During the ordination ceremony ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro


During the ordination ceremony, a Buddhist monk receives his first meditation object from his preceptor. He repeats a list of five Pali words forwards and backwards. These words translate as ‘hair of the head’, ‘hair of the body’, ‘nails’, ‘teeth’ and ‘skin’. The monk is expected to make the reflection on these five body parts as impermanent, unattractive and impersonal, a daily practice for the rest of his life.

Being able to perceive hair as just hair, nails as just nails, teeth as just teeth and skin as just skin is a suprisingly powerful practice. It cuts right through our instinctual attachment to the body as ‘me’ and ‘mine’. It protects against all the commercial forces that encourage us to become obsessed with physical attactiveness.

During the ordination ceremony

Source: