解脫道論 其餘九不淨想

This passage separately treats the livid, decomposed, cut-and-dismembered, devoured, scattered, slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bone practices. Livid explicitly records one night or two or three nights after death, and decomposed two or three nights. The remaining practices are named only from what is seen in their own passages; no number of nights is added.

How Is the Sign of a Dismembered Corpse Taken?

Among the nine, cut-and-dismembered alone gives a separate question about taking the sign. The answer writes “at the two ears two fingers, form the perception of pieces and the cut-and-dismembered perception” and “upon one or two, take its empty sign.” The relation of two fingers to the two ears, the referent of one or two, the antecedent of “its,” and the distribution of the short phrases are all unexplained. The source expressions and order are retained.

The White-Pearl Simile

The worm-infested practice says that worms arise and fill the body, “like white pearls, nothing but a mass of worms.” The passage gives only this simile and does not separately state the exact feature for which white pearls are taken.

Reading: each local “as explained at length in the first practice” and “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice” is a backward reference, but the source does not enumerate its scope item by item. Each remains within its own practice. Gathering the bodily parts and separating the joints by two inches in the scattered practice likewise remains an explicit instruction for that practice alone.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Other Nine Perceptions of Impurity · Doorway · Summer 2026

The Livid Sign

Question: What is the livid sign? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Livid means that, after one night or after two or three nights in death, the livid sign forms. As color arises according to something dyed blue, this is called the livid sign. That lividity is called the blue sign.

Knowing it with right wisdom is called the livid sign. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the blue sign is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to the unbearable its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen sign. Cultivating its sign is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The livid sign is finished.）

The Decomposed Sign

Question: What is the decomposed sign? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is the sign taken?

Answer: Decomposed means that after two or three nights in death, the body decomposes and pus comes out, like poured curds, and the body becomes decomposed. This is called decomposed.

Knowing the decomposed sign with right wisdom is called the decomposed sign. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining decomposition is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to the unbearable its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen sign. Taking the sign is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The decomposed sign may be known; the decomposed sign is finished.）

The Cut-and-Dismembered Sign

Question: What is the cut-and-dismembered sign? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Cut and dismembered means that the body has been cut apart with knives or swords. It is also said to be a corpse that has been thrown down. This is called cut and dismembered.

Knowing the cut-and-dismembered with right wisdom is called the cut-and-dismembered perception. The attachment within the source phrase “with regard to the cut-and-dismembered, is right-wisdom knowing” is unclear. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. The cut-and-dismembered perception is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen sign.

Question: How is its sign taken?

The answer reads: “At the two ears two fingers, form the perception of pieces and the cut-and-dismembered perception; take the sign in this way. Upon one or two, take its empty sign” 〔T32 425c20–21〕. What can be established is that the source gives, in sequence, two ears, two fingers, perception of pieces, cut-and-dismembered perception, upon one or two, its, and empty sign. It does not explain how “two fingers” attaches to “the two ears,” what “one or two” refers to, what “its” continues, or how the short phrases are distributed. The expressions and their order are therefore retained without arranging them into definite steps. The source then says only that the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice; the scope of that backward reference is also not enumerated.

（The cut-and-dismembered sign is finished.）

The Devoured Perception

Question: What is the devoured perception? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Devoured means that a corpse is eaten by crows, magpies, kites, owls, eagles, and vultures, or by pigs, dogs, foxes, wolves, tigers, and leopards. This is called devoured.

With regard to that devouring is the sign. Knowing it with right wisdom is called the devoured perception. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. The devoured perception is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception. The remainder is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The devoured sign is finished.）

The Scattered Perception

Question: What is the scattered perception? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Scattered means that hands and feet have been strewn in different directions in different places. This is called scattered.

Knowing the scattered perception with right wisdom is called the scattered perception. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the scattered perception is the perception; revulsion is its function; attention to impurity is its basis; its qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception.

As to how its sign is taken: gather all the bodily parts in one place and arrange the joints of the parts two inches apart. After arranging them, form the scattered perception and take the sign. The remainder is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The scattered perception is finished.）

The Slain-and-Scattered Perception

Question: What is the slain-and-scattered perception? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Slain and scattered means that a corpse has been cut and slain in different places with knives and clubs or with bows and arrows. This is called slain and scattered.

