Shēnguān jīng 身觀經

Sūtra on Body-Contemplation translated by 竺法護 (Zhú Fǎhù / Dharmarakṣa, 譯)

About the work

The Shēnguān jīng (T612) is a one-fascicle short sūtra on body-contemplation (kāyānupaśyanā) translated by Dharmarakṣa 竺法護 (竺法護). The text complements his KR6i0248 Fǎguān jīng on the dharma-anupaśyanā.

Prefaces

The text opens with the canonical formula.

Abstract

A miniature contemplation-sūtra on the body, treating the standard impurity-list (aśubha) and the four-elements analysis (dhātu-vibhaṅga). Datable to Dharmarakṣa’s translation activity (266–308 CE).

Translations and research

  • Boucher, Daniel. “Dharmarakṣa and the Transmission of Buddhism to China.” Asia Major 19 (2006): 13–37.