The Minute Meditation

"Having been meditated upon the coarse, then meditates upon the parts in detail. How do we meditate?

The Bodhisattva-Mahasattva meditates on all things, both inside and outside, down to particles existence. Whatever may arise in the future will be non-eternal. Why? Because all things are perfect in the form of disintegration [i.e., fully subject to dissolution]. If things were not non-eternal in the future, we could not say that there are differences in the ten kinds (stages) of physical form. What are the ten? At the moment they are: 1) membrane, 2) foam (spongy tissue), 3) pustules (pox), 4) ball of flesh, 5) limbs, 6) small infant, 7) child, 8 ) young, 9) prime of life, 10) decrepit old man. The Bodhisattva meditates: ‘If the membrane were not non-eternal, it could not become spongy (tissue). And if the prime of life were not non-eternal, old age would never come. If the time were not fleeting, moment by moment, it could never last long. Everything would have to grow up at the same time and be full in size. Therefore, one must definitely know that there are existence of tiny particles non-eternals, which have to go on existing, continuously [ie, changing from moment to moment]. Also, we see a person with all his sense organs perfect, and of a bright and shining mien, [only for] all this disappear (be consumed) into a weakened state’.

Also, he thinks: ‘There's the non-eternal with this person [ie, what is impermanent], succeeding moment after moment’. Also, he meditates on the four great elements and the four deportments. Also, he meditates on the cause of suffering, hunger, thirst, cold and heat that exist inside and outside. Also, he muses: 'If these four things were not non-eternal, (succeeding) moment after moment, we could not talk about these four sufferings'.

If the Bodhisattva well meditates thus, we call this minute meditation of the Bodhisattva upon the non-eternal."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

the minute meditation.mp3