With regard to the slain-and-scattered, this perception is right-wisdom knowing. This is called the slain-and-scattered perception. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the slain-and-scattered perception is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of swelling.

As to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The slain-and-scattered perception is finished.）

The Blood-Smeared Perception

Question: What is the blood-smeared perception? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Blood-smeared means that the hands, feet, or bodily parts have been cut off, and blood comes out and smears the body. This is called blood-smeared.

Knowing the blood-smeared sign with right wisdom is called the blood-smeared perception. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the blood-smeared perception is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception.

As to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The blood-smeared sign is finished.）

The Worm-Infested Perception

Question: What is the worm-infested perception? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Worm-infested means that worms arise and fill the body; like white pearls, it is nothing but a mass of worms. This is called worm-infested.

Knowing the worm-infested perception with right wisdom is called the worm-infested perception. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the worm-infested perception is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception.

As to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The worm-infested perception is finished.）

The Perception of Bones

Question: What is the perception of bones? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is its sign taken?

Answer: Bones means linked together like hooks and chains; or bound by flesh, blood, sinews, and vessels; or without blood and flesh but still wrapped in sinews; or without flesh and blood. This is called bones.

Knowing this perception of bones with right wisdom is called the perception of bones. When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Retaining the perception of bones is its characteristic, revulsion its function, and attention to impurity its basis. Its qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception.

As to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice.

（The perception of bones is finished.）

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Other Nine Perceptions of Impurity · Vernacular · Summer 2026

This passage gives in sequence nine further perceptions of impurity: livid, decomposed, cut and dismembered, devoured, scattered, slain and scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones 〔T32 425c01–426b03〕. Only the livid practice explicitly records one night or two or three nights after death, and the decomposed practice two or three nights. The other seven describe the sign seen in that practice without separately giving a number of nights after death. Each of the nine is read according to its own received wording; the numbers of nights attach only to the two practices in which the source states them.

The nine definitions respectively give color arising blue, decomposition with pus, a body cut apart by knives and swords, a corpse devoured by birds and beasts, hands and feet scattered in different places, a corpse slain with knives, clubs, bows, and arrows, blood smearing the body, worms filling the body, and bones linked like hooks and chains and otherwise bound 〔T32 425c02–426a28〕. These are the observed contents explicitly listed practice by practice and remain under their source names and sentences.

Recurring Questions and Answers, and Their Differences

The livid, decomposed, devoured, scattered, slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bone practices each begin by asking seven things: meaning, cultivation, characteristic, function, basis, qualities, and taking the sign. The opening question for cut-and-dismembered also lists these, but the base reads “What function? What? Basis what qualities?”, with a break in punctuation, and it sets out a separate question and answer on taking the sign 〔T32 425c14–22〕. Each of the nine practices has its own parenthetical closing note, making ten body-text paragraphs in all.

The answers repeatedly include definition, knowing with right wisdom, the mind abiding without distraction, characteristic, function, basis, qualities, and a backward reference for taking the sign; but the wording is not identical. For example, the livid practice says “retaining the blue sign is its characteristic,” decomposition “retaining decomposition is its characteristic,” and cut-and-dismembered directly “the cut-and-dismembered perception is its characteristic” 〔T32 425c05·425c11–12·425c18〕. The devoured practice first says “with regard to that devouring is the sign,” then says that knowing it with right wisdom is called the devoured perception 〔T32 425c25–27〕. Slain-and-scattered has “with regard to the slain-and-scattered, this perception is right-wisdom knowing” 〔T32 426a10〕. Each form is preserved as written.

All nine explicitly say “revulsion is its function.” The livid and decomposed practices say “attention to the unbearable is its basis” 〔T32 425c05–06·425c11–12〕, while the other seven say “attention to impurity is its basis” 〔T32 425c18–19 and following〕. The backward references for the qualities also appear in four forms: “qualities equal those of the swollen sign” three times, “qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception” four times, “qualities equal those of swelling” once, and, in the scattered practice, “qualities of the swollen-corpse perception are equal” 〔T32 426a04〕. These four forms record inconsistency in the received wording and are not harmonized.

