton” — the first of this discourse's charnel-ground corpse perceptions.
puḷavakasaññā — “the perception of a worm-infested corpse” — the second corpse stage in this discourse's list.
vinīlakasaññā, vipubbakasaññā — “the perceptions of a livid corpse, a festering corpse” — two further stages in the same charnel-ground sequence.
vicchiddakasaññā, uddhumātakasaññā — “the perceptions of a split-open corpse, a bloated corpse” — the final two stages closing this discourse's list.
The text
The discourse in full: the second of three ten-item lists developed for insight into greed. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Ten perceptions, the second list
§1“For insight into greed, ten things should be developed. What ten? The perceptions of impermanence, not-self, repulsiveness of food, dissatisfaction with the whole world, a skeleton, a worm-infested corpse, a livid corpse, a festering corpse, a split open corpse, and a bloated corpse. For insight into greed, these ten things should be developed.”
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Self-check quiz
6 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 6
What distinguishes this discourse's list from AN 10.237's own?
Correct: B. A concretely embodied meditative strategy, distinct from AN 10.237's more abstract progression.
Question 2 of 6
According to the guide, what is the traditional purpose of the charnel-ground corpse perceptions?
Correct: B. Among the most concretely visual and unflinching meditation objects in the entire canon.
Question 3 of 6
According to the guide, how do this discourse's and AN 10.237's lists relate to each other overall?
Correct: B. Two strategies toward the same underlying goal.
Question 4 of 6
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: D. No location is given for this discourse.
Question 5 of 6
How many of this chapter's three foundational ten-item lists have now been given in full after this discourse?
Correct: B. Only AN 10.239's ten-factor path list remains before compression begins.
Question 6 of 6
What chapter of AN10 does this discourse belong to?
Correct: B. The twenty-third and final chapter of the Tens.
