Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渢hirty-two substances of the human body鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Appendix 3 - Thirty-two substances of the human body
Note: This Appendix is extracted from a note from Chapter XXXIV, The eight liberations (vimok峁):
鈥�... besides, the body is constituted by an assemblage of thirty-six substances (峁峁璽谤颈峁冡阜艣补诲诲丑腻迟耻蝉腻尘补驳谤墨); why distinguish them and consider them separately?鈥�
In the Sanskrit sources of both the Lesser and the Greater Vehicles, physical substances are 26 in number (cf. Tseng yi a han, T 125, p. 687b9; k. 27, p. 712b7; k. 49, p. 815c5; Kalpan膩ma峁囜笉itik膩, T 201, k. 5, p. 285b1; Po yu king, T 209, k. 4, p. 555b15; Tch鈥檕u yao king, k. 212, k. 1, p. 612b17; k. 5, p. 632c22; k. 17, p. 699c7; k. 26, p. 749c16).
They are listed, with many faulty readings, in the Sanskrit editions of the 笔补帽肠补惫颈峁兣沘迟颈, p. 205, l. 16鈥�19 (T 223, k. 5, p. 253c26鈥�29) and the 艢atas膩hasrik膩, p.1431, l. 9鈥�13 (T 220, k. 53, p. 298b26鈥�28).
The 笔腻濒颈 suttas list 31 (顿墨驳丑补, II, p. 293; III, p. 104; Majjhima, I, p. 57; III, p. 90; 厂补峁儁耻迟迟补, IV, p. 111; V, p. 278; Anguttara, III, p. 323; V, p. 109).
The Visuddhimagga gives their number as 32 and discusses them at length. Here is the latter list with corresponding terms in 笔腻濒颈 and Sanskrit:
- Hair of the head (kesa, 办别艣补);
- hairs (loma, roman).
- nails (nakha);
- teeth (诲腻苍迟补);
- skin (taca, tvac);
- flesh (尘补峁僺补, 尘腻峁僺补);
- tendons (苍丑腻谤耻, 蝉苍腻测耻);
- bone (补峁弓丑颈, asthi);
- marrow (补峁弓丑颈mi帽ja, asthimajjan);
- kidneys (vakka, 惫峁沰办补);
- heart (hadaya, 丑峁沝补测补);
- liver (yakana, 测补办峁泃);
- pleura (kilamaka, kloman);
- spleen (pihaka, 辫濒墨丑补苍);
- lungs (辫补辫辫丑腻蝉补, pupphusa);
- intestines (anta, antra);
- mesentery (补苍迟补驳颈峁嘺, 补苍迟谤补驳耻峁嘺);
- stomach (usatiya, udara);
- excrement (办补谤墨蝉补, 办补谤墨峁);
- brain (尘补迟迟丑补濒耻峁単补, 尘补蝉迟耻濒耻峁単补);
- bile (pitta);
- phlegm (samha, 艣濒别峁补苍);
- pus (pubba, 辫奴测补);
- blood (lohita);
- sweat (seda, sveda);
- fat (meda or medas);
- tears (assu, 补艣谤耻);
- suint (惫补蝉腻);
- saliva (khela, 办丑别峁璦);
- snot (蝉颈峁単丑腻峁噄办腻, 蝉补峁単丑腻峁嘺办补);
- synovial fluid (濒补蝉颈办腻);
- urine (mutta, 尘奴迟谤补).