The backward references for taking or cultivating the sign are likewise preserved individually. Livid says “cultivating its sign is as explained at length in the first practice,” decomposed “taking the sign is as explained at length in the first practice,” cut-and-dismembered and devoured “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice,” and scattered puts “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice” only after arranging the bodily parts. Slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones say “as to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice” 〔T32 425c06–426b02〕. The source does not enumerate exactly what each local backward reference carries over, so each scope remains unresolved.

The words “sign” and “perception” also vary by location. The scattered practice alone says “retaining the scattered perception is the perception” 〔T32 426a03〕. In the slain-and-scattered practice, the question and answer-heading differ between “slain-and-scattered perception” and “as to being slain and scattered” 〔T32 426a08〕. Devoured asks with “perception” but closes with “sign” 〔T32 425c23·425c28〕. The closing note for decomposed uniquely adds the two words “may be known” 〔T32 425c13〕. No general rule is formed from the differences between sign and perception; the characters are recorded as they stand.

Checking the qualities practice by practice, livid, decomposed, and cut-and-dismembered read “qualities equal those of the swollen sign”; devoured, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones read “qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception”; slain-and-scattered reads “qualities equal those of swelling”; and scattered reverses the order to “qualities of the swollen-corpse perception are equal” 〔T32 425c06·425c12–19·425c28·426a04·426a12–426b02〕. None of the nine relists the qualities here; each points backward through the particular sentence found in its own practice.

The sentence on cultivation in all nine says that the mind abides without distraction and calls this cultivation. The sentence on characteristic differs. Livid has retaining the blue sign, decomposed retaining decomposition, cut-and-dismembered the cut-and-dismembered perception itself, devoured the devoured perception, scattered uniquely “retaining the scattered perception is the perception,” and slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones each have retaining that practice's perception as the characteristic 〔T32 425c05–426b02〕. The series preserves both the common statement about the mind abiding without distraction and the literal differences involving “as characteristic/as perception” and the presence or absence of “retaining.”

Checking the sign-taking and closing formulas, livid says only “cultivating its sign is as explained at length in the first practice,” and decomposed only “taking the sign is as explained at length in the first practice.” Cut-and-dismembered asks a separate sign-taking question, gives two ears, two fingers, perception of pieces, one or two, and empty sign, and only then says “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice.” Devoured says the latter directly. Scattered first gathers the bodily parts in one place and separates the joints by two inches before saying it. The final four all close the body with “as to how its sign is taken, it is as explained at length in the first practice” 〔T32 425c06–426b02〕. The nine parenthetical notes then say respectively that the livid sign, decomposed sign, cut-and-dismembered sign, devoured sign, scattered perception, slain-and-scattered perception, blood-smeared sign, worm-infested perception, and bone perception are finished. The decomposed note alone adds “may be known.”

Reading the Nine Practices One by One from the Source

Livid: “After one night or after two or three nights in death, the livid sign forms. As color arises according to something dyed blue, this is called the livid sign” 〔T32 425c02–04〕. This is the first explicit time statement in the passage: one night after death or two or three nights. Next come “that lividity is called the blue sign” and knowing with right wisdom as the livid sign, followed by the mind abiding without distraction as cultivation, retaining the blue sign as characteristic, revulsion as function, attention to the unbearable as basis, and qualities equal to the swollen sign 〔T32 425c04–06〕. The body closes “cultivating its sign is as explained at length in the first practice,” and the note says “The livid sign is finished.” The character 淤 has the variant 瘀 in four witnesses, in six repeated occurrences across this practice; both are recorded without judgment.

Decomposed: “After two or three nights in death, the body decomposes and pus comes out, like poured curds; the body becomes decomposed. This is called decomposed” 〔T32 425c09–10〕. This is the second explicit time statement and gives only two or three nights. The simile “like poured curds” receives no further explanation here. Knowing with right wisdom then names the decomposed sign, the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation, retaining decomposition the characteristic, revulsion the function, attention to the unbearable the basis, and the qualities equal those of the swollen sign 〔T32 425c10–13〕. The body says only “taking the sign is as explained at length in the first practice.” Its closing note alone reads “The decomposed sign may be known; the decomposed sign is finished,” adding “may be known.”

Cut and dismembered: “The body has been cut apart with knives or swords. It is also said to be a corpse that has been thrown down. This is called cut and dismembered” 〔T32 425c15–17〕. The first sentence gives knives and swords and the body separated; “it is also said” records a thrown corpse without naming the speaker. Both remain side by side without adjudication. Knowing with right wisdom names the cut-and-dismembered perception; the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation; the cut-and-dismembered perception is the characteristic; revulsion the function; attention to impurity the basis; and the qualities equal those of the swollen sign 〔T32 425c17–19〕. This paragraph stops after the qualities, and sign-taking begins as a separate question.

Devoured: “A corpse is eaten by crows, magpies, kites, owls, eagles, and vultures, or by pigs, dogs, foxes, wolves, tigers, and leopards. This is called devoured” 〔T32 425c24–25〕. The source lists six birds and six beasts, twelve names in all, without separately explaining them. It then uniquely says “with regard to that devouring is the sign,” and only afterward says that knowing it with right wisdom names the devoured perception. The mind abiding without distraction is cultivation; the devoured perception is characteristic; revulsion function; attention to impurity basis; and the qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception 〔T32 425c25–28〕. The body adds only “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice,” while the closing note says “The devoured sign is finished.”

Scattered: “Hands and feet have been strewn in different directions in different places. This is called scattered” 〔T32 426a01–02〕. Knowing with right wisdom then names the scattered perception, and the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation. This practice alone says “retaining the scattered perception is the perception,” followed by revulsion as function, attention to impurity as basis, and “qualities of the swollen-corpse perception are equal” 〔T32 426a02–04〕. Its own explicit sign-taking instruction says, “Gather all the bodily parts in one place and arrange the joints of the parts two inches apart. After arranging them, form the scattered perception and take the sign” 〔T32 426a05–06〕. Gathering in one place, setting the joints two inches apart, and taking the scattered sign after arranging them are certain. The source gives no reason for the arrangement and makes it no rule for the other practices. Only then comes “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice.”

Slain and scattered: the question says “slain-and-scattered perception,” but the answer opens “as to being slain and scattered,” continuing “with knives and clubs or with bows and arrows, a corpse has been cut and slain in different places. This is called slain and scattered” 〔T32 426a08–10〕. Knives and clubs, bows and arrows, and cutting and slaying in different places are explicitly listed. The source does not separately explain its boundary from the cut-and-dismembered and scattered practices. Next comes “with regard to the slain-and-scattered, this perception is right-wisdom knowing,” followed by the mind abiding without distraction, retaining as characteristic, revulsion as function, attention to impurity as basis, and qualities equal those of swelling 〔T32 426a10–13〕. Taking the sign is only said to be as explained at length in the first practice.

Blood-smeared: “The hands, feet, or bodily parts have been cut off, and blood comes out and smears the body. This is called blood-smeared” 〔T32 426a15–16〕. Knowing the blood-smeared sign with right wisdom names the blood-smeared perception, the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation, retaining the blood-smeared perception is characteristic, revulsion function, attention to impurity basis, and the qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception 〔T32 426a16–19〕. The base 相 has the variant 想 in the Korean witness; both are recorded without judgment. Taking the sign is only said to be as explained at length in the first practice, and the closing note says “The blood-smeared sign is finished.”

Worm-infested: “Worms arise and fill the body; like white pearls, it is nothing but a mass of worms. This is called worm-infested” 〔T32 426a21–22〕. This practice uses “like white pearls” to figure the mass of worms covering the body; the exact feature taken by the simile is not explained. Knowing the worm-infested perception with right wisdom names that perception, the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation, retaining it is characteristic, revulsion function, attention to impurity basis, and the qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception 〔T32 426a22–25〕. Taking the sign is only said to be as explained at length in the first practice, and the note says “The worm-infested perception is finished.”

