Reading guide
The fifth and final charnel-ground topic
Confirmed by the uddāna's own explicit numbering (“vicchiddakaṁ uddhumātena pañcamaṁ,” “split open, and bloated, the fifth”), this discourse closes a coherent group of five body contemplations before the vagga's own remaining five topics turn to entirely different subjects: love, compassion, rejoicing, equanimity, and the breath.
Key terms
uddhumātakasaññā — “the perception of a bloated corpse” — a body swollen in decomposition, closing this vagga's own five charnel-ground topics
bhāvitā bahulīkatā — “developed and cultivated” — the standard phrase, followed by the source's own elision
satta bojjhaṅgā — the seven awakening factors, implicitly developed together with this meditation topic
pañcamaṁ — “the fifth” — the Pāli root's own closing numeral, confirmed explicitly by the vagga's own uddāna as closing the charnel-ground group
mahapphalā mahānisaṁsā — the implied benefit carried over from SN 46.57's own full elaboration
The text
The complete discourse as the source itself gives it. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, when the perception of a bloated corpse is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. …”
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Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 3
What group of five topics does this discourse close?
Correct: A. Confirmed by the vagga's own uddāna, explicitly numbering this as "the fifth" of this specific group.
Question 2 of 3
What five topics does this vagga's own attention turn to after this discourse?
Correct: A. A shift from body contemplation to the four immeasurable states and breath meditation.
Question 3 of 3
What does "bloated" refer to in the context of this meditation topic?
Correct: A. The fifth stage of charnel-ground observation in this vagga's own sequence.