Flesh and Bones

This chapter discusses how many techniques in Buddhism involve reflecting in detail on physical bodies, both an individual’s own and those of others. These techniques typically emphasize the disgusting and repulsive aspects of each part of the human body. They also reveal ways in which the individual relates to their own body and subtle ways they are attracted to or repulsed by those of others. In traditional sources, women's bodies in particular are singled out for reflection and represented as impure and undesirable. As modern readers, this is one place where people are forced to consider the context of canonical Buddhist texts: Many were written by and for celibate monks in a cultural context where heterosexuality was assumed as the norm and women's status in society was far from equal to men's. There is no denying that today, such practices as written reinforce harmful body image norms and sexist attitudes. However, rather than pretending that such texts and practices do not exist, we are better off thinking about the underlying purpose of such reflections. This allows us to face up to uncomfortable historical facts while also illuminating how such practices might be adapted to be relevant in our own circumstances.