Bones: “Linked together like hooks and chains; or bound by flesh, blood, sinews, and vessels; or without blood and flesh but still wrapped in sinews; or without flesh and blood. This is called bones” 〔T32 426a27–29〕. The source lists in sequence four received forms: linked like hooks and chains; bound by flesh, blood, sinews, and vessels; without blood and flesh but with sinews; and without flesh and blood. It assigns no time to the four. Knowing the bone perception with right wisdom names it, the mind abiding without distraction is cultivation, retaining it is characteristic, revulsion function, attention to impurity basis, and the qualities equal those of the swollen-corpse perception 〔T32 426a29–426b02〕. Taking the sign is only said to be as explained at length in the first practice, and the note says “The perception of bones is finished.” Bones is the ninth practice in this passage.

Pause at the Question: How Is the Sign of a Dismembered Corpse Taken?

Cut-and-dismembered alone asks separately, “How is its sign taken? Answer: At the two ears two fingers, form the perception of pieces and the cut-and-dismembered perception; take the sign in this way. Upon one or two, take its empty sign” 〔T32 425c19–21〕. Pause here. How should these expressions for taking the sign be understood?

One fact can first be recorded: among the nine, cut-and-dismembered alone sets out a separate question about taking the sign. The answer writes in order “at the two ears two fingers, form the perception of pieces,” “form the cut-and-dismembered perception,” “take the sign in this way,” and “upon one or two take its empty sign,” followed by “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice” and the closing note 〔T32 425c19–22〕. Two fingers, upon one or two, and empty sign receive no explanation here. How the expressions join and what they refer to remain open.

Before this question, the preceding paragraph has already given in order the name of cut-and-dismembered, knowing with right wisdom, the mind abiding without distraction, characteristic, function, basis, and qualities equal to the swollen sign 〔T32 425c15–19〕. Only with “Question: How is its sign taken?” does the specific sign-taking answer begin. This question asks only about taking the sign.

The received order of the answer is: “at the two ears two fingers,” then “form the perception of pieces,” “form the cut-and-dismembered perception,” “take the sign in this way,” and then “upon one or two take its empty sign” 〔T32 425c21〕. The source does not unfold how two fingers attach to the two ears, whether one or two is a number, position, or something else, what “its” continues, or how the short phrases are distributed. Only the order and source expressions can be retained; they cannot be arranged into certain operational steps.

After the sign-taking answer, the body says only “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice,” followed by “The cut-and-dismembered sign is finished” 〔T32 425c21–22〕. The word-for-word skeleton that can be preserved is therefore: two ears and two fingers, perception of pieces, cut-and-dismembered perception, upon one or two, empty sign, backward reference, and closing note. The technical meaning of each remains unresolved.

Reading Principle: Each Backward Reference Stays with Its Own Practice

This passage certainly contains many instances of “as explained at length in the first practice” and “the remainder is as explained at length in the first practice,” as well as many statements that qualities equal those of the swollen sign, swollen-corpse perception, or swelling. Yet each is only a short phrase and the source does not enumerate its scope item by item 〔T32 425c06–426b02〕. Thus livid's “cultivating its sign” and decomposed's “taking the sign” are read in their own statements; the “remainder” in cut-and-dismembered, devoured, and scattered remains within its own practice; and the sign-taking formulas in slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones are likewise preserved independently. The common scope of their backward references remains unresolved.

The content stated only within one practice likewise stays there. Cut-and-dismembered has the unexplained expressions two ears and two fingers, perception of pieces, upon one or two, and empty sign. Scattered explicitly gathers all bodily parts and separates the joints by two inches. Livid and decomposed record nights after death. Devoured lists twelve birds and beasts. Worm-infested gives the white-pearl simile. Bones lists four received forms. Each can be checked within its practice, but the passage does not say that any one of these arrangements is to be followed in the other eight.

Conclusion

Return to what is seen. The passage separately gives livid, decomposed, cut-and-dismembered, devoured, scattered, slain-and-scattered, blood-smeared, worm-infested, and bones. Only livid and decomposed state numbers of nights. Cut-and-dismembered has its own sign-taking question and leaves two fingers, one or two, its, and empty sign unexplained. Scattered separately gives the arrangement of gathered bodily parts with the joints two inches apart. Bones lists four received forms without setting them in sequence through time. Each backward reference is kept to its own source statement rather than enlarged. Each practice closes with a parenthetical note; the decomposed note alone adds “may be known.”

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Other Nine Perceptions of Impurity · Exposition · Summer 2026